Ishveen Anand: CEO and Founder OpenSponsorship – Work In Sports Podcast - a podcast by Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.When I was growing up in the Boston area, I used to get a kick out of the regional ads with the local sports stars.Dwight Evans would be reading an ad for the local Chevy dealer and it would be hilariously terrible. You can picture these guys showing up, never reading the script, and then trying to read a cue card being held by some poor intern above the camera.The local sports star would have their eyes clearly above the camera, they’d be reading at a very poor level and there would be some terrible dad joke at the end."Hello everyone… I am… Red Sox right fielder...Dwight Evans, and you should head down to Bob’s chevrolet in Chicopee and check on the deals they’ve got for  a brand new 1985 Chevy ...Blazer. We’ve got all different shades of Red...like my sox."And then they’d smile some toothy grin and still not be looking at the camera. You knew this was like the 20th take and finally, the producer just said “Oh F it, that’s good enough, it’s a wrap”These cracked me up… and I wish they still happened as often as they used to when I was 10. We’d literally imitate them in gym class, a bunch of 5th-grade kids making fun of our local idols for reading with less aptitude and personality than we did.This was a big deal for the athletes back in the day… they made really good money back then, but nothing like what they do today. Salaries have far outpaced inflation, so the borderline Hall of Fame players don’t need to peddle the local furniture store for a free couch and 5k. It was a lot of work, which more often than not resulted in a crappy advertisement that likely didn’t help the business or the player’s brand.Things have changed. Thankfully for the better, although I really miss those old ads. So how have things changed -- well, social is a huge part of it. Today’s athletes grew up with it, are comfortable on the platforms, have their own brands, and can share their own voice directly to their followers.Plus, we have more and more brands telling themselves -- wait, I make a vegan snack bar, and I’m sure there is an athlete out there who is vegan… maybe we should partner up?This idea of hyper-targeting in alignment with a specific athlete makes all the sense in the world because they’ll speak to the product with more enthusiasm and expertise, than just some rando talking about a chevy blazer in red, when they drive a Porsche.This extra targeting, this emphasis on social, this idea to connect brands and athletes  -- sparked something deep within today’s guest.Ishveen Anand is the founder and CEO of OpenSponsorship,  a platform that has created a smarter, simpler approach to sponsorship marketing. Allowing brands to connect with 5000+ athletes, engage with their target audience, increase ROI and generate great content.She was also named Forbes 30 under 30 in 2015, and to INC top 100 female founders list in 2019 -- she’s as impressive as they come, so without further ado… here’s Ishveen Anand, straight from her office in New York City...you’ll understand why I mentioned that in a few minutes when you hear fire alarms and police sirens in the background…Questions for Ishveen Anand, CEO and Founder OpenSponsorship1: I’m really excited to speak with you about your organization OpenSponsorship…but first I want to understand you and your motivation a little better.You attended Oxford, graduate with a degree in economics and management, and your career skyrockets, in fact, you’re a CEO within about 5 years of graduating.And then, you launch OpenSponsorship.What was your mindset during this time -- did you always have this goal of...

Further episodes of The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Further podcasts by Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Website of Brian Clapp - Work in Sports