Quite a while ago when we were at the WTA Tour, our leader at the name, a self-proclaimed “reformed lawyer” named Bart McGuire, was asked whey women’s tennis grabbed so many headlines and had such a strong business story. He always said:
“Our athletes are not just great tennis players, they are good copy.”
Now for generations past that moment, “copy’ of then meant amazing “storytelling” of today, but the message is the same, and Bart also went out of his way to rarely call them “women athletes,” they were amazing athletes, many of whom were known more by their first names…Steffi, Monica, Martina, Venus, Serena…than their counterparts at the time who happened to be men.
I raise this on a rainy Saturday morning because the “good copy” idea has not changed at all…but those athletes who are now being surrounded by even more forward thinking leadership, by brands who see the value to drive revenue, and by consumers who enjoy watching and listening and learning are making this “overnight sensation” even more valuable of an investment asset than every before, and I look back over the past week with not anecdotal, but empirical evidence as to why this is true.
A few moments in time to back up Bart’s “good copy” idea as smart business.
“We are an innovation platform. Our ability to move fast and try things to connect with fans and brands that more established leagues might not be able to do at the speed we can do it is key for growth. The response has been outstanding.” -Julie Haddon at SportsPro OTT Summit
Be nimble and be disruptive. One thing that the NWSL has embraced more than older leagues is the ability to listen, learn and go at a moments notice. The pivot-ability in a time when brands are looking for responsiveness and not just signage (although signage is valuable for the big audiences of the NFL and beyond) gives rising properties a window to success that maybe more established properties don’t have, but can learn from.
Empathy and vulnerability
I was on the road listening to a lot of people this past week, and the biggest “wow” moment came not once, but four times in the same place…at the WISE (Women In Sports and Entertainment) lunch on Wednesday. The four honorees this year, Renee Washington at USA Track and Field, Michelle Kajiwara who has led sales at Crypto.com arena, Kate Johnson at Google, and Ayala Deutsch at the NBA , all accomplished professionals, told deep, PERSONAL stories about loss, overcoming adversity and personal challenges that were amazingly relatable to everyone. I cannot recall any man ever standing up there and opening up that much when receiving a business award like that, and it reminded me as to why the lessons I have learned and apply come from so many women I know…there is an OK aspect to being honest and sharing that emotional journey because it’s what everyone can relate to. The ego, many times when recognition comes, leads people…men especially, to pump the chest and ignore the challenges. For these women leaders…it was the opposite, and it was very refreshing, and frankly pretty stunning.
Relatable stories about struggles sell.
Empirical proof around March Madness
We have heard all the talk about Name Image and Likeness, yet where is the proof of engagement for brands. Look to the first signs in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, where you are finally seeing brands…big brands…State Farm, adidas, Invesco QQQ…using less mascot, and more athletes to tell their stories. Why? Because people watching know these athletes now because of social media, local engagement, and the way they have been portrayed for months. But here’s the interesting thing…of the six or eight athletes in these campaigns, MOST are women’s basketball players (and at least three are from one team, LSU….Flau’jae Johnson, Haily Van Lith, and Mikaylah Williams all in addition to Angel Reese who has arguably the second largest engagement in the tournament outside of Caitlin Clark. These spots are not just in the women’s tournament…they are running in prime time in the MEN’s tournament. What more proof could you want of wide appeal storytelling then for brands to KNOW that these athletes, who happen to be women, can sell to the demo watching the men’s tournament as well.
What was once risky, is now reward.
Now all of this is not to say that sports played by men are being sunsetted at all. There is tremendous value and interest…but it is great stories across the board, not an us vs. then thing, and frankly it makes the pie bigger. Soon, gasp, we may see even more _co-ed” spots featuring even more men and women together like we are seeing with State Farm and Clark, because each brings their own audience which is due for more crossover.
Also if you want to learn even more from the coach/athlete POV on the “why,” listen to our recent podcast with University of North Carolina field hockey champion as an athlete, and now as the youngest Division I head coach in all of sport, Erin Matson. It is worth the time.
It’s fun, it’s interesting to all, and as Bart said, its great copy.
Keep copying the success, and keep growing. The ride is just beginning.
As March Madness Begins, A Tip of The Cap To St. Joseph…