How midsize brands can win big in the NIL era

The practice of paying college athletes for the use of name, image and likeness in promotion has changed college athletics and will fundamentally alter the sports marketing landscape. Big brands, from Adidas to Nike, jumped on the NIL bandwagon early to open up exposure beyond ad deals with networks. And you can’t watch March Madness without seeing players with sizable NIL deals. Now, midsized brands have an opportunity to get in the game, provided they take strategic approaches that suit their stations and risk profiles. Also read: March Madness 2025 NIL deals include Ore-Ida, Raid, TickPick So far, most NIL money comes from big brands to booster clubs, so schools can commit to individual athletes. And the price is rising. Michigan lured top-rated quarterback recruit Bryce Underwood away from LSU with a four-year, $12 million deal. And while basketball and football enjoy the biggest TV spotlights, NIL money makes a difference in where baseball, soccer, volleyball, tennis and even field hockey players compete. Now that partnering directly with athletes is becoming commonplace, midsize brands have an opportunity to establish a partnership well before a player gets to college. That’s increasingly important because college players are changing schools routinely, so following them makes sense; you deepen your brand relationship and capitalize on the attention changes bring. A prime example is Michigan basketball star Jordan Pippen, who told the world he’s entering the transfer portal for next year (read: going free agent in NIL land looking for a richer deal) during the NCAA Tournament. Here’s a cheat sheet for midsize brands. Treat athletes as influencers Today’s high school and college stars leverage social media to attract and maintain sizable fan bases. The big payoff for most brands will come from insertion in their ecosystems so they ride along to organic, unexpected experiences that aren’t for sale as ad buys. Winning comes from partnerships rather than promotional buys. More from Ad Age: Look beyond the stars For example, if you’re a local car dealership in Iowa, and you know how everyone loves Iowa football, why not partner with the offensive line and make that part of your whole marketing plan? It could far outperform a more traditional approach. Expand your view of media Instead of buying March Madness for the PAC 12 through traditional broadcast networks, or buying signage at stadiums, you’re betting on a wide range of user-propelled channels. From bowl games to press conferences, athletes can generate sharable moments on big stages. Brands need to value the potential for continuing spotlights in a huge infrastructure. If you’re partnering with the basketball player who makes a buzzer-beater in the Final Four, you’ve just gained massive exposure windows on social media. Calculate the risk factor Athlete success isn’t guaranteed. They’re people with largely unpredictable trajectories, and their performance doesn’t come with make-goods as advertising does. Choose athletes who represent your brand values in their play, their lives and their social media interactions. Then embrace the things that make them great. Monitor brand momentum, not media metrics The classic awareness and consideration pillars of brand fame, love and momentum are what you’re looking to influence. So, avoid the mistake of getting distracted by what’s happening at store registers. This is an area where you can’t play effectively if you’re always asking, “How do we know this is worth it?” Also read: Gen Z doesn’t want your brand values—it wants your platform Go for it Play-it-safe athletes don’t garner headlines or fan bases. Likewise, midsize brands need a go-for-it mentality to win with NIL. It’s a community and cultural pool you dive into or not. Confidence counts. Set an experimental budget and play as big as you can. Just as it’s changing sports marketing, NIL may spur a new expansion in brand planning. Winning depends more on instinct than on scientific measurement. For midsize brands that transcend dashboards, it can be the game-changer that makes their artful approach a cultural advantage.

How midsize brands can win big in the NIL era

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