FSM Offers Opportunities for Businesses of All Sizes

For so many professional basketball stars, what they’re doing off the court can be just as important as what they’re doing on it. On the court they’re making all the right moves—hitting shots, getting rebounds and bringing their teams to victories. But off the court is where things get hit or miss for many of the greatest athletes.

When it comes to the bigger picture, their business & relationship building game needs to be just as strong as their basketball game. And sure, we’ve have seen athletes score some mega partnerships with large companies across the country.  However, often what is overlooked is how many opportunities these great athletes miss out on at the mid to small business level.

Enter social media.

A new generation of athletes has risen, and with them, fresh ways of thinking and brand new avenues of marketing opportunities. Rising stars like Lonnie Walker IV, Keldon Johnson, Pierre Jackson and Aric Holman are finding innovative ways to get involved with businesses of all sizes. Large companies no longer have the monopoly on utilizing professional athletes in their marketing strategy.

As founder and CEO of FSM, a media, marketing and management agency that works with players like Lonnie, Keldon, Aric & Pierre, I’ve had a front row seat to seeing what these guys can do off the court for companies. While their mighty accomplishments in the game have exceeded my expectations, their hearts and the dedication they hold for their communities and fans has far surpassed anything I could have hoped for.

Our role with these players is to not only market them, but also educate them on the business opportunities available off the court. Just minutes into speaking with these players, I realized that while they could appreciate a ‘mega partnership’, they were just as excited about connecting with local businesses, start-ups and family-owned organizations.

This made me proud and excited for what attitudes like these could mean for the business community as a whole. These players represent a new age in marketing—an age in which any business, large or small, can grow with the help of a professional athlete.

But where does one even start with collaboration such as this? What sorts of ways can you include them in marketing your coffee shop, restaurant, veterinary practice, medical group or any business for that matter?

While there are a slew of directions to go, these three trending collaboration strategies are a great place to begin:

1.   Social Media Shout-Outs – Athletes garner a lot of love and that love spills over into the digital world, making them what marketers like to call “social media mega-influencers.” Imagine the clout, number of eyes and edge it would give your business to have a player declare their appreciation for your brand to hundreds of thousands of social media followers, a captive audience that seeks out their content and trusts it.

The influencer marketing industry will be worth up to $15 billion in 2022, which is nearly double what it was in 2019. That data is from a study that analyzed where some of the biggest brands in the country are spending their marketing dollars. Studies also show that each dollar spent on influencer marketing has a return averaging $7.65 in earned media value. Now that’s some bang for your buck!

2.   Brand Ambassadors – Have a product they’ll love? Giving them access to that product will make them brand ambassadors. Whether you’re a retail clothing company, food and beverage manufacturer or a service company, remember that athletes need and use all the same products and services we do and we all know product/service placement is powerful. Your brand will be featured on their social media platforms when they are out and about. It will instantly command the same respect they garner on the court. Your product or service will have a much higher level of credibility to potential customers; if their favorite basketball player loves it, chances are they will too!

3.   Special Event Appearances – Whether it’s a grand opening weekend, social event, gala, luncheon or private dinner, having an athlete there can create some buzz. A great example of this is the local fitness club, F45, that worked with Lonnie Walker IV recently to organize a fitness fundraiser for the fires in Australia. F45 is a new fitness concept in San Antonio and with Lonnie Walker’s help, they had a full house for a Saturday morning class to support Australia and work out with Lonnie Walker IV. Now, that’s a power workout! That event alone garnered media coverage, raised awareness and brought in new members for F45, all while raising more than $400,000 for Australia.  

While these are three ways to get started, we can build more extensive partnerships as well. Let’s get creative! Maybe there’s an ice cream flavor named after your favorite player. Maybe you want to name a product after them. Allow them to make themselves vested in your business and help you grow it.   

However you plan to collaborate, our athletes are officially accessible to businesses and budgets of all sizes—now that’s something to celebrate! If you have questions, reach out. I’d love to talk more about opportunities that might work for your business and the ways in which these up-and-coming professional athletes can change the game for you!