Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - December 2014 - 40

AROUND THE LEAGUES

Player Power

Through its new promotions and activations, NFL
Players Inc. is leveraging athletes' appeal to help
retailers move product and connect with fans.
By Steve Scebelo, Contributing Writer

homas Roy Crowell often
is quoted as saying, "Success in
sales is the result of discipline,
dedication and sacrifice." This
could easily translate to National Football League (NFL) players. Perhaps no
group of athletes understands just how
important each of those three pillars are
in creating success, not just as individual
players, but as part of winning teams.
Collectively, as members of the NFL
Players Association (NFLPA), they bring
that same commitment to creating success for partners and retailers through
NFL Players Inc. (NFLPI), the marketing
and licensing arm of the NFLPA.

NFLPI's Dedicated Player Display
Program includes slat walls with
customized player wall decals from
Fathead, as well as standalone
ﬁxtures that support NFL player
hardlines and apparel.

40 December 2014

NFLPI has created new resources in
order to become a trusted teammate for
sports product retailers. Its licensees generate more than $1 billion in retail sales
each year, and that success fuels its efforts
to introduce even more creative solutions
to business problems, especially when it
comes to helping retailers increase their
sales of NFL player-licensed products.
To that end, NFLPI has been busy the
last few months. The organization currently has agreements with more than 80
licensees who develop and market products that feature the likenesses of more
than 1,800 active NFL players. These
products include apparel, trading cards,

video games, collectibles and toys. When
it comes to marketing and selling NFL
player-licensed merchandise, the connection between fan and player is vital
to achieving sales results, and retailers
are in the best position to be the catalyst
for that direct connection.
Through the strategic integration
of NFL players - at both bricks-andmortar stores and online formats -
retail partners can augment the customer
experience, improve sales performance
and, in turn, build longer-term loyalty in
the marketplace. Retailers that carry NFL
player-licensed merchandise are part of
a devoted and collaborative NFLPI team
that is prepared to support a wide variety
of retail promotional efforts that will help
businesses achieve their goals.
This philosophy of using the marketing
power of NFL players is consistent with
activation plans for independently owned
and mid-size stores, as well as national
retail chains. Some of the new ways
NFLPI is helping retailers leverage NFL
players' star power to promote and sell
licensed products include in-store campaigns and social-media endorsements.
IN-STORE CAMPAIGNS
New NFLPI promotions and player activations tap into the influence of the players to promote licensed products in stores
and online. Through a range of fun and
entertaining breakthrough options, there
is greater opportunity to impact product
sales and amplify customers' experiences.
NFL Players Mystery Store Manager:
Few moments can excite NFL fans like the
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Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - December 2014

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