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The Launch of Brady Brand
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Brady Brand
We’re in the business of athlete brands. Therefore, when we hear some big news in the space, you know we have to touch on it. Tom Brady, the goat, has officially launched his own apparel company named Brady Brand. The brand looks to take athleisure wear to the next level by using the latest innovations in professional sports and applying them to everyday clothing. Not only is Tom and his team at Brady Brand maximizing the use of innovations in sports but also the latest in athlete marketing, by partnering with NCAA athletes on NIL deals.
Hold-on. Before our over-eager readers start googling how to become a Hall-Of-Fame QB and start an innovative athletic brand, that’s not the roadmap we’re talking about. Brady, of course, unlike most athletes has a greater ability to market himself due to sheer fame alone. Nonetheless, there are still key takeaways and fundamentals that are applicable to athletes of all sizes, here’s the breakdown:
The start. When it comes to developing a personal brand, it needs to be personal. Meaning if you enjoy the outdoors, don’t portray yourself as someone who is thriving in the concrete jungle. Instead, start by creating a strong base as if nobody's watching. Take Tom Brady for example, years ago he was sharing things regarding his eccentrically healthy lifestyle, aka the avocado ice cream diet amongst other things. From then on, when you heard things about Brady, such as not eating certain fruits or his rigorous off-season training, it just furthered the connection between Brady and peak performance.
Capitalization. Once people are able to define your personal brand in one sentence or adjective: health-nut, car guy, fashionista, etc. you’re ready. This is when you can start introducing brand partnerships, collaborations, or special projects. The goal is to make sure you team up with partners that align with your brand. Tom Brady teamed up with a publishing company to share his TB12 book. This stage is where you’re able to capitalize on the brand you created for yourself: whether it’s monetary gain, increased viewership, or growing your initial customer base.
Ownership. This stage is where capitalization is transferred to ownership and where a personal brand turns into a business, which you can sustain and work on post-career. In Tom’s case, this would be the TB12 pliability and performance center gyms. Rather than sharing his audience or customer base with the publishing house, he now has ownership of them once they sign a membership for his facilities. For a typical athlete, this is where your coffee brand deals transition to your own coffee brand.
Goat-status. This is where empires are built. Not only have you completed all stages of personal branding but you’re now entering a new path where you separate yourself from the business. This is the stage where people go to reach beyond their audiences and fandom to reach the masses. In Brady’s case, this is where the Brady Brand comes to fruition. Here he begins engaging with people that consume his products or services, with the potential of having no idea who Tom Brady or TB12 is, Brady Brand is just a name like Levi’s Jeans.
Dream for goat-status, hope for ownership, work for capitalization and jump to start - connect with white whale mktg to find out more.
Published: December 17, 2021 - Issue 18 of The Sport Marketeer