This week whole the storm came down on FIFA, some of soccer’s best ambassadors to the podium to talk about their greatest challenges and opportunities, many of which will start Saturday at Red Bull Arena. They are the members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, who will take to the pitch in Harrison in their final tune-up before heading north of the border to try and claim something which has eluded the U.S. since 1999, taking home the trophy.
While stars from tennis and golf, the WNBA, Ronda Rousey and Danica Patrick (yet to win her first NASCAR race and now searching for a car sponsor) get a more than fair share of the general sports marketing dollars tied to female athletes, soccer players as brand ambassadors, especially heading into the World Cup, are now on the rise. With Heather Mitts and Alex Morgan leading the way in engagement with brands, and others like Hope Solo finding their way into the mainstream, the connection between telegenic women’s soccer athletes as brand ambassadors has just begun not just nationally but locally as well. In an era where social engagement and hyper-local connections bring a great deal of credibility and value especially for brands looking to reach a younger audience, the next month to six weeks could be a game changer not just for women’s soccer, but for the business and branding of their players as well.
That value should not be lost on the local level either, as the Women’s National team boasts four players from New Jersey who should be able to contribute not just on the field, but in business as well. Christie Rampone, Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath, and Heather O’Reilly all have New Jersey roots, and will be key figures not just this weekend, but all the way through the tournament. Heath, from Basking Ridge, has quickly become one of the most entertaining players to watch on the women’s national team, Rampone, the team captain and a central defender and former Monmouth University star, brings longtime credibility and speaks to an audience that is not just young and brash but to moms as well. Midfielder O’Reilly from East Brunswick and Lloyd from Delran bring enthusiasm and even more athleticism for brands who want to ride the soccer wave.
So who can grab on locally? How about Big Pharma, a deep pocketed industry always looking to appeal to women and families, with string ties in New Jersey. Banks with dollars to spend should be looking to engage with one or all four of the local stars no matter what the outcome is in Canada. Financial services firms, toy companies, even smaller startups like energy drinks can work wonders with these smart and engaging athletes as a way to get a piece of several pies; Women’s World Cup, healthy living, families, women’s sports and of course soccer overall. The risk for engagement is minimal, the upside is high, and the time is really now to get in and get smart about tying to four local faces with national ties.
Does a brand run a small chance of little spillover post World Cup? The NWSL has not reached the expectations most have had and has slid well behind MLS, NASL and women’s circuits like the WNBA, PGA, WTA etc. in terms of engagement and recognition, but we are going into an Olympic cycle which will include women’s soccer, and the ability to get women’s players engaged when the World Cup is over back in their local market, as well as in the social space, is very high.
So while many in the media and the public closely follow the goings on with indictments, brands, especially local ones, should lock down on the athletes as WWC gets going and the focus shifts to the pitch, with a spotlight that could get very bright for some amazing ambassadors both nationally and locally.
