Matt Gentry has worked with some of the biggest names in sport including Lewis Hamilton and David Beckham. But he is most closely associated with Sir Andy Murray.

They set up 77 Sports Management together back in 2013, when Andy was world #1 and had won his first Wimbledon title, after successfully working together at Simon Fuller's agency, 19.

Now he can be found working with the top names still, this time with Authentic Brands Group. A company whose portfolio includes include Reebok, David Beckham, Ted Baker, Shaquille O'Neal, Sports Illustrated and recently bought Champion in a $1.2bn deal.

Dan and Matt's conversation delves into the meaning of creativity in sports, the transition from agency work to talent management, and the dynamics of building brands for established athletes.

Matt also discusses the entrepreneurial spirit at Authentic Brands Group and explores the impact of new media trends on athlete branding and engagement.

So much to dig into - give it a listen and let us know what you think! Enjoy.

"Draw a venn diagram of football, marketing and fandom, and Amar Singh would be smack bang in the intersection!”

In this episode of Running on Coffee, host Daniel McLaren speaks with Amar, SVP Content & Creative at sports marketing agency MKTG.

They discuss the essence of creativity in marketing, the importance of strategic thinking, and the role of diversity in the industry.

Amar shares insights from his career, including his experiences working on all sides of the industry - brand, media, club and now agency.

The conversation also touches on the current state of creativity in sports marketing, the impact of disruption, and the importance of storytelling in engaging audiences.

Make sure you listen to Amar's own podcast, the fantastic 'Sports Marketeer Podcast"

In this conversation, Shergul Arshad, Head of North America at the Aston Martin Formula One Team, joined Dan to discusses the role of creativity in sports marketing and the growth of Formula One in the North American market.

As always, it's a fascinating and fun conversation with Shergul. His time at AS Roma as Head of Digital, which led to numerous great activations and football firsts, as well as within his current role in F1 are ones we discuss in depth. And bring to the fore how having the right culture and management can allow creativity to flourish.

Shergul on LinkedIn

Book mentioned: Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher & William Ury

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Definition of Creativity

01:00 Sheik's Role as Head of North America with Aston Martin Aramco F1

03:15 The Importance of Partnerships in Formula One

11:14 The James Bond Link and its Impact on the American Market

14:32 Standing Out in a Competitive Environment

20:18 The Partnership with TikTok and its Success

23:37 The Success and Significance of Drive to Survive

25:31 Driving to Surpass Expectations in Formula One

29:17 The Growth of Formula One in North America

33:07 Collaboration Among F1 Teams to Attract Viewers and Sponsors

36:28 The Unique Selling Points of Formula One

39:18 The Fan Experience at Formula One Races

44:27 The Importance of Celebrity Involvement and Brand Partnerships

Doron Tamari, Director of International Marketing and Innovation at BSE Global, drops in to 'Running On Coffee' to chat about the Brooklyn Nets in Paris campaign and the importance of creativity in problem-solving.

This award-winning campaign aimed to connect with fans, create excitement, and build a long-term connection with the French audience.

It was a planning process that started six months before the game, with a focus on understanding the market and identifying insights before getting into the ideas of how to bring it to life.

Those ideas were generated through brainstorming sessions and the goal of bringing the best of Brooklyn to Paris. The campaign aimed to go beyond traditional out-of-home advertising and create unique experiences for fans.

The conversation explores the process of bringing the Brooklyn Nets' campaign to Paris to life, and we delved into how the Biggie Tribute Orchestra event came to be, and what it was like to be there.

We also covered the challenges and considerations involved in creating impactful activations, the importance of connecting with local culture, and the long-term impact of the campaign.

Thanks to Doron for being an amazing guest, and hopefully he enjoys his time volunteering back in Paris for this year's Olympic Games.

Chapters

• Creativity as a Mindset
• Fostering Creativity within BSE Global
• The Importance of International Marketing
• Goals of the Brooklyn Nets in Paris Campaign
• Generating Ideas for the Campaign
• Creating Unique Experiences for Fans
• Creating Impactful Activations: Challenges and Considerations
• The Notorious B.I.G. Tribute Concert
• The Success of the Campaign: Sold Out in Five Days
• The Memorable Moment: Biggie Tribute Orchestra at Châtelet
• Long-Term Impact and Future Plans: Prioritizing France as a Key Market
• Leveraging Opportunistic Approaches and Cultural Events
• The Unique Ability of Sports to Connect with Fans and Cities

Make sure you follower us on your platform of choice to get more great podcasts delivered directly to you every couple of weeks.

In episode 3 of ROC we speak with the founder of Sports 3.0 and CAPTAIN, Rich Johnson.

Running On Coffee is a podcast that champions the creative side of the sports industry, and those who are pushing the boundaries in their work.

In this episode we caught up about Rich's time with Social Chain, the disruptive social media agency co-founded by the celebrated Steven Bartlett.

Comparing that free spirited mindset against working at Manchester United, New Balance, and then taking his learnings to INEOS Grenadiers cycling team.

Rich regular posts great content on LinkedIn, so make sure you give him o a follow or connect with him.

Make sure you subscribe to ROC for more great interviews in the coming weeks.

Welcome to the second in this new series with industry 'veteran' and long time podcaster, Dan McLaren.

Our aim is to discuss the challenges to creativity in an era dominated by big data and AI within the sports industry. Shining a light on those who are doing great work and those fighting to ensure we don't lose that human creative touch in how we work.

In this episode Dan sat down with Chaj (founder of GGm8) to discuss some of the misconceptions he sees when it comes to sports rights holders marketing to Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

As well this we dive into his route into the sports industry, the importance of diversity and programmes such as Merky FC, his experiences in connecting with African football audiences through his work on the Africa Football Showdown podcast during this year's AFCON. And much more!

Check out Chaj's regular newsletter on Gen Z insights

Make sure you subscribe to hear more great interviews in the coming weeks.

Welcome to the first in a new series with industry 'veteran' and long time podcaster, Dan McLaren, called "Running on Coffee" (ROC)

Our aim is to discuss the challenges to creativity in an era dominated by big data and AI within the sports industry. Shining a light on those who are doing great work and those fighting to ensure we don't lose that human creative touch in how we work.

In this first episode, I sat down with the co-founder of the recently launched MSQ Sport & Entertainment, Steve Martin.

Steve has 25+ years experience having worked at adidas, and then co-founded the hugely successful M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment. An agency he grew for 20 years before leaving last year.

In this we discuss a wide variety of topics, but with the overall aim to highlight creativity, what it takes to foster it and why we should be doing more of it.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Agency Launch

02:50 - The Power of Creativity

13:27 - Amplifying Creativity with Technology

24:19 - Building a Successful Partnership

26:08 - Embracing Failure and Persuading Clients

27:07 - Selling Ideas in the Advertising Industry

28:05 - Wayne Rooney's Street Striker: From Two Paragraphs to a TV Show

31:49 - The Growing Impact of Sports at Cannes Lions

35:43 - Tackling Social Issues with Creativity

39:31 - Humour and Creativity in Paddy Power's Campaign

42:23 - Favourite Piece of Work

43:49 - Highlighting the Women's Game: The Orange Campaign

46:44 - Finding Inspiration through Reflection and Travel

49:38 - Agencies that Inspire: Uncommon and MSQ

Some Great Sound Bites

• "Creativity is the ability to stand out from the crowd."
• "Creativity is not just about coming up with an idea, but crafting and curating it."
• "AI is only as good as the input it has from humans."