Categories
Sports Agents

Tips From A Marketing Agent

Jared Zwerling of Sportz Undercover recently interviewed Burton Chawla, Sales Account Executive for Excel Sports Management.  For those interested in getting involved in the marketing end of the athlete representation business, the interview is a very informative read.  Additionally, Jared notes that this is only part one of a two-part series.  Here are two Q&As that stuck out to me:

Q: When you pitch one of your clients to an advertiser in hopes of getting him a sponsorship deal, what is your strategy? How do you try to “up-sell” your client’s services?
A: The strategy varies from client to client and from potential endorser to endorser. I always try to hear the goals of the potential endorser or advertiser first, and then try to fit the right player in based on the player’s personality, team, interest, etc.

Q: The endorsement game is big business and ultra competitive now. Where do you think are some of the future business opportunities (ex: products, branding) for players to stand out in the corporate clutter?
A: The obvious answer is the Internet. Players have their own websites. Webisodes are getting huge. Digital media is what everyone is plugged into these days.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.