Fitt Insider’s Post

It is no surprise that fashion has increased its presence in the arena of sports. Not only are today's athletes some of the most recognizable influencers, but they also have the cultural cache to make brands pop. Off-White's official partnership with the New York Liberty symbolizes a sense of heightened awareness brands have for the WNBA. Made popular by the late/great creative visionary Virgil Abloh, Off-White has now made a significant splash into the WNBA with a first of its kind partnership that will blend fashion with the talent that make brands cool. Here are a few of my takeaways: *By establishing a new multi-year partnership with the coolest team in the league (no hometown bias!), Off-White aligns themself in the media and fashion capital to continue making their brand synonymous with style. *Merch has always been a revenue stream with fans and consumers alike, BUT, not every team can stir up the same kind of demand as the Liberty. If the initial varsity jacket is a sign of future capsule releases, I am sure there will be many more storytelling extensions that tie in to community and tentpole moments in basketball. *We all know athletes move the needle in regards to setting trends and raising awareness, but with sports being a copy/paste-like industry, I am curious to see which brand tries to align their platform with a WNBA athlete who is the go-to influencer for fashion. https://lnkd.in/eh88tfiy #LinkedInSports #SportsBiz #WNBA

The women’s sports merchandise market is booming, now valued at an impressive $4 billion and continuing to grow, highlighting the rising popularity and commercial potential of women’s sports. For Be Well Brands, this trend presents an exciting opportunity to tap into a rapidly expanding market segment. By aligning with the values of empowerment and inclusivity, we can create merchandise that resonates deeply with this audience, including collaborations or product lines celebrating women’s sports and their fan base. This expanding market offers fertile ground for innovative branding and product development. Be Well Brands can help you leverage merchandise programs that drive revenue and reinforce marketing messages. Message us to discuss how you can build a women’s sports licensed merchandise program. #WomensSports #EmpowermentThroughSport #InclusiveBranding #BeWellBrands #SportsMerch #WomensSportsMerch #FemaleAthletes #SportsFans #WomenInSports #MerchandiseInnovation

This week, the WNBA and its partner brands announced three groundbreaking deals that are set to revolutionize women's sports marketing. I discuss the deals in my latest article on Forbes Forbes CMO Network "Building Brands Through Women’s Sports: Three WNBA Deals to Watch." In this piece, I delve into how these strategic partnerships are not just about traditional sponsorships, but about reimagining how brands can drive both business growth and social change through women's sports. Learn how New Balance and Togethxr are leveraging the power of women's sports to foster community engagement, enhance visibility, and create authentic connections that propel business success and societal impact. 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gPnmxVSh As the women's sports market races towards a projected $1 billion valuation, now is the time for brands to embrace the future of sports marketing. Join the conversation and let's #KickGlass together! Miami University Miami University Farmer School of Business #WNBA #WomensSports #Marketing #BrandGrowth #AthleteEmpowerment #KickGlassMarketing #SportsBusiness #ForbesCMONetwork

By investing in partnerships with women's sports leagues and athletes, these brands are not only driving positive social change but also connecting with audiences in meaningful ways. These brands are setting a powerful example for the industry, hopefully inspiring others to follow suit. #Brands #Branding #WomensSports

With 18.9M tuning in to watch the Women’s NCAA Tournament Championship, one thing becomes abundantly clear: Enthusiasm for women’s sports is reaching new heights. Whether you're looking to increase #BrandAwareness or #DriveConversions, leveraging women's sports could be the winning strategy for your next #AdvertisingCampaign. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gR2hzMMm #MarchMadness #Advertising #RecordViewership #WomensSports https://lnkd.in/gR2hzMMm

Interest in women’s sports is at an all-time high – so why don’t we see very many female athlete jerseys worn by fans? A recent report by Klarna and Sports Innovation Lab on this topic is eye-opening (https://lnkd.in/gHPedXwa) 1️⃣ the women’s sports merchandise market is estimated to be valued at $4 billion per year 2️⃣ for every nine pieces of men’s sports merchandise available in the US, there’s only one available for women’s sports. 3️⃣ 79% of fans reported they would purchase more women’s sports merchandise if they had more options But there are people working on innovative solutions to this problem. For example, my niece Lauren Gilbert plays professional lacrosse for Athletes Unlimited - and I love their approach to bringing fans closer to the game. You can support your favorite Athletes Unlimited players with merchandise: https://lnkd.in/gXdQ_5za #WomensSports

The performance of women at the #OlympicGames showed #womensports are not niche anymore. Marketers have realized sponsorships involving female athletes and teams offer better engagement and higher ROI. Check out insights from Jenna Hackerman Klein of The Players’ Tribune, Tania Salarvand of Globant and Christine Guilfoyle of SEEHER about the opportunities and the challenges in the Brand Innovators website. #Advertising #sportsmarketing #marketing

