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Today’s Case

South Carolina's Juice Wells partners with The Farmer's Dog for NIL deal

Wells (whose first name is Antwane) and his pup, Sosa, have signed an endorsement deal with The Farmer’s Dog, a company that makes makes fresh, human-grade food for dogs. Wells also released a video starring Sosa and promoting healthy meals for dogs.

Initially facilitated by Park Avenue, the commercial was filmed and produced by the Columbia-based production agency, As Told By. As the deal was established in an agreement with South Carolina Athletics Department, Park Ave is still managed by Everett Sports Marketing. (Due to NCAA guidance last October that labeled it impermissible for third-party entities to represent athletes on behalf of an athletic department, the Gamecock-focused sports marketing agency is now privately funded.)

Park Ave director Chaise Belt: “If you follow Juice on social media you’ve definitely seen Sosa. He truly cares for and loves him. They really are best friends. The Farmer’s Dog brand was a natural introduction to Juice given it’s real, fresh food personalized for your dog and delivered right to your door.”

The Verdict:

• Smart move by The Farmer’s Dog making the natural move into the NIL space after their hit Super Bowl commercial

  • The company is one of the fastest-growing pet food companies in the U.S., and this is the perfect time to capitalize on their popularity, while continuing to make high-quality dog food.

  • Look for more athletes with pets to do NIL deals with local Vets and pet stores.

    • Oklahoma football’s Reggie Pearson recently did an NIL deal for 15% off the cost of a new patient visit at a local Vet.

• Very relatable partnership for fans and pet owners

  • With pets being part of families, having deals like this humanizes the brand and the relationship people have with their pets.

    • Wells states in his video that he takes his health seriously, and it should be the same for Sosa.

      • Many pet owners feel similarly and want to provide the best nutrition for their pets, and telling more of these stories via NIL deals is a good way to build goodwill and increase sales.

• The video is well done

  • Instead of one image of Sosa eating, a video really drives home the bond between Wells and Sosa, as is shown in the video of them playing together.

  • Wells also does a great job explaining the benefits of The Farmer’s Dog products and why it’s his preferred choice of dog food. (And the 50% discount code in the caption certainly helps.)

ABC: Always Be Creating

Big thank you to FanWord for having me on an internal webinar last month. Here are my thoughts on content creation.

Question of the Day

How long does the average NIL deal take to complete, from athlete/brand conversation to executing the deal?

• Less than one month

• 1-3 months

• 4+ months

Vote on the Sports Court Instagram Story and comment below.

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Court is adjourned. Go be great!!