How American Eagle is winning with NIL
How American Eagle is winning with NIL
One of NIL's most impactful brands is driving business results with college athletes
When NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) rules were first enacted in July 2021, American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) was quick to enter the market and establish NIL deals with college athletes. The retailer’s chief marketing officer, Craig Brommers, saw the opportunity and jumped on it.
“We decided, we've got to get in this game and see what this is all about,” Brommers said.
Since earning his MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, Brommers has been involved in marketing leadership for some of the largest retailers over the past two decades including Speedo, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch and Calvin Klein.
“I often joke that I've made my way through the American mall,” Brommers said referring to his experience at many top retailers. He was ranked in the top 20 most influential CMOs by Forbes and won Commerce Next’s 2022 Digital Disrupter Award.
Brommers has seen the influence of sports on marketing firsthand. He was involved with Micheal Phelps's longtime deal with Speedo ahead of the 2004 Olympics. Sports remains an influential market for American Eagle Outfitters, which is among Gen-Z’s favorite fashion brands.
“Around Gen Z, sports remains the number one passion point of this generation,” Brommers said. “The reality is college sports has allowed us to drive business results. And as long as it continues to do that, we'll continue to invest in it.”
American Eagle Outfitters has been involved with college athletes since the beginning of NIL, partnering with college athletes like Olivia “Livvy” Dunne (gymnastics, Louisiana State University), Travis Hunter (football, University of Colorado Boulder), Maya Brady (softball, University of California, Los Angeles) and Chase Griffin (football, University of California, Los Angeles).
Brommers explained that consumers, typically Gen-Z, are interested in college athletes because of their authenticity, involvement in communities and ability to gain an audience both on and off the court or field on which they play.
Brommers and his colleagues have also found that in the age of NIL, consumers gravitate towards athletes beyond those involved with the sports that are typically more followed, like men’s basketball and football.
“We're finding that female athletes, especially female athletes in niche sports, are actually some of the best-performing athlete partners for us,” Brommers said. “I think it again speaks to this idea of diversity of interests that our audience is celebrating.”
Brommers has learned that the recipe for a successful NIL athlete is based on who they are as a creator and person, rather than the sport they play, the school they go to or where they are from.
“I think initially we might have been going for the snazziest names in the biggest sports with the biggest programs,” Brommers said. “Fast forward to today, as I just hinted at, I actually think the student-athletes that are winning are the best content creators and, and work with brands just like so-called professionals.”
Brommers’ advice for NIL athletes is to be authentic, learn to effectively market themselves as content creators and reach out to brands that they like and want to work with. The best NIL athletes, he says, are the ones who are good content creators.
Having seen the business results of investing in sports, Brommers knows that NIL partnerships are a no-brainer. Although he has learned from American Eagle Outfitters’ early mistakes in NIL, one thing remains clear.
“People want to help student-athletes. That is the one thing I have learned throughout this entire process,” Brommers said. “There is something about student-athletes that hits differently than other creators that we work with.”
To hear more from Craig Brommers and his experience with NIL at American Eagle Outfitters, watch his interview with Chase Griffin with The Athlete’s Bureau Podcast presented by NOCAP Sports.
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