1) Brooks did not kick them out. They let them in and both parties agreed to the terms which allowed for changes. All programs have this clause and no one is forced to sign, are they?
2) Brooks did not kick them out. They provided another program which was more aligned to the market segment - purest runners & local elites who are not ELITES at the National or International levels. These are known as true ELITE RUNNERS, right
3) Brooks is not run by marketing people and are learning as they go and segmenting properly. The ID Elite Program is one of 3 segment programs
Being an ELITE worthy of investment has to do with market awareness the provides VALUE at two levels: Increased Sales or Enhancing the Brand which has to do with public personification of Brooks values at the community level. There is one for the true ELITES. A true ELITE runner has a world class record, not just a few great times. However, this is not enough. To be sponsored at this level, you have to be seen as driving market interest and sales revenue. Nearly every company leverages the success of their athletes to drive brand awareness and sales. Those who do are worthy of investment.
Brooks' ID Elite Program remains designed for those who "Inspire Daily. These two simple words guide the principles of the program. Winning their age divisions, accomplishing their personal goals, pushing their own limits, and, by extension, encouraging others to do the same. They are coaches, mentors, and leaders." Think about that. Inspire [others] daily. Not on race day or once a week. Further,
Looking at the resegmentation of the ID Elite Program, it appears the change in the above delineates a 2nd tier of elite runners from the true elites and those who, in addition to being very proficient age groupers, provide daily inspiration and direct contribution to others.
The next group is the Fanatics. Initially, this segment was part of the ID Elite program as Brooks wanted to provide some support to runners with damn good race times. Face it, these guys are performers. But they are not the ones out it the community on a daily basis nor do they have the widespread market impact of those who are or those who are World Class. What they do promotes the Brooks Brand, but how does it promote and scale Brooks values in the community? Heck, most of this group that I have spoken have never read Brooks' Mission Statement or Core Values. How in the heck can they emphasize these to create value and association with Brooks if they are unaware? Most are simply serious, fast runners. They are not spending a majority of their time raising $ for charity, doing things in the community with sufficient frequency and visibility to create awareness of the Brooks Brand.
Clearly, World Class Elites and ID Elites create vast awareness beyond that of a Fanatic. Thus, the Fanatic is worth some, lesser investment. That is not ignoring or dumping them. It is aligning value. Marketing sponsorship is an investment and for every investment you make, don't you expect to recover the investment? With interest? Brooks invests and does more for the running community than most and in a way that makes a difference!
If you want to see dropping of sponsorships or absurdly one-sided agreements, you should spend time reviewing Nike approach.