Upstart leagues are shaping the future of sports. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian Sr. launched a new track event, ATHLOS NYC. Making sprinting a spectator sport, it featured: 🏃🏽♀️ Thirty-six elite female runners 👑 Custom Tiffany & Co crowns for winners 🎤 Post-race performance by Megan Thee Stallion 🎶 Personalized music and pyrotechnics during athlete walk-outs 💰 $60K cash prize—largest ever for female track athletes—plus revenue-sharing Developed with athletes’ input, it treated them like royalty — arranging private transportation, paying for hair and makeup, and designing the first-ever female-specific bibs. The event was sponsored by WYN BEAUTY by Serena Williams, Bandit, Oiselle, Strava, and Therabody, among others. It attracted a stadium full of fans, VIP celebs, and Olympians. Leveraging female athlete-creators’ social media influence, Ohanian believes events like Athlos can change the game for women — leveling the playing field and paychecks. But track and field isn’t the only sport being reinvented. In 2025, athlete-centered leagues like Tiger Woods’ TGL, Shaun White’s The Snow League, Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, and player-owned Unrivaled Basketball will debut. Beyond shifting power dynamics, new leagues offer fresh marketing opportunities — putting purpose-aligned brands in front of hyper-engaged fans. 📩 Subscribe to Fitt Insider for more health and fitness headlines — delivered every Tuesday. → https://lnkd.in/erFVbn5Z

Sports marketing is increasingly becoming one of the best formats of strategic partnerships for brands, and a recent WARC article dives into the nuances and trends of this industry. There's a lot to unpack in this piece, but some of the most interesting points: 1. Sports sponsorship is considered to be the most effective entertainment medium for visibility and reach (73%), even more than music and lifestyle; 2. Women's sports is both the industry with the biggest growth, and the area consumers want to see more investment in, signalling a great opportunity for brands with smaller budgets and big ambitions; 3. 72% of marketers agree that sports marketing is becoming increasingly complex to navigate, which is reflective of the ROI pressures they face in an industry that is already quite saturated with 'forced' content; 4. There are noticeable differences where Gen Z vs. Millennials consume sports content, and brands need to strategise their campaigns to tailor platform-communication effectively to different audiences. It's imperative to keep in mind that sports marketing is not just an opportunity for brands to diversify their content approach to a larger audience, but also for athletes and teams to get better exposure and build their personalities outside of their sport - it is a two-way street. An alignment of values, use of emotion and creative storytelling can go a long way. Identifying the right opportunities and partnerships is tricky, especially when there is no direct apparent connection to the sporting event. However, brands that nail it leave a lasting impression for years. Some notable examples: - Rihanna pausing mid-way through her 2023 Superbowl halftime performance to touch up with her Fenty Beauty setting powder, - SEPHORA makeup artists giving makeovers to the gold medalists in the Paris Olympics 2024, - adidas with their "Hey Jude" advert for the 2024 Euros which plucked at the heartstrings of UK football fans, - PepsiCo's "Change the Game" campaign for the ICC World Cup 2011. Creativity doesn't have to be resource-intensive or complex, especially for an industry like sports marketing that is growing at an impossible rate and changing how consumers and brands view sponsorships. A great article from start to finish, highly recommend you give it a read! #sportsmarketing #marketing #warc #advertising #dataanalytics #olympics #superbowl #football

The growth of women’s sports is undeniable. From the record-breaking investments in women’s football/soccer, basketball, and cricket in 2023 to the 2024 launch of Michele Kang’s first multi-team global org dedicated to women’s football, the momentum is palpable. While audience ratings for women’s soccer aren’t yet on par with men’s games, the growth potential is clear. It’s time for brands to take notice MORE. Following the FIFA Women's World Cup™ in New Zealand and Australia, we wanted to understand the differences in how men’s and women’s soccer games emotionally engage viewers and assess the value of both for brands. Why emotional engagement? Emotion builds fandom, and fandom drives powerful consumer behaviors. Key insights from the comparison between equivalent pairs of women’s and men’s games: 🔹 Women’s soccer/football games had a 25% higher Emotional Impact Score (EIS) 🔹 Brands advertising during women’s games saw a 6.5% higher EIS for sponsors ads and 15.3% increase for commercial spots 🔹 Post-game surveys showed higher brand recall for ads in women’s matches What does this mean for brands? The data is clear—advertising during women’s soccer/football games offers a unique opportunity to connect with consumers. Read the full analysis on our blog: https://lnkd.in/dBcK884t #womeninsports #sponsorhsip #brandegagement #FIFA #womenssoccer #womensfootball #sportsmarketing Michele Kang Sarah Batters Natalie Portman Serena Williams Alexis Ohanian Sr. Eva Longoria Jennifer Garner Billie Jean King Enterprises Patrick Mahomes Brittany Mahomes Eli Manning Kevin Durant Carli Lloyd Sue Bird Naomi Osaka James Harden Andre Iguodala Kara Nortman Bridget Sponsky (Izor) Nikki Doucet Michelle Difilippantonio Wilson Sixth Street The Carlyle Group’s Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, LLC Ally Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch) Therabody The HEINEKEN Company CarMax Nike Google Mastercard Delta Air Lines The Coca-Cola Company Morgan Stanley