The h.wood Group will continue their long tradition of Pop-Up Bootsy Bellows during the biggest weekend in sports, partnering with In The Know Experiences and The Network Advisory to create, ‘Bootsy On the Water’ in Miami on Friday, January 31, 2020. Multi-platinum recording artist Post Malone will headline ‘Bootsy On the Water,’ an over-the-top celebration in a specially constructed venue along the coast of Biscayne Bay with the biggest names in sports, entertainment and music in attendance.

Bootsy Bellows pop-ups are an extension of L.A. hotspot Bootsy Bellows that brings luxury entertainment, invite-only, trendy experiences to exclusive locations. John Terzian and Brian Toll, co-owners of The h.wood Group said, “combining sports, entertainment and music only happens like this once a year, ‘Bootsy On the Water’ will be a one-of-a-kind experience.”

In the Know Experiences co-founder Seth Kaplan added, “we are elated to partner with The h.wood Group and The Network Advisory to produce ‘Bootsy On the Water,’ and bring the iconic Bootsy Bellows experience and vibe to Miami.”

‘Bootsy On the Water’ will kick off The Big Game weekend in a fully built out, 40,000 square foot venue with astonishing views of the Miami skyline, accessible by land, air or sea. VIP and celebrity guests will arrive by a yacht to a private marina. Once inside, all guests will have the opportunity to indulge in decadent food and top shelf spirits including JAJA Tequila. The event will have additional music by DJ Zack Bia, DJ IRIE, and special surprises throughout the night.

With previous activations at Art Basel, Coachella and past Big Game Weekends, Bootsy Bellows pop-ups are known to attract the best in entertainment and music with past attendees including Chris Evans, Kendall Jenner, Diddy, and Winnie Harlow and featuring performances from Gucci Mane, French Montana, Tiesto, Travis Scott, and more.

Justin Giangrande, CEO of The Network Advisory said, “The Network Advisory is excited to partner with these two leading hospitality brands to host the biggest pre-game experience in Miami. Post Malone has had a record-breaking year and I know he has something special in store for all who experience it.”

It’s Me Brands and Team Boom Cups will be the official VIP ticketing partner of the event and tickets will be available on www.itsmebrands.com. ‘Bootsy On the Water’ is supported by 1iota, The Kess Group, Event Eleven, SRX Events, and Best Buddies International. Additional musical performers, celebrity attendees and brand partners will be announced at a future date. For additional details, sponsorship opportunities, hospitality, and experiential table and ticket packages or to inquire about programming opportunities at the one-of-a-kind venue, please email: bootsysb@itkexp.com.

ABOUT H.WOOD GROUP

The h.wood Group is a Los Angeles based hospitality and lifestyle company with a diversified portfolio of upscale nightlife & restaurant venues. Born and raised in Los Angeles, John Terzian and Brian Toll established The h.wood Group in 2008. Their vision was born out of a need to bring high-end, thoughtful and detailed concepts to the LA market and now on a global stage. With a love of catering to the friends and family whom they had grown up with, Terzian and Toll spent their time tending to their every social need. To this day, this emphasis on service remains at the core of The h.wood Group.

ABOUT IN THE KNOW EXPERIENCES

In the Know Experiences is a full-service lifestyle company, with strong areas of expertise in the luxury travel, private events, fashion, nightlife and marketing industries. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in managing front of house operations and overseeing ticket, table and hospitality sales for premier events around the globe. Past notable events that In the Know Experiences’ handled all ticketing and event hospitality include The Rolling Stone Super Bowl Party in various locations, the MAXIM Big Game Party in New York City and Atlanta, Playboy Super Bowl 50 Party in San Francisco and more.

ABOUT THE NETWORK ADVISORY

The Network Advisory (TNA) is a Los Angeles based talent, brand, and venture advisory syndicate focused on accelerating their clients by leveraging an extensive and resource-rich network spanning over many decades. TNA’s invaluable network and strategic partners are anchored by its industry leading relationships in venture capital and rooted in sports, media, and entertainment. TNA offers the necessary guidance to create meaningful, long-term relationships for its clients and focuses and has expertise in the areas of corporate partnerships, venture consulting, brand experiences, and marketing.

The Network Advisory is founded by long-time talent management and brand marketing expert, CEO & Founder, Justin J. Giangrande, who is credited and highly recognized for year after year producing notable high-end brand experiences at the Super Bowl.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

The h.wood Group
Ben Russo
brusso@hwoodgroup.com

SOURCE: The h.wood Group

Branding and marketing opportunities have become a huge potential slice of the earnings pie for today’s professional athlete. In the 2017-2018 season, for instance, LeBron James earned a salary of $33.5 million while tallying an additional $52 million in endorsement deals.

