A Framework to Help Brands Cut Through the Name, Image, Likeness Hype

Why it matters

The NIL goldrush has brands scrambling to sign college athletes. But throwing money at the trend without strategy is expensive theater, not marketing.

The big picture:

Smart brands (like a few I mention below) aren't asking "Should we do NIL?" They're asking "Does NIL solve a business problem we have?"

Your NIL gut-check framework

Before you cut that first check, run through this analysis:

1. What job are you hiring NIL to do?

  • Drive awareness in a specific geographic market?

  • Reach Gen Z authentically?

  • Create user-generated content at scale?

  • Build local market credibility?

If your answer is vague ("everyone's doing it"), stop here.

2. Is student-athlete influencer marketing your best NIL play?

  • College athletes deliver 3x engagement rates vs. general influencers, but...

  • They need support if you want them to develop great content

  • And don't expect unlimited availability (they are usually at practice, lifting, traveling, or in class)

  • The trade-off: You may get higher engagement, but it won't be easy

3. Does the athlete's audience match your customer?

  • Where's the overlap between their followers and your buyers?

  • Do they have actual influence or just large followings?

Reality check: The winners have experience

The brands getting NIL right share something: experienced sports marketers at the helm.

Boost Mobile nailed it on Day 1 of NIL with the Cavinder twins, guided by Icon Source and Chase Garrett—a former Red Bull marketer who understood cultural marketing.

Today, Drip Drop is winning under CMO John Shea, another sports marketing veteran who knows the importance of athlete activation (we worked together when John was at Pepsi.)

And watch out for Yeti: Under the leadership of veteran Under Armour marketer Tori Hanna, their NIL strategy will likely become a blueprint brands want to mirror within a year.

The pattern: NIL isn't a shortcut around marketing expertise. It requires more sophistication, not less.

The bottom line

NIL works when it's a strategic answer to a specific business challenge, executed by people who understand sports marketing fundamentals.

If you can't articulate exactly what problem NIL solves for you, you're not ready to write the check—no matter how much FOMO you're feeling.

One thing to try: Before your next NIL conversation, write down the specific business metric you expect it to move. If you can't name one, pump the brakes.

About Bill Carter

Bill has advised brands on Name, Image, Likeness for 25 years—first in pro sports, now at the college level. He was the Co-Founder of the Gen Z sports agency Fuse, which he sold in 2019. In 2020, he founded Student-Athlete Insights and consults on NIL strategy with Fortune 500 companies and 30+ DI universities. Read more about Student-Athlete Insights.

Bill Carter