What do brands actually look for when deciding which student-athletes to partner with?

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Lauren Campbell, chief marketing officer and partner at Firefly Recovery, joins Sterling Randle to discuss what makes NIL content perform, why audience connection matters more than follower count and how athletes can build brand relationships that last beyond college.

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Drawing on two decades of experience at Nestlé and her work helping grow Firefly Recovery, Lauren explains what immediately stands out in an athlete’s pitch, what “authentic” content actually looks like and why smaller brands can be the best place for athletes to learn, demonstrate results and prepare for larger opportunities.

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In this episode:

• How Firefly Recovery entered NIL
• Why niche-sport athletes can offer brands highly relevant audiences
• What brands notice first on an athlete’s social media profile
• Why vulnerable, relatable stories outperform product-first posts
• How one creative AthleteCon video generated 100,000 views within hours
• Why athletes should pursue brands they already use and believe in
• How smaller partnerships can become a proving ground for larger opportunities

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‍Watch or listen to the full episode below. All episodes are available to watch on Youtube and listen on Spotify. NIL Edge is also available on Apple and NIL Newsstand.

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The NIL landscape is evolving fast. This is where leaders come to get the edge.

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