Athlete partnerships done differently, Nike's epic Olympic campaign, Toby Greene and GWS Giants' cheeky post paying dividends
Athlete partnerships done differently, Nike's epic Olympic campaign, Toby Greene and GWS Giants' cheeky post paying dividends
Today’s lineup:
Athlete partnerships done differently
Nike’s 2024 Paris Olympic marketing campaign is going to be epic
A cheeky post from Toby Greene and the GWS GIANTS which takes aim at Isaac Heeney and the Sydney Swans is good for business
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Football Australia announced a long-term partnership with Allianz Australia who became the Official Insurance Partner of the Subway Socceroos, Matildas, National Youth Teams, CommBank Pararoos, and CommBank ParaMatildas
CMC Invest extended its partnership with St Kilda FC to include the AFLW program
Perth Glory welcomed Australian-owned telco service provider DrimTel as a new major sponsor
The GWS Giants social channels turned pink to announce a new shorts sponsorship with Aware Super until the end of 2026
The A-Leagues announced Mitre as their new Official Match Ball Partner for the next 3 x seasons
The NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership was officially launched in Sydney and according to Andrew Abdo, the growing competition will be a key selling point for the next media rights deal
The Cairns Post in conjunction with Cairns Regional Council launched a bid to host the first ever AFLW Gather Round
Nine’s coverage of State of Origin Game 3 achieved the highest ratings since 2013 - securing a National Total TV Reach of 5.4m and a Total TV National Audience of 3.6m million (+44.7% YoY)
Football Australia is reportedly close to signing a $200m TV deal with Network 10 that will include rights to the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2026 Asian Cup women’s tournament
The Western Bulldogs unveiled a $78m upgrade to Whitten Oval
Multibillion-dollar private investment firms expressed interest in funding the 2032 Olympic Games build
Football Australia unveiled the “Dream Team” , an AI and Children’s Book inspired podcast series, in partnership with Ogilvy
Brisbane 2032 Olympic organisers unveiled their global brand tagline ‘Shine Brightest, Together’
Nike launched its new ‘Winning Isn’t For Everyone’ commercial featuring LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kylian Mbappé and more ahead of the Olympics
The LA Clippers lost 1.5m+ followers on Instagram after controversially trading Russell Westbrook
project32 is a new startup helping businesses embed high-performance cultures, whilst empowering Olympic athletes to build financially sustainable careers
All businesses strive to create a high-performance culture. Why?
Because a high-performance culture can increase:
Employee satisfaction & engagement
Ability to attract & retain talent
Productivity, output & innovation
These benefits can be profound, positively impacting the bottom line.
Olympic athletes possess so many soft-skills that fuel high-performance
For Olympic athletes achieving peak-performance goes beyond the physical and requires leadership, discipline & work ethic, resilience, goal-setting, teamwork & collaboration, stress management…etc.
Olympic athletes have unparalleled abilities and insights into high-performance habits, behaviours and mindsets, and businesses could benefit from having their employees exposed to them.
This is just one reason why Bastion founded project32 - to connect businesses and employees with Olympic athletes, and to support the corporate world's quest for high-performance workplace culture.
project32 is a first-of-its-kind talent partnership service - It’s key differentiator is its ‘inward’ focus
Most athlete partnership programs are designed to deliver commercial returns via an 'external' focus e.g. increase brand awareness & preference to drive sales.
project32's 'inward' focus delivers commercial returns in a different way.
They work alongside teams such as HR and People & Culture to share the skills & insights of Olympic athletes with the workplace to help employees drive businesses forward.
This new athlete partnership model delivers mutual and sustainable benefits
Business
In exchange for a $30k annual fee businesses get a ‘Chief Inspiration Officer' embedded into their business. These athletes can participate in key initiatives such as keynote speaking & panel discussions, internal events, fundraising, stakeholder engagements, workshops etc.
Athlete
A sponsorship has the ability to change the lives of Australia’s Olympians. A study by the Australian Sports Foundation found that many elite athletes are training 30+ hours p/w but have an annual income under $23k, which is below the poverty line. project 32 provides athletes which much needed income, along with mentoring, new skills & experiences and a corporate network to help them build a financially sustainable future.
