NY LIBERTY’s Post

The evolution of women's sports is reaching new heights, with the intersection of the W.N.B.A. and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations providing unprecedented opportunities for female athletes. This exciting shift was set in motion back in 2009 when a U.C.L.A. basketball player took a stand against the N.C.A.A., sparking a wave of policy changes that ultimately led to California passing groundbreaking NIL legislation in 2019. With the ability to monetize their personal brands, female athletes in the W.N.B.A. are now stepping into the realm of entrepreneurship like never before. They have the chance to secure sponsorships, endorse products, and collaborate with brands on social media, boosting their financial prospects and amplifying their influence and engagement with fans. The momentum behind women's sports in America, especially in the W.N.B.A., is undeniably inspiring. From record-breaking viewership numbers to historic sponsorship deals like Caitlin Clark's multimillion-dollar partnership with Nike, it's clear that we are witnessing a transformative moment in the world of women's athletics. As we cheer on and uplift women in sports, it's crucial for players and fans alike to show their unwavering support. Together, we can help female athletes shatter barriers, inspire the next generation of competitors, and pave the way for a more inclusive and empowering sports industry. Let's stand together to champion #WomenInSports, #SupportFemaleAthletes, and #EmpowerWomenAthletes as they soar to new heights on and off the court. 💪🏀🌟

https://lnkd.in/exJM4b5C This is a great example how the burgeoning interest in women's sports is bringing about exciting commercial ventures which in turn support women in life, business and sport.

Women can be strong, competitive, entertaining, and beautiful. And get paid for their talent. Because as Alexis Ohanian Sr. says, investing in women's sports is good business. 💰 A round up of just a few of this week's news stories...and it's only Wednesday! 🏀 Candace Parker, two-time WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) MVP announced her retirement and was just appointed President of adidas Women's Basketball. 🛫 The WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) announced the athletes will FINALLY be getting chartered planes. 👗 Athletes Serena and Vanessa Williams, Nelly Korda (the world’s number one women’s golfer), and Angel Reese (recently drafted by the Chicago Sky WNBA) were all invited to the MET Gala and owned the red carpet. 🏆 Caitlin Clark becomes the first female athlete to have an exclusive deal with Panini (right after DICK'S Sporting Goods announced her merch will be sold in ALL 724 stores, last year they sold WNBA apparel in just 160 stores.) ⚽ Tonight the San Diego Wave Fútbol Club are hosting their Women in Sports Panel prior to their match. Growing up, I didn't have the opportunity to see a ton of female athletes getting mainstream attention outside of the Olympics. I didn't see female athletes working with brands and growing their own personal stories. This is changing, slowly but surely. And it's about time. I can already see the impact this is having on my daughter (who asked me the other day if the men have a basketball draft too 🤣). I can only imagine what these women athletes will accomplish with more air time, support and funding. What stories have you been drawn to lately?

Did you know that February 7 was National Girls and Women in Sports Day? At District Trademark, we're not just a team of dedicated trademark attorneys, but also proud supporters of women breaking barriers in all fields, including sports. From iconic team logos to memorable athlete brands, the intersection of sports and trademarks is a testament to the power of intellectual property. In a world where brands increasingly become the faces of businesses, we see the rise of women wielding the power of their brands to level the playing field - one where creativity meets strategy, much like the sports we love and the athletes we admire. As a firm run by women, we understand the importance of representation and the power of a well-protected brand. To all the female athletes, teams, and sports-based startups out there, your brand is part of your legacy. Protect it. Your brand is not just a logo or a tagline - it's the story, the vision, and the values that set you apart. And in today's digital age, a strong brand can be a game-changer. Let's continue to celebrate and support our girls and women in sports, not just today, but every day. Share this post to spread the word and inspire others to do the same! #DistrictTrademark #NGWSD #WomenInSports #WomenInLaw #SportBrands #LawFirm #DistrictTM #TrademarkLaw #IntellectualProperty #Trademarks #Branding

