For way too long, women’s sports have been a bit of a hidden gem. But not anymore. Things are slowly starting to pop, thanks to a growing wave of super fans. The ones who know all the players follow every match and rock their merch like it’s their uniform. However, the real question is: How do we tap into that energy to ensure this growth feels real and lasting? Well, to debunk all of it. In the upcoming EssentiallySports Think Tank podcast episode (releases on Tuesday, 11:30 AM ET), our host, Trey Holder, and co-host Angella Goran, founder and CEO of TAPanGO Technologies Inc., tried to address this thought with two powerhouse guests–Sara Gross, Founder and CEO of Feisty Media and a two-time Ironman champion, and Naomi Clarkson, SVP of Momentous.
Gross needs no introduction! After lighting the triathlete world on fire for twelve years and bagging three major international wins, Sara shifted her focus from participating as a triathlete to shifting the culture narrative for women’s athletics. This led her to create Feisty Media in 2017, which particularly focuses on creating content for feisty folks.
Goran posed an interesting question to Gross: “From a perspective with a brand particularly directed at sport, what are you looking for at the next generation to come in?” Goran also wanted to emphasize the point, “When it comes to showcasing it so people watching this can be like oh well maybe this brand might be looking for and what I need to position myself.” Listening to what Goran wanted to know, Gross didn’t waste any time in expressing her viewpoint.
She put forth something that recently caught her eye. “I have been really surprised right from the beginning… at how good some of the female athletes are at creating content, creating a brand or creating influence or even having a community. Like they’re so much better at creating superfandom in their own hometowns,” Gross noted. Now, to explain what she meant by ‘superfandom.’ Gross gave the example of none other than the Iron Man World Championship—her usual hunting ground.
“We covered, you know, all the previous champions. We did interviews with them all. The interview that went viral was an interview with a French woman,” Gross shared. This interview of the French woman that her platform posted on Facebook got some insane traction. “Overnight, we got 16,000 views. We were brand new on this video,” Gross explained. She later also found out the real reason why that video made waves on Facebook. “It’s because no one else interviewed her right but she had this like superfandom in France,” Gross added.
From there, she discovered the true power of women’s athletics, something that remains hidden in different parts of our world. But that’s not all we got from Feisty Media’s CEO. She also touched on what she looks for in women’s sports athletes before giving them the platform to express themselves.
Sara Gross Reveals the One Trait Brands Look for in Athletes
“You need to have an obsession to be great, no matter what you choose to do in life.” This is the motto Sara Gross lives by every day, which pushes her deep into finding hidden gems in women’s sports. With that being said, Sara also told us what she tries to find in those athletes who can elevate not only her platform but also their fandom. “When we’re working with athletes or people who contribute, say to some of our stuff,” Sara added.
She tries to find their strength while also emphasizing, “You don’t have to be good at TikTok. I love TikTok. I’m not into it now, but during the pandemic, it was really fun for me, but not everybody likes that, right? Some people are good on a podcast, some people just like want a quick interview, and there’s you got to work with people in different ways.” So, it’s all about finding that authentic factor in yourself. Once you do that, industry leaders like Gross can take it forward.
They will not only harness your unique potential. But also give you that platform to attract more opportunities and get visibility in your niche.
Our EssentiallySports Think Tank podcast specializes in offering valuable insights from industry leaders. Stay tuned for more such episodes as we explore the transformative developments within the sports content industry in more depth. This is EssentiallySports Think Tank—Where Sports Meets Smart Content.
The post Superfandom & Women’s Sports: Feisty Media’s Brand Building Ideas For Organic Market Growth appeared first on EssentiallySports.
