SUGA x NBA Global Ambassador
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Use of Culture
- Music or Entertainment
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
The NBA works collaboratively with partners and ambassadors around the world to identify new and creative opportunities to engage a global fanbase. Building on a comprehensive fan engagement strategy centered around the intersection of sports, culture and entertainment, BTS star SUGA was named an NBA ambassador. As a global NBA ambassador, SUGA has been at the forefront of various league-wide initiatives. From making appearances at NBA games and events, to starring in our “We Are All in the Finals” campaign and launching his own NBA-Mitchell & Ness merchandise collection, the league and SUGA have found organic ways to bring the collaboration to life.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
The NBA and SUGA establish an ideal union that is designed to reflect his journey as a fan – from his childhood basketball aspirations to realizing his fandom and advocating the NBA – and amplifies the excitement around our game. From a fan engagement perspective, SUGA’s Ambassador announcement has extensively outperformed other celebrity posts (#NBACelebRow) across engagements and impressions on the @NBA Instagram account throughout the 2022-23 season. Within the sports industry, the NBA has been at the forefront of original and creative partnerships and a fundamental understanding on the efficacy of collaborations with international stars and celebrities outside the U.S. Partnering with SUGA at the height of BTS lends a credibility and global appeal that transcends ethnicity, religion, and culture, which offers sports institutions with a fan engagement strategy to broaden their reach beyond the everyday sports fan. Overall, the record engagement generated by every SUGA-related content on the NBA’s social platforms and positive retail performance of the SUGAxNBA capsule collection speaks volumes to the success of this partnership.
Objective
As a global organization, the NBA is committed to reaching fans around the world through partnerships, content, events and other localized opportunities. Based on our research, basketball is the No. 2 most popular team sport to play and watch globally(YouGov Global Fan Profiles – August 2023), positioning the league for continued growth internationally for years to come. While the majority of NBA fans aren’t able to experience live games in an NBA arena, the league delivers unique experiences that showcase everything they love about the NBA, entertainment and basketball culture to keep them immersed year-round. Partnering with SUGA demonstrates how the NBA identifies creative fan engagement efforts that resonate with new and existing fans alike.
Strategy & Execution
The NBA is at the center of pop culture with celebrities and star athletes from across the world of sports, making appearances at games and community events. We engaged Bangtan Boys’ (BTS) music label as the influence of East Asian pop culture – particularly from South Korea – had steadily risen in the U.S. and the rest of the world. The momentum paved the way for a collaboration with Min Yoongi, a massive NBA fan whose stage name SUGA not only means ‘sweetness’ but is a play on the “Shooting Guard” position in basketball. SUGA attended the NBA Japan Games 2022 before officially naming the South Korean rapper, songwriter and producer an NBA Ambassador in April 2023. As part of this ongoing role, SUGA participates in various initiatives, including making appearances at NBA games and events, integrating SUGA as a key figure in our brand campaign, and launching his own NBA merchandise collection. The league implemented a multiplatform strategy to engage its young, tech-savvy fanbase and highlighted SUGA content across owned (NBA.com, NBA App, social media and EDMs) and earned media.
Organizations
- NBA
- HYBE
Links
Credits
Sheila Rasu
Head of Marketing Communications
NBA Asia
Spencer Douglass
Programming and Production Team Leader
NBA Asia
Raul Sin
Audience Development & Integrated Marketing Team Leader
NBA Asia
Stuart Orsak
Legal Lead
NBA Asia
Glenn Russell
Content Partnerships Team Leader
NBA Asia
Lesley Rulloda Prince
Head of Brand Partnerships
NBA Asia
Morgan Law
Retail Lead
NBA Asia
Roger Ong
Communications Lead
NBA Asia
Antoine Nazaret
Digital Engagement Team Leader
NBA Asia
Benjamin Darde
Social Media Lead
NBA Asia
Alan Hwe
CRM Professional
NBA Asia
Tammy Henault
Chief Marketing Officer
NBA
Cheryl Stallings
On-Ground Talent Management
NBA
Kim Clark
Global Fan Marketing Lead
NBA
Alex Gerson
Brand Marketing Leader
NBA
Matt Halliwell
International Advertising Lead
NBA
Justin D’Apolito
NBA Social Content Lead
NBA
Jim Poorten
NBA Social Content
NBA
Jake Freeman
NBA Social Content Planning
NBA
Ashley Atwell
NBA Social Content and Emerging Media Lead
NBA
Adam Fedorko
NBA Social and Digital Content Creation
NBA
Tess Quinlan
NBA DTC Content Planning
NBA
Dylan Kim
Legal Lead and Point of Contact
HYBE
Sean Park
Brand and Marketing Lead
HYBE
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
