Mediaboss Marketing

ATHENS, GA - OCTOBER 10: Eric Stokes #27 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates with members of the ... [+] defensive line after a play against the Tennessee Vols at Sanford Stadium on October 10, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Perry McIntyre/Collegiate Images/Getty Images)

Imagine this. Its the summer of 2021, and the NCAA has passed legislation permitting monetization of names, images and likenesses for college athletes. Youre a football player heading back to college excited about seeing what you can do. Your friends Instagram and Tik Tok feeds are filled with influencers like Lil Nas X, DI Nayah and Charli DAmelio, who are creating content and becoming brands in the fast changing social media world. You think, if they can do it, why cant I? How do I get in on this?

While the NCAA will most assuredly provide some guardrails for what products and activities athletes can engage with on social media, its almost impossible to regulate creativity. And now, there are places that are evolving into creative vortexes.

In Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas and Las Vegas, a new collection of influencers are cohabiting, sparking creativity and holding each other accountable for producing consistently shareable content on video sites. These pods trade strategy on raising their profiles and growing their revenue streams. Attracted by the locally based entertainment ecosystem (and, in Georgia, favorable tax credits), young adults from 16-22 years old are renting large homes in and around these four cities.

Our football player thinks to himself, now that I can monetize my brand, why shouldnt I live with people who are thinking 24/7 about how to create the next viral video? Forget living with other athletes in the residence halls or in a football house near campus. Im going to be a part of the influencer economy now.

The New York Times NYT calls these creatives hard working, focused and (possessing) a deep understanding of the internet. This is not a party housein fact, some have rules stating you have to produce one or two sharable videos per day in order to stay in the house.

For now, there is a difference in collab houses; for some, LA has become an enclave for white entrepreneurs, while Atlanta has become a haven for black creators, inspired by the tremendous investments that Tyler Perry and others have made in the state. This is sure to evolve as the concept catches on.

How will coaches respond to this new trend? The wrong thing to do would be tell your recruits and returning players you have to live in the XYZ apartment complex where all the other athletes live. You mandate that, and a transfer to another institution who allows their players to live in collab houses begins to look awfully good.

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 06: USC Trojans safety Talanoa Hufanga (15) leaps over a player after ... [+] intercepting a pass during a game between the USC Trojans and the Washington State Cougars played on December 6, 2020 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Some athletic departments are contracting with Opendorse, a well-know social marketing firm devising strategies and products while waiting for NILs to become permissible. Once you find your audience, the brand dollars will always find you, their website states, emphasizing that athletes will do best to direct their marketing efforts towards their hometowns. 99% of student-athletes wont be doing deals outside of their college town and hometown. Focusing their brand-building efforts in these communities will allow them to have the best ROI on their time and energy.

But influencer houses could blow that slow walk away quickly. In the last three weeks, two all-Black Gen Z creator mansions, the Collab Crib and the Valid Crib have opened in Atlanta. Their members want to cement Atlanta as a hub for online talent and are hoping these homes will bring a level of legitimacy to their status within the larger creator ecosystem. If your goal as a third string linebacker is to take advantage of this new landscape, where would you live if you had the choice?

Higher education and college athletics are not prepared for what is about to happen. There are forces at play in the new economy of social marketing and management that will attract athletes to programs and locations that are on the leading edge. Why? Simply, there is more to be gained when you are surrounded by others laser focused on being great. Football coaches have preached that for decades.

Which college athletes will be the new influencers in 2021? The ones who are surrounded by other creatives with a collaborative mindset.

See more here:
Which College Athletes Will Be The New Influencers In 2021? - Forbes