As Jessica Walsh re-outlined in her speech at the D&AD Awards - only 1% of creative agencies are women-owned. Looking at the state of this industry, I shouldn’t have been surprised. But how can this still be true in 2024? Especially when over 80% of purchases are made by women. And if we break that stat down further, apparently only 0.01% are owned by a woman of colour. Let that sink in for a second. Now I happen to be one of those rare unicorns that falls into that utterly bleak stat, and after only publicly launching House of Oddities in Jan, I can tell you first-hand that starting a new agency is bloody hard. Myself and my co-founders don’t ‘come from money’ and we don’t have big investors funding this business. But we care about the work, we’re good at what we do and we’re on a mission to use our collective skills as a force for much needed positive change. But there’s been many times where I’ve wanted to throw the towel in, because this industry makes it almost impossible for the underdog to succeed. And when I say the underdog - I mean the real underdogs (not ones that market themselves as such but are secretly backed by bigger corporations and use women of colour in the forefront for PR and winning clients but don’t actually give them any equity in the business 🙄). The amount of unnecessary barriers I’ve had to face over the past 6 months is insane, but I keep dusting myself off and trying again. And then 2 weeks ago I met Chloe Davies. It’s rare that you come across someone who really sees and hears you. Who has the same morals and values, and is actively on the same mission to reshape this shit show that we’ve found ourselves in. Chloe is a gift to our industry. And after only meeting her 3 times, she’s backed, supported and championed me in ways that no one has before. 2 years ago I went through one of the toughest times in my career. During which so many people that I’d previously backed, supported and championed, cowardly disappeared into the shadows. Sadly, around 80% of them were women. We need more Chloes in this world. More champions supporting women - and more urgently women of colour. We need to stop competing and start uniting. Stop putting each other down and start lifting each other up. We need to call out all the BS and hold people accountable for their actions. Because if we don’t, these disgusting stats will never change and this industry will end up in an early, self-made grave. Chloe is the founder of It Takes A Village Collective. They are a global hub for Black women in advertising, media, marketing and comms - whose mission is to ensure that 1 in 5 people in Adland will be a Black woman by 2028. To do this effectively they need Black Women across the globe to participate in the “We Can’t All Be Lying” - Global Insight Study. So if you haven’t already, click on the link below, fill it out and share widely, as it’s time for us to come together to make real change. https://lnkd.in/enmvuU-y

𝐖𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐋𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐒. The company that gained exposure by giving their brand less visibility. Let's make it make sense. +++ On March 5th, Molson Coors Beverage Company and PWHL announced a partnership to launch Molson’s “See My Name” campaign. Typically, the last name of an athlete is placed on the back of their jersey, across the shoulder blades. For many women hockey players (and women athletes in general), this means their name is covered by their long hair. Think about jersey sales for a second. Most Lakers fans don’t buy Los Angeles Lakers jerseys - they buy Kobe and LeBron jerseys. Swifties don’t buy Kansas City Chiefs jerseys - they buy Travis Kelce jerseys. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘫𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥. The “See My Name” campaign counters traditional jersey structure, placing Molson’s logo across the shoulder blades and a player’s name beneath the number, ensuring a PWHL player's last name is unobstructed. That means the Molson logo is now difficult to see on the jersey. For most companies, logo visibility is the primary reason to sponsor a professional #sports team. Why did Molson pay money to sacrifice that opportunity? 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐅 𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒. On March 9th, Molson was mentioned 2.8K times across #socialmedia and traditional news sources as the world caught wind of the PWHL collaboration. That’s the most mentions Molson has received in a single day over the past year (11.2% more than the previous high). The campaign launch helped generate 4.7x more mentions than the beverage company’s average daily mentions. User sentiment has been overwhelmingly positive. The partnership has been labeled “the best marketing play” and “simple yet so meaningful” as many, particularly women in sports, celebrate a company taking tangible action to center the women representing its brand. +++ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘? In a corporate world focused on #WomensHistoryMonth and #DEI initiatives, so many corporations will talk about gender equity but perceive institutional efforts to make the concept a reality as burdens. Molson just improved its brand reputation by putting women first at the expense of the company’s logo. It's no surprise that Molson's commercial strategy is led by a woman, CCO Michelle St. Jacques, and Molson's C-suite is 33% female (higher than the 25% average, per Korn Ferry). “We covered our name so hers could be seen.” Promoting equity isn’t a cost of doing good business. Promoting equity IS good business. #digitalstrategy #marketing #womenempowerment #HERstory

