Tom Brady - The Roadmap to Athlete Branding
Vikings & Seahawks get Canada. FCF x Dazn. Tom Brady Launches Brady Brand.
On Today’s Agenda:
Vikings & Seahawks Granted Canada for International Marketing Rights
Madden Franchise Mode Comes to Life
The Launch of Brady Brand
NFL Grants Select Teams With International Marketing Rights
Vikings & Seahawks Get Canada
Twitter / @NFL345
After weeks, and countless discussions regarding how soccer can grow into the North American market, it’s time for a change of pace. In this article, we’ll be discussing how American Football plans on growing the game globally with the announcement of International Marketing Rights being granted to various teams.
Let’s start by answering the question on all of our minds, what do these marketing rights allow for? In short, the teams that were designated with International Marketing Rights now have the ability to grow their brands in these areas similar to how they do so locally. Meaning you will now be able to see more teams adopt an approach that Jacksonville Jaguars had with the UK and London. Some of the items you can expect would be: collaborations with sports and entertainment groups within those international markets (e.g Vikings collaborating with MLSE in Toronto, or OSEG in Ottawa), corporate sponsorship, fan events, merchandise sales, etc.
This is a fabulous idea. Not only because it’s allowing the game to grow to a global audience but the approach is spot-on. By designating various markets to select teams, it will allow for each club to have its own approaches that meet the needs of each culture. Surely, you can’t approach the Rams audience in China the same way as you would with the Vikings audience in Canada.
Brands, like Disney, have had issues in the past with global expansion when they tried to introduce an Americanized product into foreign markets, such as Euro Disney. As much as these foreign markets appreciate the American product that is the NFL, you still need to be wary of not forcing America down their throats and not respecting their traditions. A perfect example would be Euro Disney initially not allowing alcohol to be sold in the park. Big no-no by the French public.
Therefore, lessons can be learned by past global brands and their international expansions. Understand and respect the culture you’re operating within and curate an approach that allows for your product to adapt to their culture. We’ll make sure to stay up to date with each new development and share the good, bad, and ugly of the NFL Granting Select Teams with International Marketing Rights.
Fan Controlled Football Reaching New Heights With Dazn
Madden Franchise Mode Comes to Life
Kevin C. Cox/Fan Controlled Football / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The world of streaming has revolutionized how fans watch sports on a screen. Improvements in fan engagement have taken platforms like Twitch to the forefront of streaming, where fans of video games (and also sports) are able to connect with the content they view.
Enter the Fan Controlled Football League. After just completing its inaugural season, we saw a very ambitious combination of sports and entertainment. Here’s a quick summary:
7 on 7, 50-yard field
1-hour games, no time stoppage for quick matchups
All games streamed on Twitch
Drafts on Wednesday, Fan votes determine the rosters
All plays on offense are voted on by fans
Special badges and activations for fans to “unlock” certain power-ups during the game
Ultimately, the fans have complete control over the game, in an arcade-style fashion that allows fans to stay dialed in and engaged. One of the changes we have seen with the world of streaming is how fans engage with their teams. Those who watch games on twitch (or other websites that Dana White doesn’t approve of) know that the in-game chats are where fans unite and talk about the game - as if they’re watching it together.
The FCF is leading the way in how digital platforms can drive fan engagement. Although this model is not feasible for professional sports leagues (NFL, NHL, etc.), it does help these leagues. The more eyeballs on the sport of football will certainly drive fans to watch the top quality content of the NFL. As discussed with the NFL’s international marketing strategy, the NFL is looking to grow the sport globally - and working with the FCF might be another avenue to do so.
The FCF is already backed by multiple NFL players, including Richard Sherman, Austin Ekeler, and Dalvin Cook. Steve Aoki is also a co-owner of one of the franchises. I’m reminded of the conversation Chris and I had about this on the white whale marketing (wwm) pod - we looked at how fantasy sports allows fans to take control of their favourite players and be even more invested in the outcome of NFL games. Sports betting needs no introduction in its role in getting fans invested. We alluded to how the FCF, and the control fans have in understanding the rules, strategy, and plays will allow for casual fans to potentially improve their knowledge and become more invested as they understand the fast-paced NFL games they see on TV. A very interesting connection, and something that the NFL should see value in.
And now, the FCF is taking things to another level. Earlier this week, it was announced that DAZN will be the new global broadcast partner for the FCF’s second season. DAZN’s business continues to grow as it adds more unique sporting events and leagues to the platform. Fans who are looking for something to watch when their favourite EPL or NFL team isn’t playing will notice the FCF on DAZN, and potentially gravitate towards checking it out. It is clearly a great sign for the FCF to be on DAZN, and only time will tell how many eyes will be on the league in its second season.
Tom Brady - The Roadmap to Athlete Branding
The Launch of Brady Brand
Brady Brand
We’re in the business of athlete brands. Therefore, when we hear some big news in the space, you know we have to touch on it. Tom Brady, the goat, has officially launched his own apparel company named Brady Brand. The brand looks to take athleisure wear to the next level by using the latest innovations in professional sports and applying them to everyday clothing. Not only is Tom and his team at Brady Brand maximizing the use of innovations in sports but also the latest in athlete marketing, by partnering with NCAA athletes on NIL deals.
Hold-on. Before our over-eager readers start googling how to become a Hall-Of-Fame QB and start an innovative athletic brand, that’s not the roadmap we’re talking about. Brady, of course, unlike most athletes has a greater ability to market himself due to sheer fame alone. Nonetheless, there are still key takeaways and fundamentals that are applicable to athletes of all sizes, here’s the breakdown:
The start. When it comes to developing a personal brand, it needs to be personal. Meaning if you enjoy the outdoors, don’t portray yourself as someone who is thriving in the concrete jungle. Instead, start by creating a strong base as if nobody's watching. Take Tom Brady for example, years ago he was sharing things regarding his eccentrically healthy lifestyle, aka the avocado ice cream diet amongst other things. From then on, when you heard things about Brady, such as not eating certain fruits or his rigorous off-season training, it just furthered the connection between Brady and peak performance.
Capitalization. Once people are able to define your personal brand in one sentence or adjective: health-nut, car guy, fashionista, etc. you’re ready. This is when you can start introducing brand partnerships, collaborations, or special projects. The goal is to make sure you team up with partners that align with your brand. Tom Brady teamed up with a publishing company to share his TB12 book. This stage is where you’re able to capitalize on the brand you created for yourself: whether it’s monetary gain, increased viewership, or growing your initial customer base.
Ownership. This stage is where capitalization is transferred to ownership and where a personal brand turns into a business, which you can sustain and work on post-career. In Tom’s case, this would be the TB12 pliability and performance center gyms. Rather than sharing his audience or customer base with the publishing house, he now has ownership of them once they sign a membership for his facilities. For a typical athlete, this is where your coffee brand deals transition to your own coffee brand.
Goat-status. This is where empires are built. Not only have you completed all stages of personal branding but you’re now entering a new path where you separate yourself from the business. This is the stage where people go to reach beyond their audiences and fandom to reach the masses. In Brady’s case, this is where the Brady Brand comes to fruition. Here he begins engaging with people that consume his products or services, with the potential of having no idea who Tom Brady or TB12 is, Brady Brand is just a name like Levi’s Jeans.
Dream for goat-status, hope for ownership, work for capitalization and jump to start - connect with white whale mktg to find out more.