Community
Corporate social responsibility is a key theme of the program. Businesses who participate help fuel the prominence of Australia’s Olympians and positive sporting role models who publicly exercise positive lifestyles, behaviors & values which inspires grassroots participation and future generations.
So far, corporate appetite is evident and notable partnerships include:
Ella Connolly (Athletics) - NTI (Insurance)
Meg Harris (Swimming) - Auswide Bank
Abbey Harkin (Swimming) - u&u Recruitment Partners
Who's next?
Nike’s 2024 Paris Olympic marketing campaign is going to be epic if this outdoor brand activation is a sign of things to come
Over recent times Nike has been doing it tough
Business momentum has been spiraling downwards, and this performance has been attributed to things such as:
An unsuccessful Direct-To-Consumer strategy
Weakening international demand, including China
The rise of challenger brands such as HOKA, On and lululemon stealing market share
A general lack of focus on their core business and customer (e.g. runners and product innovation)
This has been reflected in Nike’s financial results
Last month, Nike saw its biggest stock drop since 2001 ($27.5b) to it’s lowest price since March 2020. This happened following an earnings report announcing a 2% decline in quarterly sales, combined with an upcoming expected decline of 10% in the coming year.
*To put this into perspective, the current total market-cap of Adidas is $41b and Lululemon’s is $33b.
Before the sudden drop, Nike shares had already been on a downward trajectory, and after climbing above $170 in November 2021, they’re now sitting at $73.40.
After months of downwards momentum, Nike has made it clear to the public that they’re using the 2024 Paris Olympics to turn things around and it’s evident that brand building is core to this plan
Nike CEO John Donahoe has stated that the Olympics is “a pinnacle moment to communicate our vision of sport to the world” and that the brand is committing to “bolder and more distinctive” brand marketing via storytelling that leverages Nike’s athlete ambassadors and sporting moments.
Heidi O'Neill, president of consumer, product and brand at Nike has also stated that the Olympics will be “the biggest moment for Nike in years” and that this will be supported with the “largest media spend" ever.
A sign of epic things to come...
Last week, Nike announced a new partnership with one of Paris’ most storied landmarks, the Centre Pompidou and transformed its iconic facade into a canvas that will showcase groundbreaking stories of sport.
This venue will also play host to Nike’s ‘Art of Victory’ exhibition which will celebrate the unending journey of Nike Air innovation that inspired the radical design of the Air Max 1 nearly 40 years ago.
As one of the world’s greatest and most valuable brands, they're well positioned to turn things around and they shouldn’t be underestimated
Nike has unparalleled resources, some of the best marketing-minds in the world who have the proven ability to deliver cut-through campaigns on a global scale, and a suite of the world's best athletes on their side.
If you’re a brand marketer or Nike shareholder, strap yourself in.
This cheeky post from Toby Greene and the GWS GIANTS which takes aim at Isaac Heeney and the Sydney Swans is good for business
Background
Following his controversial suspension, the Sydney Swans released a clip of Isaac Heeney thanking everyone who supported him after his appeal to overturn the ban was dismissed.
Quickly following, the GWS Giants posted the below clip of Toby Greene sarcastically mimicking the video and apologising for getting fined on the weekend.
The clip received a lot of attention.
This stunt is good for all stakeholders
1. The players (5th Quarter Camps)
Isaac Heeney and Toby Greene are not only friends, they’re also business partners and are part of a growing number of high-profile athletes venturing into entrepreneurship. Together they’ve launched a footy-clinic startup called 5th Quarter Camps.
To leverage the situation, the pair effectively funneled the attention they generated towards their new venture by hosting media at their recent school holiday clinic at Tramway Oval (next to the SCG) and it paid off.
They received mass coverage across TV, online and print media which has helped bring greater awareness of 5th Quarter Camps which will help attract more kids to their clinics.
2. GWS Giants
The GWS Giants express their brand personality and POV better than anyone.
