World tennis’ international governing body has selected Early Marketing as their partner for an exciting re-branding project of one of its flagship platforms.

Set for completion in the New Year, the collaboration will deliver a revitalised naming and visual approach focused on enhancing the user and commercial experience for more than 70,000 players around the world.

Our CEO, Neal Fullman, explains more:   

“This is a proud moment for us at Early Marketing. The ITF play such an important role for world tennis and are doing some really exciting things to ensure the best experience on and off the court for so many tennis players and at all levels.  

“We’re thrilled they’ve entrusted us to bring our creative and strategic expertise to deliver a transformative effect to not only the platform but to so many players around the world.” 

Neal Fullman - Early Marketing CEO

“We are really excited about this collaboration. The ITF are one of the most recognisable brands in world sport. To have the chance to work with their brilliant team on something you know is going to positively impact the tennis experiences of so many players is a great feeling.  

“The work we’re doing is already taking shape nicely and I can’t wait for everyone to see it when it’s ready.” 

Thomas Coupland -Early Marketing Head Of Sports

“Early have been great to collaborate with on this project.  

“We have been impressed with how quickly they got under the skin of the challenge before coming up with some really impactful solutions.  

“The All You Can Eat model has also been a positive additional benefit to the experience, giving us one less thing to think about during the process knowing the budget is locked in.” 

James Simpson - ITF Senior Brand Manager 

The ITF is the latest sports clients added to the agency’s books since the easing of restrictions on sport.

This exciting new sports retail marketplace is passionate about changing online selling for independent sports retailers, and have brought Early Marketing on board to develop a go-to-market strategy for their B2B campaign.

“It’s fantastic to be working with Iqonic Sports." 

Thomas Coupland, Head of Sport at Early Marketing  

“Opportunities to work with a genuinely bold, innovative, and exciting new company dedicated to doing things differently and creating meaningful change don’t come round too often.  

So, we are delighted to get that chance with Marcus and his team. We already have exciting plans in place and can’t wait to get them live.

From our first meeting with Neal (Fullman – CEO of Early Marketing) and the team it was clear they got what we’re trying to do.  

We loved the passion they showed from the start, and you can see they are fully behind what we believe in at Iqonic Sports – which is to give our brilliant independent sports retailers a fairer, simpler and lower-cost way of finding more customers online.  

We’re excited about how things are coming together!” 

Marcus Nilsson, founder of Iqonic Sports  

More updates will follow on our work with Iqonic Sports as it progresses.  

In the meantime, you can read about our other newest addition to our sports client list – the International Tennis Federation, who we’re now working with on an exciting rebranding project, here.  

Born from necessity, now living as normality. Some even preferential. 

Here are the three important trends we’re watching closely for 2021

1. Continued rise of the virtual fan experience

Without doubt, stadiums without fans has proven the biggest challenge for sport.

As a solution, technology and innovation stepped up to bridge the fan experience and our audience engagement needs. This year we expect it to begin to augment them both.

One of the most exciting is virtual reality ticketing, where fans buy seats in immersive, VR stadiums, for rich, digital gameday experiences from anywhere in the world.

For brands, it offers exciting new commercial opportunity through sponsor content, in-app purchases, partnership interest.

Headsets at the ready!   

2. Taking a stand and a metaphorical knee

One of the most striking outcomes of 2020 was the intense spotlight placed on social and cultural equality.

In sport, athletes led the way, using their platforms and immense social media pull to drive real change; Marcus Rashford’s child hunger campaign perhaps the most inspirational example.

Audiences responded and their expectations for their brands shifted, with it no longer being okay to be neutral and hide from the big issues.

Customers want their brands to have a stance, to take the metaphorical knee.  And so, in 2021, having a strategy to respond authentically when it matters most should be a priority.

It’s important to be clear here – it’s not about having to vocalise an opinion, which could become commercially problematic for a variety of reasons. It’s knowing HOW you will respond, for instance by openly supporting influencers who have the credibility to engage in the discussion.

Whichever you choose, having your strategy prepared in advance, can help create closer relationships with your audience, open up new and interesting content ideas, and deliver improved customer experiences, when the next discussion happens.

3. The women’s and girls’ game

Encouragingly, it was perhaps one of the only priorities sport refused to drop during 2020. For reasons that should never have to be explained, every sport is healthier and better with a thriving women’s and girls’ game.

And in 2021, it will continue to be an area with exciting growth potential. Just look at The FA, the RFU, and the ECB committing to long-term development strategies for their women’s and girls’ games.  

There are already positive signs. According to a study by Deloitte, interest in women’s sport is growing. 66% of people are now interested in at least one women’s sport. Among sports fans it’s even higher at 84%.

As a trend, it’s matched by growing viewership numbers, with rugby, football and cricket all attracting record figures in the past three years for their flagship events.

For brands, 2021 is the time to up the investment in women’s and girls’ sport.

Whether it’s quick wins such as improving representation across your brand, backing important new participation initiatives, or creating content that has the potential to reach stars of the future, there’s plenty of opportunity to – almost literally – change the game.

The FA launched FA Playmaker in association with BT, announced a revamp of its education programme for football coaches and unveiled its new online community for grassroots football. Launch videos and marketing assets produced by Early: 

Caterpillar equipment’s global distributor Finning took on a whole new cheeky look for its industrial machinery ad campaigns and web content in the UK, Ireland and Canada......designed and delivered by Early:

Perfume brand, Miss SO, launched a new in-store campaign for its ranges in Europe and US retailers.......range promo videos designed and produced by Early:

Early brought in Thomas Coupland from the FA to run its Sports business, cryptically called Early Sports.....

Flora Hopewell also joined the Early crew, following an internship at Canon, to project manage some of our biggest client accounts.