Ryan Eckel, Diadora’s U.S. chief marketing officer, joins Sterling Randle to explain how the company builds its NIL partnerships. He shares what stood out in Marco Langon’s outreach, how Diadora works with Langon and Simeon Birnbaum, and why the company plans for relationships that can continue into professional careers.

For NIL staff helping athletes approach brands and marketers building athlete programs, the conversation offers a practical look at what makes a partnership worth pursuing.

Topics covered:

• What a brand wants to see in an athlete’s pitch
• Making athletes a visible part of the brand
• Product development and mentorship as partnership resources
• Creating brand connections alongside school apparel agreements
• Budgeting for an athlete’s transition to professional competition
• Using online searches and website traffic to evaluate impact
• Setting social media expectations with the athlete in mind

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NIL Edge is produced by Digital Sport by Hot Paper Lantern in partnership with NILNewsstand, featuring conversations with the brands, athletic departments and industry leaders shaping the future of NIL

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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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