To compete in the NSW market and to get cut-through, their social media team has been prepared to take risks, be bold, and create unexpected content that gets fans to pay attention.
Their unique approach often triggers conversation and results in ‘viral’ content that receives high view-counts on their owned platforms, and coverage across traditional news such as TV, radio, and print.
The clip above is just one example of this. On the Giants' social media alone, it's received:
877k+ views on X
357k+ views on Instagram
The Giants have quickly built a reputation online. Some criticise it, but many others admire it.
Either way, this innovative strategy draws fans in and underpins the growth of so many important key commercial metrics such broadcast viewership, matchday attendance, sponsorship, membership & merchandise sales, revenue etc.
They’re proof that measured risk-taking can deliver results.
3. AFL
NSW is a key growth market for the AFL. In 2023, the league reported a record number of 526k national registered participants and announced a bold plan to reach the following by 2033:
1m registered participants nationally
175k registered participants in NSW (2.5x current number)
In a world where online trolling has become a significant issue, it’s refreshing to see that there’s still a place for friendly-banter because it's good for the game.
Building a healthy rivalry between the Giants and Swans is key to NSW growth as it can help drive cut-through and engagement.
The GWS Giants and Sydney Swans are very different brands and both parties are effectively leaning into their differences.
AFL - Social Media Executive
ASICS Oceania - Sports Marketing Coordinator
ASICS Oceania - Sports Marketing Executive - Events
Bastion - Account Manager PR
Bastion - Associate Creative Director
Bastion - Head of Strategic Partnerships
Bastion - Integrated Account Manager
Brisbane Bullets - Media Marketing Specialist
Callaway Golf - Email Marketing Specialist
Cricket Australia - Event Coordinator (Fixed-Term 6 months)
Cricket Australia - National Growth Initiatives Lead
Cricket Victoria - Digital Content Specialist
Cricket Victoria - W/BBL Events Coordinator
Cricket NSW - Event Manager - Sydney Sixers
Dann Event Hire - Client Relationship Manager - Sport
Deakin University - Coordinator, Sport Marketing Campaigns
ESPN - Digital Advertising Operations Executive - 12 month contract
Foxtel Group - Digital Reporter - Fox Sports
Gemba - Creative & Production Manager
Golf Australia - National Program Manager - Schools
Greenroom Digital - Account Manager
Harness Racing Victoria - Marketing & Events Coordinator
James Hardie - Brand Activation Manager
JD Sports Australia & New Zealand - Store Communications & Operation Manager
KOJO - Account Director
KOJO - Sports Presentation Producer
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment - Integrated Designer
Melbourne & Olympic Parks - Operations Manager - Australian Open
Melbourne & Olympic Parks - People Experience Manager
Melbourne United - School Programs Business Executive
Melbourne Victory - Digital Marketing Coordinator
MKTG Sports + Entertainment Australia - Event Manager
Motorcycling Australia - Marketing Manager
National Rugby League - Chief Commercial Officer
National Rugby League - Chief of Staff
National Rugby League - Chief Operating Officer (COO)
National Rugby League - Media & Communications Coordinator
Netball Australia - Commercial Sales Manager
Netball Australia - General Manager, Corporate Affairs
Netball Australia - Senior Partnerships Lead
North Queensland Cowboys - Head of Corporate Partnerships
Nine - Sport Sales Executive
Puma Australia - CRM & Digital Marketing Manager
Queensland Cricket - Commercial & Marketing Coordinator
Racing.com - Social Media Specialist
Sportsbet - Campaign Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Events and Travel Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - PR & Media Manager
Tennis Australia - Content Producer
Tennis Australia - Digital Marketing Coordinator
Tennis Australia - E-commerce coordinator
Tennis Australia - Media Services Assistant
Tennis Australia - Event Operations Coordinator
Ultimate Fighting Championship - International Business Development Coordinator
Victoria Racing Club - Commercial Partnerships Lead
Wests Tigers - Head of Corporate Partnerships
Not yet a subscriber? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.