The Fastest-Growing Brand in the U.S.

Phil Cook, who spent 25 years at Nike and has been CMO of the WNBA since 2020, transformed the WNBA into the fastest-growing brand in the U.S. in 2024. In his talk with Lisa Ramuschkat he speaks about bold decisions, the influence of athletes, building fandom, and explains why the WNBA is the fifth most-supported sports league in the U.S. These are some of his best GMPLN-quotes.

The orange hoodie, made famous by Kobe Bryant, was sold out twice and is the most successful merchandising product in WNBA history, and a sign of support. Despite this popularity, Cook stopped promoting the hoodie.

He had bigger visions: he made it clear that basketball fans should not look at the WNBA as a charity. He wanted real fans of the league. Fans of the players and fans of the teams. People who buy jerseys, go to the arenas, and can talk about the games and the development of the league.

Talk of the town since the 2024 rookie class are players such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, and Rickea Jackson. Even during their college days, these athletes reached millions of people via social media. With their leap into professional sports, Cook & Co. faced great opportunities, but also major challenges. How can interest in the players be transferred to interest in the league and the teams? For Cook, one thing was clear: access to the league must be made as easy as possible for potential fans.

Cook's focus was on making it as easy as possible for potential fans. Well-known broadcasters at convenient viewing times should make it more attractive to follow games. Additionally, people should be both entertained and educated, ideally through storytelling. Show them how good the players are on the field and what rivalries exist, because fans love to interact with content featuring their favorite players or their rivals. Explain to potential visitors why it's worth going to a game, which players and stories they should pay attention to, and show them what entertainment is on offer.

The positive development of women's basketball did not go unnoticed by others, leading to the creation of Unrivaled, a 3x3 women's basketball league in the U.S.. All 40 players are active in the WNBA, including some of the league's best. A problem for Cook? Quite the contrary: the 3x3 format takes place during the offseason, allowing fans to continue following their favorite players even when the WNBA is out of action. The success of the new competition also attracts new target groups and potential fans to the league – a win-win situation.