Introduction to NIL
An overview of the NCAA’s revised NIL policy and how Adidas, Honey Stinger, and Express are leveraging student athlete ambassadors to engage new communities and promote diversity.
According to the NCSA (aka Next College Student Athlete Organization) acronym NIL refers to the three components of a student athlete’s identity: name, image, and likeness. These are the 3 elements that make up the legal concept of “right of publicity”. This legal concept protects an individual’s right against the misuse of their identity and reputation for commercial promotion. For many years, the NCAA has been criticized for using the NIL of student-athletes for profit without allowing students to benefit commercially until now.
The NCAA recently announced changes to their NIL policy, which allows student-athletes to be compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness. This has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for brands of all industries. With the adoption of NIL policies, brands now have the opportunity to work with college athletes as influencers, ambassadors and affiliates in order to reach college markets. In this blog post, we will take an overview of the NCAA’s revised NIL policy and how Adidas, Honey Stingers, and Express are working with college ambassadors to engage new communities and promote diversity.
Adidas
Adidas has long been a leader in the sports marketing world, and now they are taking their commitment one step further. Adidas has recently announced the launch of a new program designed to empower student-athletes and foster inclusivity. Through this new program, student-athletes of all genders will be given the opportunity to become paid affiliate brand ambassadors with Adidas, enabling them to have more control and ownership over their own brand. To kick off the program, Adidas is starting with HBCUs and Power-5 conference partners, with plans to scale across all schools by April 2023.
As of Jul 27, 2022, Adidas has signed 15 female athletes to NIL deals. These 15 different partnerships are a part of the brand’s goal to remain an innovator and trusted partner in the sporting industry. In the words of Adidas North America president Rupert Campbell, “We welcome this group of powerful student-athletes to the Adidas family and look forward to working alongside them to define what is possible for the future of sport.”
Pro Athletes have lauded the brand’s efforts to work with college athletes as key action to further promote equality within the field. Female tennis icon, Billie Jean King said, “ There is no place in sport for discrimination and we continue to see far too many instances of it today and the heavy impact it has on young athletes. […]The investment in women and LGBTQI+ athletes is a genuine push to accelerate the success and well-being of all athletes. “
Honey Stinger
Honey Stinger is a company that has always had a commitment to supporting collegiate athletes, and now they’re expanding their efforts with the launch of the Hive College Ambassador Program. This new initiative, in partnership with the University of North Carolina, provides select student-athletes from any college or university access to exclusive rewards, discounts and the opportunity to engage with professional athletes from the Honey Stinger hive. It’s an exciting move that shows how Honey Stinger is working to foster inclusivity and make a cultural impact in sports marketing.
Express
As Express, Inc. continues to expand its styling community, the company is adding a variety of different new faces to its ambassador program. As of April 18, 2022, the company has debuted its first-ever collegiate athlete brand ambassadors—CJ Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The dynamic duo will use their platforms to share how they express themselves through fashion and inspire others to do the same. By adding these two athletes to the brand’s growing roster of ambassadors, Express hopes to connect with a younger demographic and test hyper-local marketing efforts in the company’s corporate hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
As stated by Sara Tervo, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Express, “CJ and Jaxon are two outstanding, influential college athletes from our corporate hometown of Columbus, Ohio and we expect that their authenticity and relatability will appeal to our current customers as well as draw a new, younger demographic to our brand.”
As part of their new responsibilities as the first college athlete ambassadors for Express, the duo will be participating in upcoming campaigns and making in-store and digital appearances. This move speaks to the retailer’s commitment to making an impact on the culture by connecting with new customers through a range of influential partners, now including college athletes.
Benefits of Working with Student-Athletes
Aside from making a positive cultural impact, there are many other benefits for brands to work with student-athletes. Ultimately the biggest benefit of working with a student-athlete is that it’s a cost-effective way for a brand to market to the masses and get hyperlocal within regional communities. Unlike traditional college ambassadors, NCAA athletes are and hold celebrity status within their given communities. As a result, they are well-positioned to support a brand’s growth through hyperlocal activations. Also, college athletes boast extremely high engagement rates with their social media followings. In comparison to standard well-known influencers, college athletes see an average of 10-15% engagement whereas influencers see an average of 1% to 3%. As a result, working with them will get your brand more exposure without the hefty price tag of working with a mainstream athlete.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the policy changes the NCAA has made to the NIL agreement present massive opportunities. Brand partnerships with college athletes offer immense value both financially and culturally for both parties. However, for these partnerships to be successful, brands have to be thoughtful and strategic in their approach. The power of college athletes comes from organic, loyal followings within their community. Brands need to maintain long-term relationships with athletes that are in line with their vision and messaging.
