Feature: Nikki Borein, Partnerships Director
I’m Nikki, Partnerships Director here at Ten Toes. My role within the agency straddles the Talent and Commercial teams - helping to build and execute talent strategy while brokering relevant and meaningful brand partnerships.
I’ve worked with sports and entertainment talent for longer than I care to admit but we will call it nine years. Short enough to remember it clearly when I started out but long enough to appreciate the changes and shifts that have affected the industry along the way.
Rewind nine (or so…) years and social media barely had an impact on talent nor their partnerships. Now, rarely would we see a collaboration that didn’t either totally rely on or at very least involve a digital element. So here are, in my humble opinion, the trends I think will (if not already) shape the future of talent and their partnerships.
1. A deeper connection with fans
Talent and brands alike understand the importance of connecting with fans. Social media has of course increased this tenfold but constant technological advancement makes me wonder, are fans looking for a deeper more meaningful connection? The blending of real-life and digital experiences, specifically in sport, will move the dial and create new and better fan experiences.
2. Sustainability
As brands become increasingly aware of sustainability this is naturally having a knock-on and dramatic effect on the talent industry. From offsetting travel, environmentally friendly events and more transparency around the environmental impact of what goes on behind the scenes from photoshoots and product launches to tournaments and football transfers.
3. Personal collaborations
What’s more meaningful than a seven figure deal with a blue chip brand? A cash deal with equity built in too. As we see more and more talent lean towards these types of agreements (Kim Kardashian has even launched a private equity firm, SKKY Partners) we should feel a difference in the partnerships too. We will see far fewer transactional collaborations and more personal, authentic, creative partnerships where it’s clear that the talent are genuinely invested in the brand.