Earlier this year, News Corp Australia announced the launch of The Growth D_Stillery, a dedicated research and intelligence service offering consumer insights to help marketers navigate brand challenges, anticipate consumer trends and understand where best to invest.
See Also: Behind The Growth D_Stillery: News Corp’s newest research and intelligence offering
The Growth D_Stillery amplifies key research insights on trade marketing platforms, and on News Corp Australia channels. As a part of its release into market, the platform has launched a series of vodcasts hosted by News Corp Australia’s director, Growth Intelligence Centre Dan Krigstein, with guests from all corners of the marketing world.
Dan Krigstein
The most recent lot of Growth D_Stillery vodcasts were recorded at Sydney’s Luna Park as part of the 2023 Advertising Week conference, and Mediaweek was on the ground to catch up with those recording episodes.
This week, Mediaweek spoke with Julie Uhrman, founder, CEO, and president of Angel City Football.
Joining the D_Stillery Vodacst was an easy decision for Uhrman, who doesn’t need much convincing to chat about Angel City and the impact of women’s sports.
“I always take the opportunity to talk about Angel City Football Club and the growth of women’s sports, because if you don’t talk about it, it’s not going to grow. I think we’ve approached women’s sports and women’s football in a unique way, where the success we’re seeing isn’t unique to us, and so we want to share the playbook so others can follow it. It’s super exciting to be part of AdWeek, and it was a pleasure to be asked.”
Chatting at Advertising Week APAC, Uhrman says that being invited to an event halfway across the world makes the team feel like they’ve “made it.”
“The goal with Angel City Football Club is to become a global brand so we can drive the greatest amount of attention and awareness, which ultimately can drive revenue and impact, and help achieve our goal of gender equity. Being recognised at AdWeek in Australia, for the work that we’re doing in Los Angeles, in the United States says that we’re doing something right.”
Advertising Week APAC coincided with the 2023 Women’s World Cup, meaning it was an exciting time for the Angel City team to be visiting Australia. As the entire country got behind the Matildas, Uhrman says that the support isn’t going anywhere soon.
“The 2019 Women’s World Cup hit a peak – from viewership, to ticket sales, to even merch sales – and there wasn’t a fall off from that.
“We’re seeing it again in the Women’s World Cup in 2023. What you’re starting to see is that this is not a blip, this is not a moment, this is not an anomaly. This is a movement where people watch, invest, and attend women’s sporting events. If you’re a brand, you should be supporting it in a pretty significant way.”
For brands, Uhrman says that there is no better time for marketers to back the “highest growth trajectory industry there is today.”
“If you’re a brand, you can buy in for a fraction of the men’s price – which is not to say that it’s inexpensive, but relatively speaking, it is a discount to what you spend for a similar asset with a men’s club. You’re getting a greater share of voice because there are fewer brands supporting women’s sports. Then there’s a brand halo of this positive equity associated with women’s sports, being on the right side of history, valuing something that the world is saying needs value.
“Investing in women’s sports, or women’s football today, I believe is a much higher return possibility than any other sport.”
Ultimately, Uhrman says that she hopes that people who listen to her Growth D_Stillery episode come away feeling positive about the future of women’s football.
“I really want people to believe that there’s a huge upside to women’s sports. It’s not a charity and the buy-in is not low – you can buy in for the right value. But there’s real value in the product these women put on the pitch.
“It is continuing to grow, and I want advertisers to see that this is an industry that is deserving of dollars.”
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Top Image: Julie Uhrman