January 2025

The new year is in full swing, and influencer culture continues to dominate the news agenda. From TikTok bans and the rise of de-influencing to debates over whether influencers belong on the red carpet, it’s clear that content creators are shaping conversations everywhere.

In December, we talked about the growing need for influencer background checks, which is an issue that’s only becoming more important for global and sports brands. As these partnerships grow in complexity and ubiquity, we’re committed to equipping you with the resources and insights to navigate them effectively.

With that in mind, here’s what we’ve been discussing this month.

Selecting ambassadors and influencers for awards season

This year’s Grammys take place next Sunday 2 February, and influencers, content creators and brand ambassadors will play a big part in building excitement, promoting the event and driving online conversations.

The Academy Awards in March are also another prestigious event which will work with high-profile ambassadors to boost visibility and engagement.

But these partnerships aren’t without risks. Choosing the wrong person - someone with a controversial past or values which don’t align - can cause serious damage to a brand’s reputation.

With proper due diligence, these risks can be mitigated - find out how:

Sponsorship and ambassador due diligence: trends and insights from 2024

At the end of December we reflected on the trends which defined 2024. These themes have surfaced repeatedly in our work, offering essential takeaways for anyone involved in partnerships. If you missed them the first time round, make sure you have a read as they'll be useful for 2025.

Entries open for the Integrity & Impact Award

We're thrilled to be sponsoring the Integrity & Impact Award at this year's Sport Industry Awards again. The award celebrates the individuals in the sport industry who have demonstrated an outstanding level of integrity or delivered effective social change which has had a demonstrable impact on sport or society.

And we're pleased to say that entries are now open!

If you know someone deserving of this recognition, we encourage you to submit a nomination via the link on Sport Industry Group 's website below.

If you'd like to find out more about how we can help your organisation to mitigate risk across all partnerships, don't hesitate to get in touch: [email protected].