How Rob Sender is attracting a new generation of Dallas Cowboys fans

At age 36, Rob Sender is quarterbacking the marketing team of one of sports’ most iconic and loved brands, the Dallas Cowboys. “From a brand standpoint, we’re in a pretty darn good place,” Sender, the Cowboys’ director of brand and marketing, said. “We’re always a Forbes No. 1 most valuable, our tickets are sold and there’s not a lot of the obvious problems … What our team is focused on, and what keeps us up at night, is where are we going to be a few years from now.” See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here For that reason, Sender is focused on fostering the next generation of Cowboys fans by orchestrating the launch of major programs that infuse the team’s brand with gaming, music and fashion. Among his accomplishments this year was a gaming tournament supported by Cowboys players that generated 133,000 unique views and 1.9 million minutes of watch time. The Cowboys also partnered with local fashion brand True Brvnd on an exclusive hat lineup that sold out, led by organic word-of-mouth marketing. “We talk a lot about being an entertainment brand that just so happens to play football,” Sender said. “Football is so few and far between; we’ve only got eight home games, so we have got a lot of opportunity to show up in people’s lives, in their feeds in different ways, whether in person or digitally, way more than we ever do when it comes to the actual football game.” Sender oversees a team of 14. He describes his approach to the job as a servant leader, pushing his team forward with humility and kindness. If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why? My great-grandfather, Crescenzo Manillo. I was a little kid when he passed away, so I never really got to know him. He emigrated from Italy when he was 15 years old, and went straight to Cleveland, Ohio, and really is credited with that side of the family establishing our roots here. He came over for the American dream and worked in a factory his whole life. I would be fascinated to hear that story straight from his mouth. What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis? Twitter and Instagram. Instagram is my inner circle. I’m on all social sites in this industry, but that’s the only one I am connected with good friends and family. Twitter is the exact opposite. I use it for news, learnings, interesting articles. But I probably follow only a handful of friends on it. What’s currently on your bedside reading list? I’ve recently gotten into historical fiction. So I’m reading a novel called “Surviving Savannah.” I’m also re-reading Jim Collins’ “Good to Great” just because I’m trying now to manage such a big team, and I’m trying to pull some good learnings from that. And lastly, just for fun and to feed the soul, I’m reading a book called “Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools.” What was the last show you binge-watched? “Only Murders in the Building.” At what age do you hope to retire? Probably never. I don’t have a date in mind or anything. I always want to be learning something, whether it’s in the work industry or volunteering, but I can’t image just hanging it up. See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here

How Rob Sender is attracting a new generation of Dallas Cowboys fans

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