Special thank you to Manatt’s Ned Sherman and Matthew Reece for their contributions to this article.
In his latest Entrepreneur column, Manatt Digital and Technology Managing Director Kalon Gutierrez highlights the top ten things collegiate athletes should consider when building a business based on their own personal brand—which includes their name, image and likeness (NIL). This article follows new NIL laws that will force the NCAA to allow college athletes to profit from legitimate brand partnerships without losing their eligibility. “The opening of name, image and likeness monetization by college athletes is a long overdue development for the world of college athletics and offers the potential for college athletes to leverage their hard work, talents and personal brands into long lasting businesses, regardless of racial or socioeconomic background,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez’s top ten items for consideration include:
- Own your brand and treat it as your business.
- Determine what you want to be known for.
- Carefully select a headline social platform.
- Define your content strategy.
- Be realistic in determining how much time you have available to allocate.
- Create your personal board of advisors.
- Be patient and act with intention.
- Identify and utilize your university’s resources.
- Understand your IP and make sure it is independent.
- Read the fine print.
Read the complete article here.
For more of Gutierrez’s Entrepreneur articles, click here.