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Student-athletes: work with brands that want to work with you

Sounds almost too simple, but it’s important

(Estimated read time: 4 minutes)

When I first speak to athletes about NIL representation, I ask them about brands they would like to partner with.

Not surprisingly, the answers are mostly popular consumer companies: Nike, Chipotle, Gatorade, Crocs, etc.

While I always reach out to those companies for potential partnership athletes (with no success to date - but please message me if you work for one of these organizations!), I know that earning deals with these brands is a long shot.

It’s no disrespect at all to the athletes I work with; rather, large brands are very specific on which college athletes they want to associate themselves with.

So, what’s the solution?

Simply put: Student-athletes should work with brands that want to partner with them.

OK, but what does that even mean?

While athletes might not be able to earn deals with these large companies, they should focus on smaller organizations that offer similar products for a partnership.

Love Chipotle? Awesome! Reach out to a similar restaurant near campus.

Big fan of Nike? Me too! Message clothing brands that offer related products.

What’s the benefit of doing this?

• More likely to secure a deal

  • Again, most large brands look for a very specific genre of athlete to partner with (or even one specific athlete).

  • Therefore, by working with smaller brands, you are more likely to land a deal as these brands are more focused on spreading their name and products, and less particular about who they work with. (ie., they want to work with you.)

• Greater probability for a long-term partnership

  • Working with a large company might only be a one-off deal. (Product, payment, social media post, done.)

  • Working with smaller brands will give you opportunities to secure deals for months and years to come. (New products, product feedback, possibility for internships and jobs post-graduation, etc.)

• Possibility to turn smaller deals into larger collabs

  • It’s not to say athletes will never get a large brand deal, but laying the groundwork now can pay dividends later.

  • Student-athletes should get accustomed to executing deals, then as your content improves and your social media audience grows, you (or your agent) can begin targeting larger companies for partnerships.

Tips for brand deals

• If you use the product, message those brands

  • For products you use regularly, reaching out to those brands is beneficial for multiple reasons, including:

    • You are consume their products, so it’s a natural fit for a collaboration

    • You will most likely create better content for a product you use and love, so your creativity will shine

• Tag brands in social media posts

  • When you create content and you are using a brand’s products, always tag the brand in your post (or invite them as a Collaborator on Instagram).

  • While it’s not a guarantee these organizations will see and engage with your content, nothing wrong with shooting your shot.

• Think long-term

  • As previously mentioned, look beyond a one-time partnership with brands.

    • Even with brands only have enough budget and product for one instance, reconnect with the brand a few months after the conclusion of your partnership to reengage the conversation.

Thank You for reading today’s newsletter

^{I discuss insights and news related to NIL and personal branding for athletes every Wednesday at 12p ET/9a PT.}

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