marketing technology

Ishveen Jolly

How OpenSponsorship is Transforming the Future of Athletic Partnerships with Ishveen Jolly

 I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Ishveen Jolly, CEO and co-founder of OpenSponsorship, for an engaging discussion about the evolution of influencer marketing in sports. What struck me most about our conversation was how technology is revolutionizing the traditional athlete sponsorship model, creating opportunities for both established athletes and emerging influencers.

Breaking Down the Barriers in Sports Marketing

During our discussion, Ishveen shared how she identified a crucial gap in the sponsorship marketplace. As a former athlete herself, she understood the challenges of connecting brands with athletic talent. “Why is there not an Airbnb of our industry?” she wondered back in 2015. This question led to the creation of OpenSponsorship, which has now grown into the largest marketplace connecting brands with athletes for sponsorship deals.

The Changing Face of Influence

What I found particularly fascinating was OpenSponsorship’s recent milestone: over 50% of their deals now go to female athletes. This shift represents a significant evolution in sports marketing, and as Ishveen pointed out, it’s often because female athletes tend to produce more engaging content naturally.

Beyond Traditional Athletics

One of the most interesting revelations from our conversation was OpenSponsorship’s expansion beyond traditional sports. They’re now connecting brands with:

  • Financial influencers
  • Healthcare professionals
  • Food and recipe creators
  • Outdoor sports enthusiasts
  • Wellness experts

The Data-Driven Approach

As someone deeply involved in ecommerce, I was impressed by OpenSponsorship’s sophisticated use of data analytics. Ishveen explained their social listening capabilities: “If you’re a pet food company, we can show you all the athletes who have talked about dogs or posted content about dogs who have over 8% engagement rate and cost less than $500.” This level of targeting precision is transforming how brands approach influencer partnerships.

The Power of Authentic Content

During our discussion, Ishveen shared an insight that really resonated with me – sometimes the biggest names aren’t necessarily the best content creators. She noted that individual athletes who’ve developed their personal brands often prove more effective at producing engaging content than top-tier professionals who might be less experienced with social media.

Making Sponsorships Accessible

What truly sets OpenSponsorship apart is their democratization of influencer marketing. With a minimum threshold of 10,000 followers, they’ve made brand partnerships accessible to emerging athletes and influencers while maintaining quality standards that ensure ROI for brands.

Looking to the Future

As we wrapped up our conversation, it became clear that OpenSponsorship is just scratching the surface of what’s possible in the influencer marketing space. Their expansion into new categories and continued focus on data-driven matchmaking suggests exciting possibilities for the future of brand partnerships.

Key Takeaways

  • The influencer marketing industry has evolved into a multi-billion dollar sector
  • Content quality and ROI now outweigh celebrity status
  • Technology and data analytics are crucial for successful brand-influencer matching
  • There’s significant opportunity for athletes below the top 5% to secure valuable partnerships
  • The future of sponsorships lies in authentic content and measurable results

Final Thoughts

As someone who regularly speaks with innovators in the ecommerce and digital marketing space, I’m particularly excited about how platforms like OpenSponsorship are reshaping the landscape of brand partnerships. Ishveen and her team are creating a more accessible, data-driven, and efficient marketplace that benefits both brands and influencers.

To learn more about OpenSponsorship, visit opensponsorship.com or reach out to Ishveen directly at ishveen@opensponsorship.com.

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Sean Simon

Blurbs.ai is Reimagining the Tech Vendor Discovery Process

I recently had an enlightening conversation at eTail Palm Springs with Sean Simon, a 30-year veteran in e-commerce and marketing, and founder of Blurbs.ai, who’s revolutionizing how brands and vendors connect through his platform, Blurbs.ai. What struck me most about our discussion was how Sean and his team are solving a problem that’s plagued the e-commerce industry for years: the overwhelming complexity of finding and evaluating the right technology vendors.

The Evolution from Matchmaking to AI-Powered Discovery

Sean’s journey began five years ago when he co-founded Cogent, a consultancy focused on connecting brands with vendors. This experience led to a crucial insight: both buyers and vendors needed a better way to find each other. The result? Blurbs.ai, a smart tech discovery platform that serves as a self-service version of their consultancy work.