What is the marketing lesson in Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's relationship? 👇 Partnering with someone with a different audience can boost your brand. Swift's brand has traditionally resonated more with women, while Kelce's connects with American football enthusiasts. They've both grown their reach from their relationship! What other interesting partnerships have you seen? #marketing #taylorswift

Women athletes around the world defy expectations with their dedication, hard work and resilience, paving the way for a more inclusive sports culture. We agree with The Business of Fashion that it is about time for the Beauty and Fashion industries to get serious about Female Athletes - they are the reference for future generations and embrace values that we are proud to celebrate every day at IRIS Ventures! 🏆As brands like Saysh founded by track and field Olympian Allyson Felix continue to champion the voices of female athletes, we are reminded of the importance of values like effort, sacrifice, teamwork and recognition. These values not only drive success on the field but also resonate with modern consumers who seek authenticity and inclusivity. 🫶 As we continue to support brands like Saysh, we not only endorse quality products but also advocate for a more equitable and inclusive future. Priya Rao & Marc Bain ✨ https://lnkd.in/du_MDMhx

As we wind down #WomensHistoryMonth, it seems only fitting to bring attention to the monumental shift happening in the world of women’s sports. With the ascent of the #Sheconomy, promised parity for the upcoming #ParisOlympics and the rising star of athletes like basketball supernova Caitlin Clark, women’s sports are gaining unprecedented attention.   Moving to the main-stage, women’s sports are gaining traction and visibility in the marketing industry. Many agencies are either opening divisions or planning initiatives dedicated to women’s sports — a significant departure from the past when such endeavors were often considered an afterthought.   That’s why I’m proud of DiGennaro Communications #badass client Christine Guilfoyle, president of the Association of National Advertisers’ SEEHER — a global initiative aimed at championing the positive representation of women and girls in marketing, media and entertainment — and all that she and #SeeHer stand for, most notably the elimination of gender bias. Chris put it best when she said: “Women’s sports used to be a little bit of a side hustle … but now, it means big business.” Chris’s insights were featured in a recent story by Ad Age’s Lindsay Rittenhouse, highlighting the growing prominence of women’s sports marketing practices. As Chris emphasizes in the story, it is vital that such initiatives are themselves diverse and reflective of the athletes they represent.    As a former competitive athlete, forever fan of women’s sports, and big believer in teamwork and the concept of team theory, this is a philosophy that dovetails seamlessly with my own values and those of my agency.   As the founder of a business that was built by women, it’s been my privilege to work with and mentor so many of these outstanding individuals over the years. My aim today is the same as it’s always been: to position these women to make a real difference in creating a world that’s fairer, more representative, more inclusive and more expansive.   Women’s sports rightly commanding the spotlight isn’t just about promoting gender equality — it’s about recognizing the unique perspectives and talents female athletes bring and tapping into the immense and highly influential global marketplace of female consumers.   It’s no wonder so many agencies are rushing to get in the game — something the smartest marketers will continue to do. As an industry, let’s all pull together to champion this movement.   #WomenInSports #DiversityInMarketing #EmpoweringWomen

Women's March Madness is reaching new heights, and this article from Fortune highlights AT&Ts CMO on the opportunities it presents. The remarkable buzz surrounding Caitlin Clark and other extremely talented female athletes has catapulted the tournament into the spotlight this year, drawing in record-setting viewership and amplifying the excitement around women's basketball. I have certainly fallen under the spell of all the media buzz surrounding this year's tournament and players, which has made me more eager and inclined to watch this year's tournament than in past years. With stars like Clark capturing attention nationwide, the tournament presents a prime opportunity for brands to tap into a passionate audience bringing new demographics of viewers. AT&T's doubling of its media investment underscores its commitment to championing gender equality in sports—a strategy that aligns perfectly with the growing momentum behind female empowerment across various domains. As Caitlin Clark's star continues to rise, she symbolizes not just exceptional talent but also a catalyst for broader cultural change. AT&T's innovative approach, leveraging technologies like 5G-enabled cameras, enhances the fan experience and reflects their dedication to staying ahead of the curve. As the lines between men's and women's tournaments blur, there's a convergence fueled by a shared passion for the game—an ideal scenario for brands seeking to connect with diverse audiences. This is a great moment to celebrate equality and inclusion in sports. 🏆 #MarchMadness #WomenInSports #MarketingOpportunities https://lnkd.in/eHvSPAzU