Unlock a powerful, underutilized marketing channel by tapping into college athletes for product promotion. This episode reveals a unique strategy to leverage Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules, offering ecommerce brands a direct line to an engaged 18-22 year old demographic through strategic gifting and relationship building with team staff.
Key takeaways
Identify and directly contact college sports graduate assistants (GAs) whose contact info is often publicly available online, as they are motivated to build player relationships and can act as your 'Santa Claus' for product distribution.
Position the GA as a hero by including them in product shipments, making them the direct conduit for players to receive desirable items.
Strategically time product drops around key periods like summer training camps (often in August for college football), when athletes are looking for excitement and new content opportunities.
Anticipate a high engagement rate; while not guaranteed, expecting 30% of a college team (e.g., 40 out of 120 players) to post about gifted products is a reasonable benchmark, especially given the target demographic's social media habits.
Focus on building long-term relationships with athletes, as early product experiences can foster lasting brand loyalty and continuous organic promotion within their social circles.
If you’re a brand with a product that caters to athletes or folks who watch sports, then you would probably love to get your products in the hands of an athlete so they can promote your business. So, how do you connect with these athletes to make this dream a reality? And where do you even begin when reaching out to teams and individuals? In this episode, we discuss everything you need to know about having your products promoted by athletes (both professional and college level), including how, when, and where to go to find the athletes to partner with. You can find show notes and more at: www.kynship.co/podcast/007
What does this episode say about influencer & creator?
Identify and directly contact college sports graduate assistants (GAs) whose contact info is often publicly available online, as they are motivated to build player relationships and can act as your 'Santa Claus' for product distribution.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Position the GA as a hero by including them in product shipments, making them the direct conduit for players to receive desirable items.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Strategically time product drops around key periods like summer training camps (often in August for college football), when athletes are looking for excitement and new content opportunities.
What does this episode say about influencer & creator?
Anticipate a high engagement rate; while not guaranteed, expecting 30% of a college team (e.g., 40 out of 120 players) to post about gifted products is a reasonable benchmark, especially given the target demographic's social media habits.
What does this episode say about influencer & creator?
Focus on building long-term relationships with athletes, as early product experiences can foster lasting brand loyalty and continuous organic promotion within their social circles.
