The WNBA Blasts Off: Taking a Moment to Amplify Your Brand

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) experienced a moment – several in fact – this past year that virtually no one saw coming. From a communications perspective, I wonder if they made the most of it and can they make it last?

Broadcast viewership of games has tripled since the previous season , game attendance increased 156% and overall merchandise sales ballooned by 756%. The cause, arguably, was Caitlin Clark’s skyrocket to fame from a record-breaking college career with the Iowa Hawkeyes to the number one 2024 WNBA draft pick propelled the WNBA’s new-found fame. But the WNBA’s 2023 final was the most-watched game in two decades and players like Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart and former player Candace Parker have all brought attention to the WNBA for years. ?

While the WBNA enjoyed the road to popularity, the ride was not without a few bumps. The WNBA has had a tricky relationship with the media for some time. Tensions came to a head after the Las Vegas Aces’ electric win at the WNBA finals in October 2023 when media personnel could not get access to players, with some players outright declining interviews. When they finally gained access via a news conference, many questions were left unanswered.

To stay on top and improve its media engagement, the organization cannot simply lean on one good year; they need to find a way to build on it. The WNBA has an opportunity, unprecedented for women’s professional basketball, on their hands and they need to be smart to maintain momentum.

Anyone’s so-called 15 minutes of fame (the good kind) can end as quickly as they start if they do not have a strategic communications plan in place to seize the moment by properly addressing and adjusting to the attention. In the wake of the WNBA’s rise to fame, what should a communications strategy include if a company or brand wants to capitalize on unplanned, new-found fame and stay on top? Consider the following:

• Media training: A positive relationship with the media is crucial to any organization’s longevity in the public eye. Declining interviews or avoiding media can harm an organization’s reputation, impacting the likelihood of coverage in the future. Media training can help equip spokespeople, just like WNBA players, with the tools they need to navigate difficult questions and satisfy the public’s thirst for information.
• Access: When an organization is in the public eye, the media will want access to them either through spokespeople or their own channels. Organizations should be prepared for an influx of media requests and have a plan for fielding them without making mistakes like saying “no comment,” or ignoring them altogether.
• Consistent media engagement: While an organization may receive a sudden burst of attention, their communications teams cannot sit idle. Consistent media engagement that offers fresh narratives, leverages trends and breaking news will help a brand maintain media exposure. Journalists appreciate consistency and reliability. Ongoing and meaningful engagement can help organizations avoid becoming – maybe quite quickly – yesterday's news.?
• Content creation: As the media becomes more aware of a brand or organization, they will hopefully want to understand more. Content creation in the form of thought leadership articles, blogs, newsletters and more can help supplement an organization’s position on relevant issues, or thoughts on industry trends between earned media hits. Content can also help personalize an organization and its leadership.
• Crisis management: While times may be good now, a crisis could always be on the horizon. Having a dedicated crisis communications person who is prepared, knows the organization and understands the good and bad of its history will be a key resource in limiting any reputational damage should a crisis occur.
• A reputable public relations team: A trusted public relations partner can be an invaluable resource when a brand enters the media spotlight. A good PR partner can build and adjust a media relations strategy, help field interview requests and seek them out, develop story angles, and navigate the business through a crisis should one occur.

Employing tactics outside more traditional media relations can also be helpful and help drum up some media buzz. The WNBA, for example, has become a prime partner prospect for many brands who hope to benefit from the organization’s new audience including Bumble, New Balance and Mortgage Matchup.

Of course, social media is another important medium to consider. Consumers will look to an organization’s social media pages to connect and find out what they are talking about. Marketing and comms folks can also use these channels to amplify positive media coverage. That connection could be what keeps a brand in the forefront of consumers’ minds between product launches, company announcements or WNBA games. Because it can be difficult to predict a WNBA-level rise in popularity, brands should ensure their pages are always engaging with followers and posting consistent content, preferably original content, that is reflective of the brand and its values.?

The WNBA is certainly seizing their perfect moment on the heels of Caitlin Clark’s new-found fame, the Olympic Games in Paris and more. Marketing and communications teams looking to take advantage of their own big moments should not wait for opportunity to come to them. Instead, they should be prepared with strong media relations support and a comprehensive strategy that leverages effective messaging, consistent outreach and media prep so when their moment comes, it will be a slam dunk to maximize its effect.