Episode #8: Building a New Sports Brand with Kevin Donovan

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Google Play

So what’s it like to build a new sports brand from scratch? I’ve talked on this podcast about the importance of creating a compelling brand story, identifying your audience, and developing hooks for emotional connections. It’s all very well and good in the abstract, but what’s it like to actually put all of those pieces together in the real world?

Kevin Donovan is the founder and president of the Tour of America, a new cycling race that Kevin is in the process of getting off the ground. It’s a new sports brand with a strong purpose and point of view, and Kevin was kind enough to talk about his experience and what he’s learned. Enjoy the show!

CONNECT WITH KEVIN AND THE TOUR OF AMERICA Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://twitter.com/@TOACycling Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TourOfAmerica/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ISIzXYgYLjAso5VFXCLCQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tour-of-america/

TOPICS DISCUSSED 01:40 – Kevin’s background in sports 03:35 – Why is it important for the Tour of America to develop an engaging brand? 06:07 – How do you define the audience for the Tour of America brand? 08:08 – What kind of emotional connections are important to this new brand? 10:30 – How is differentiation reflected in the Tour of America brand? 14:05 – What is the most surprising thing you've learned from this experience of building a new sports brand? 16:07 – What can established properties learn from your experience of building a new brand? Total episode runtime is 00:19:23. Be sure to help other sports professionals find this podcast by subscribing and giving the show a five-star rating and a review in iTunes!