Breaking Down the Barriers in Vendor Selection

During our conversation, Sean highlighted several key challenges in the current vendor selection process:

  • Buyers are overwhelmed by countless vendor emails and LinkedIn messages
  • Traditional RFI processes often miss crucial questions about long-term needs
  • Marketing buzzwords make it difficult to understand what vendors actually do
  • Small marketing teams lack resources for proper vendor research

The Blurbs.ai Solution: Simplicity Meets Efficiency

What I found particularly innovative about Blurbs.ai’s approach is their:

  1. Buzzword Decoder: They maintain a dropdown of industry buzzwords and translate vendor offerings into plain English
  2. Standardized RFI Process: 20 pre-vetted questions (10 standard, 10 category-specific)
  3. Anonymous Inquiry Feature: Allows buyers to ask questions without entering the sales cycle
  4. Free Access for Buyers: Making the platform accessible to all brands

AI in Vendor Discovery: A Balanced Approach

In our discussion about AI, Sean shared an interesting perspective on its role in vendor selection. While Blurbs.ai incorporates AI elements, they emphasize the importance of human expertise in curating and validating information. As Sean noted, “We’ve been doing this for 30+ years… we know what’s real and what’s not.”

The Future of Vendor Discovery

One of the most exciting developments Sean shared was their integration with major industry events. For instance, they’ve created a special eTail West banner on their homepage, listing all participating vendors to help attendees plan their conversations more effectively.

Closing Thoughts

As someone who’s been in the e-commerce space for years, I’m excited about how Blurbs.ai is transforming the vendor discovery process. Sean’s platform addresses a critical need in our industry: making technology vendor selection more transparent, efficient, and accessible for brands of all sizes.

Want to hear more insights from Sean and learn about the future of vendor discovery? Listen to the full episode of Talk Commerce, where we dive deeper into these topics and more.

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Mitsunaga Kikuchi and Rocco Baldasarre

Revolutionizing Digital Advertising Through Shirofune Automation at eTail Palm Springs

Let me start by saying how excited I am to share the insights from my recent conversation at eTail Palm Springs with two remarkable leaders in the digital advertising space. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mitsunaga Kikuchi, CEO, and Rocco Baldasarre from Shirofune, a company that’s making waves in the advertising automation industry.

The Genesis of Shirofune: Solving Real-World Marketing Challenges

One of the most fascinating aspects of our discussion was learning about how Shirofune came to be. As your host, I’ve seen many advertising solutions come and go, but what struck me about Shirofune’s approach was their laser focus on solving real pain points in digital advertising management.

Breaking Down the Automation Revolution

During our conversation, Mitsu shared valuable insights about how Shirofune’s platform is transforming the way businesses handle their digital advertising. The automated system they’ve developed doesn’t just save time – it’s fundamentally changing how marketers approach their campaigns.

The Global Impact: From Japan to International Markets

Rocco Baldasarra offered fascinating perspectives on Shirofune’s expansion from its Japanese roots to the global market. As someone who’s been in the ecommerce space for years, I was particularly impressed by their strategic approach to international growth while maintaining the core values that made them successful in Japan.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Automated Advertising

Let me share one of my key takeaways from this enlightening discussion: the future of digital advertising lies in intelligent automation. Both Mitsu and Rocco emphasized how Shirofune is positioning itself at the forefront of this evolution, and I couldn’t agree more with their vision.

My Personal Take

As your host, I’ve seen countless advertising solutions, but what makes Shirofune stand out is their commitment to solving real problems that marketers face daily. The insights shared by Mitsu and Rocco during our conversation highlighted how automation, when done right, can truly transform business operations.

This conversation with Mitsu Kikuchi and Rocco Baldasarra was truly eye-opening, offering valuable insights into the future of digital advertising automation. If you found these insights valuable, I encourage you to listen to the full episode of Talk Commerce for even more detailed discussion about Shirofune’s innovative approach to digital advertising automation.

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