Before heading off this weekend I got to unpack…literally…from all the learnings at Super Bowl in New Orleans. We did 22 podcasts, helped facilitate close to 70 interviews, staged and helped coordinate a press event talking about the future of engagement with EA Sports, the NFL, NBC, the Rams and Genius Sports (nice summary here) and learned a great deal about where our business is and where it is going in so many ways. Here are three short listens to start from Media Row we thought you would enjoy.
Tunnel fits is a thing, and athlete branding of all sizes grows: We were joined by Riley Parker, Columbia and St. John’s Alum and working with over 140 athletes now in NFL Player Marketing at Klutch Sports. Riley broke down the value of listening and leaning in with athletes to build smart and effective brand partnerships…with big names including Jalen Hurts and DeAndre Hopkins, as well as hyper local deals that work with the Lions Brian Branch and Terrion Arnold with Detroit’s Buddy’s Pizza, featuring their Four Corners Pizza. Then there is Tunnel Fits, the literal new real estate teams, leagues and athletes have created to brand and use for partnerships in everything that is worn, carried and shared from the path off the bus and into the locker room. From Unrivaled and Sephora to the Lakers, this new real estate is a point of concentration for Klutch, and one of the best learnings we pulled from the podcasts. Listen here.https://thecuspshow.substack.com/p/415-riley-parker-on-her-journey-from
Tech and Humanity on the field. It is always great to catch up and learn from Mike Pereira, former VP of NFL Officiating and lead analyst on all things refereeing at FOXSPORTS. He also founded Battlefields to Ballfields in 2017 which gives veterans scholarships to get involved as officials on every level. We talked about the crisis of officiating during our chat, and what can be done to reassure people that being an official is a worthwhile way to spend time at every level. Of course we talked tech as well, and how much technology do we need in a game happening at warp speed sometimes. Mike also touches on the mental health crisis officials are dealing with, given the sought after perfection in a very human business and gives us great insight into how these elite people on the field have evolved during their careers. Lots of info loaded in 15 minutes.
Going Overtime for brands. Lastly for this round, we spoke to Jamie Peacock, VP of Marketing at Overtime. LJ Holmgren and I dive into the art of creating content that resonates with Gen Z, the keys to maintaining authenticity in the digital space, and how to build trust when partnering with brands. Jamie gave us several examples of how brands have found unique engagement ways to partner and get significant ROI from every aspect of the Overtime universe, as well as laying out how the company has grown from highlights driven to impactful multimedia storytelling on every level. Learnings way beyond the Super Bowl for those looking to learn about marketing and engagement to a younger audience.
Enjoy these three quick listens about more than the game…
