To work successfully with female athletes, brands need to hand back control to the stars
Women in sport are finally getting the recognition they deserve, but in order to fully reap the benefits of sponsorship, brands need to let the stars do the talking, argues Lauren Houghton.
As a sport-loving Aussie working in sports marketing, it’s been an exciting year watching the growing visibility of females in sport. With figures like a 1.m combined national audience for the inaugural AFLW match earlier this year, the new Suncorp Super Netball League Grand Final shown on prime-time Nine and a new WNBL broadcast deal recently announced, it’s not new news that female athletes and sports are growing in profile and influence.
Houghton: “Brands must stop asking their ambassadors to hold a product and request a ‘tag’”
The sporting associations want to see growth in the sport and partnering brands want to be a part of that sentiment whilst hitting business objectives. Both want to be proud of their efforts, so how can this relationship be mutually beneficial and successful?
I’m certainly grateful for the brands who are flocking to invest in female sports – appropriately placing their logo on uniforms and telling well-produced, touching stories about inspirational women.
He or she who pays the piper, calls the tune. That’s reality.