Justin Giangrande is executive vice president of VaynerSports, a full-service athlete representation agency. He oversees marketing and brand partnerships for the firm’s impressive client roster. He also manages all VaynerSports branded events. Giangrande draws from more than 10 years of in-depth experience in handling athlete marketing and endorsement deals.

Charles Frazier, sports and entertainment banking team lead at City National, sat down with Giangrande to discuss the necessary building blocks that help athletes build their brands and get the most out of marketing opportunities.

Charles Frazier: What makes an athlete marketable or brandable?

Justin Giangrande: People think of the brand as this mythical thing, but I think really when it comes down to an athlete being marketable or brandable, it takes a sincere desire on the athlete’s part.

People think that you accidentally just build this brand during the course of 15 years. I tell all my clients when they sign with us, at the end of the day marketing and branding are work — showing up for appointments on time, being reliable when companies work with you — I think it really starts with the actual desire to do that.

Frazier: Describe to me how you help an athlete understand the importance of branding and marketing themselves.

Giangrande: Branding is creating an overall strategy of where you want to end up. One of the things we do when we sign a client is we put them through a branding strategy exercise, figuring out “Where do you want to be after this year? Where do you want to be after five years? Where do you want to be after you finish your career?” That’s a brand strategy.

The things that make up branding, and create that strategy and that road map, are called marketing. So the deals that I line you up with, the places I put you, that’s all part of marketing, which makes up the overall branding strategy. I kind of think of them as little bricks that build the overall branding house.

Frazier: With so many new athletes coming into their respective leagues, the NFL, the NBA, NHL, what should new professional athletes be thinking about before signing a marketing deal?

Giangrande: In the beginning, money means a lot more to you, and so maybe you take some opportunities that are quicker term. But I think when you’re really thinking about a partnership, it should be more along the lines of, “Is this something I’m just doing for money? Or is this something that I actually believe in and want to be part of long term?”

Also the other question to ask is: “Is this a product or a company I would actually use myself?” People can sense when something’s just a money grab, and that’s really what will tarnish your brand in the early years. We’ve all seen Rod Tidwell in “Jerry Maguire” riding the camel. Don’t be that guy.

Frazier: Along those lines, why is being authentic important when branding and marketing for a professional athlete?

Giangrande: That’s everything. At the end of the day, brands want to believe that the athlete really would use their product, and why it seems authentic for them to do so. And so a lot of marketing deals get done by my clients using a product that they’re talking about on their social media, and the brand looks at that and thinks, “Wow, this person actually uses it.”

I’m quick to tell my clients not to just give away the publicity, but at the same time, highlighting opportunities and things that you use in your daily life can also drive a lot of those opportunities.

Frazier: How do you advise clients on which brands to partner with?

Giangrande: Going back to what I just said —“Is this something that I really would use in my daily life?” — but also understanding where that company is in its life cycle. If you’re working with a startup company that’s under two years, and they don’t have a ton of revenue, they won’t have the ability to put a lot of dollars towards marketing or endorsements.

If your goal is to actually be a partner and for them to grow with you during your career, then you’re going to have to take a little hedge cut in the beginning. When the company starts doing well and can put more dollars into its marketing, they’ll be able to include you in more campaigns and increase your compensation. Just know it may take some time to get there. I think it’s all about having realistic expectations.

Frazier: What does the typical marketing deal look like for a professional athlete today?

Giangrande: Ten years ago a normal marketing deal looked like, “Hey, we’re going to use you as a brand ambassador. We’re going to put you on some billboards. You’re going to have to do an appearance, and if we’re lucky enough, and the company’s big enough, you’re going to do a radio or TV spot.”

Now, it’s all about content, which means your social reach, how much social media you’re giving them. How much posting you’re going to do. How much access you’re going to give them to so they can shoot. And what are their rights to using you? Do they have the rights to use your likeness in perpetuity? Are they allowed to put it on Facebook and retarget against it? Or is it just on your social channels? Building social channels and profiles out is critical for any professional athlete that wants to take his marketing seriously and compete in the marketplace.

Frazier: Professional athletes can sign a marketing deal with their agent, or outside their agent. What are the benefits to signing a marketing deal with your agent?

Giangrande: Before joining VaynerSports, I had my own sports marketing agency, and we were separate from agents. Our sole focus was driving marketing revenue and building brands for players. I joined VaynerSports because of our ability to have the best of both worlds.

A lot of agencies say they do marketing because they don’t want anyone else touching their client or reaching out to their client. But there is a benefit if your agency can do both, because I’ve seen a lot of situations where there’s in-fighting when it comes to control over the athlete. And that creates inefficiency, and things fall through the cracks, and ultimately it hurts the client.

This article originally appears at: https://newsroom.cnb.com/en/entertainment/sports/justin-giangrande-athlete-branding.html