What to know
+ Influencer marketing is a popular marketing strategy due to high ROI and consumer trust, especially with Gen Z audiences.
+ The market continues to grow, with 81.5% of marketers planning to increase or maintain budgets through 2025.
+ College athletes are becoming increasingly popular influencers for brands of all categories.
+ Athletes’ connection to fanbases, high engagement rates, content authenticity, and a large talent pool make them appealing to today’s advertisers.
+ Brands in categories including fashion, fitness wearables, non-profit organizations, food and dining, and services are embracing college athletes within their marketing strategies.
Influencer marketing has become a mainstay for brands and advertisers across the board. With high ROI and unprecedented levels of consumer trust with Gen-Z audiences, it’s no wonder that 83% of marketing leaders consider influencer marketing to be effective.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the influencer marketing industry is projected to be worth $24 billion by the end of 2024, up over 20% from 2023. Additionally, 81.5% of marketers expect to increase or maintain their influencer marketing budget throughout 2025.
In recent years, a new category of influencer has emerged: college athletes. There than approximately 500,000 college athletes spanning the country. They range from Heisman hopefuls at Power 4 schools, to walk-ons within DIII programs; some act as influencers themselves, while others’ influence is derived directly from their role as student-athletes and their connection to a fanbase and community. They each bring different audiences, levels of influence, personal interests, and more to the table, offering brands a near-unlimited supply of potential partners.
While most college athletes may not fit the archetype of traditional influencers, their impact on marketing campaigns cannot be ignored. Through their loyal followings made up of the most passionate fan bases in sports, these athletes offer brands enhanced social engagement, unrivaled fan connection, increased affordability and flexibility, and a greater talent pool to choose from than any other category of athlete or influencer. As a result, brands of all sizes and categories are embracing the power of college athletes, adding them to their marketing efforts.
Let’s explore how three unique brand categories have worked with Opendorse to manage college athlete campaigns within their marketing strategies.
Fashion & Wearables
Savage X Fenty
Savage X Fenty, the renowned lingerie and loungewear brand founded by Rihanna, teamed up with a diverse group of athletes to promote its sleepwear and loungewear collections. During August and September, more than 100 student-athletes participated in the campaign, creating a wide range of content that was featured across Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, and TikTok. The athletes produced content that was both authentic and engaging, from casual “get ready with me” videos to exciting unboxing experiences. They offered fans a glimpse into their personal lives while showcasing the brand’s stylish and comfortable pieces.
The athletes had the freedom to choose the pieces that made them feel empowered, comfortable, and true to themselves. This focus on personal expression helped elevate the campaign, fostering a sense of community and connection between the athletes and their followers. The engaging content reached a wide audience, inspiring followers to feel confident and fearless in their own skin.
Spanx
SPANX, LLC, the womenswear brand made by women for women tapped the Opendorse Campaigns Team to help execute deals with 40+ female student-athletes. With versatile items perfect for the lifestyle of a student-athlete with a busy agenda, the athletes promoted Spanx activewear on Instagram and TikTok, while showcasing how the brand fits perfectly into their day to day lives.
@l.josephinee OBSESSED with my new Spanx activewear! Use the link in my bio and code ACTIVEJOSIE for 15% off! #spanxpartner ♬ Hey It's Me – Official Sound Studio
Garmin
The wearable fitness technology brand tapped cross-country athletes, providing them with one of their new watches to support their summer training programs. Athletes used the watches and created authentic content showing off how the product helped them stay in top shape over their summer break.
Cause-Based Organizations
Movember
The global charity and annual awareness campaign that raises funds and awareness for men’s health issues has prolifically worked with college athletes in recent years. The organization has engaged dozens of college athletes to give men (and women) the necessary knowledge to understand their own health and how to get support. The athletes have shared facts and resources while emphasizing the mission’s importance.
FDA
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) worked with top men’s and women’s college athletes to create first-person PSAs detailing “The Real Cost” of vaping. The campaign earned millions of views and video impressions, effectively communicating the risks associated with vaping.
Fast Casual Restaurants
Everytable
Everytable is a restaurant that offers healthy and nutritious food options through in-store service, in-store pick-up, home delivery, and catering. Athletes located in the region of the restaurant locations were given a free Everytable meal at a store near them as well as a cash offer to promote a promo code on social media that gave their followers 10% off their next purchase.
sweetgreen
With student-athletes needing to focus on healthy eating to maintain their fitness, promoting sweetgreen is a smart partnership. The brand utilized various student-athletes at TCU, Michigan and Minnesota to promote new store openings and menu items in those cities. Athletes shared photos and videos of their favorite orders and created “Day in the Life” videos featuring a stop at the new store locations.
Services & Entertainment
ZIPS Car Wash
ZIPS Car Wash recently launched Season 3 of its annual NIL campaign, Car Wash Convos™. This innovative athlete marketing program invites college fans to “ride along” for personality-driven video interviews with their favorite athletes set in ZIPS Car Wash locations across the country.
Opendorse has supported the campaign over the past two seasons, helping ZIPS secure partnerships with 30+ athletes in key markets and create authentic content through LEARFIELD and Viral Nation. Athletes post initial videos to Instagram and TikTok encouraging fans to drop comments on the questions they’d like answered during the Car Wash Convo interview. ZIPS then takes the best questions and interviews the athlete as the car is cleaned. The interviews are published to the participating athletes’ Instagram and TikTok channels as well as both ZIPS and university socials.
Gold’s Gym
The Legendary Gold’s Gym launched an exclusive ambassador experience featuring collegiate athletes across nine sports. The athletes were selected to become Gold’s Gym Brand Ambassadors – a program that included opportunities for content, philanthropy initiatives, community engagement, media, and more.
