SBJ Behind the Scenes: Insights driving genuine connections

CHICAGO — Two wonderful summer days around the Windy City greeted the most successful Brand Innovation Summit yet during this week’s visit to the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile.

An event that annually brings high energy reached a new stratosphere as almost 1,000 sponsorship and marketing executives — an SBJ record for the summit — assembled for programming that featured equal parts of thoughtful conversation and a plethora of giveaway merch.

A steady stream of topics regularly surfaced during various panels, whether it was a need to find genuine messaging and telling relatable stories, women’s sports’ continuous growth as a pillar of revenue for all those involved, or drilling down into the data that determines just how successful a partnership is.

That was accompanied by gifts ranging from one-night stays and tickets to a show for one lucky audience member, a letterman jacket, and even eyeshadow palettes that had attendees flipping seats so fast you’d have thought they were working a spatula during lunchtime at the iconic Mr. Beef.

And ultimately, the human aspect of this business was on display, even in a world where technology is providing a warp-speed effort to so much of what we do in sports.

Perhaps put most eloquently by Brad Ross, Bank of America’s head of global partnerships & social media marketing: “For all of us in this room, I think we’re in a good industry. I think we’re in a good place in time right now, and if we play our cards right, I think that all of us can benefit from this rising tide because at the end of the day, that notion of human connection is going to continue to be so important going from now and into the future.”

Here’s a quick rundown on what stood out across the Brand Innovation Summit’s two days in the Windy City.

The premium currency? Authenticity

The word “authenticity” poured throughout BIS just like the Chicago summer sun through the windows of the Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile.

The sports industry is in a full-on transition, from slapped-on logos to full-fledged infusions of rights holders and vendors, and those types of sponsorship deals are creating big-picture business impacts and bona fide fits.

No one hit on that messaging harder than Sephora’s Director/Marketing Partnerships Nanette Nunu. The originally nonendemic brand kicked the door in to sports with sponsorship deals around Unrivaled, the Valkyries and Athletes Unlimited Softball League, finding clear fits with their consumers (largely female) and audience (a mixture of both).

And that’s why, when engaging with sponsorship teams, she wants to see imagination and thoughtfulness in their pitching instead of offering a chance to sponsor the highlight of the game.

“The brands that are willing to do that and break the mold a little bit — and I know there are revenue objectives and sales objectives — but I challenge the industry to just think a little bit more creatively about that and think of it less of official category partner and certain name here and more of like, ‘Hey, maybe we are trying to co-market together and brand build together and there’s that unique synergy that our two brands can bring to the table,’” she said.

Women’s sports are essential to the operation now

And in a natural dovetail, women’s sports often emerged in panel conversations, whether they were geared toward that topic or not.

Jim Van Stone, Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s president of business operations and CCO, pointed toward the growth experienced around the WNBA’s Mystics and how the FIFA World Cup has him excited for the women’s installment that will take place in Brazil next year and, eventually, the 2031 tournament that will feature the U.S. as a host country. He also mentioned the success experienced at Capital One Arena when hosting a PWHL game, where roughly 17,500 fans attended. “We’ve owned the Mystics a long time. It used to be just an added value in their overall sponsorship deal,” Van Stone said. “Now, people are coming and saying, ‘I want to hyper-focus on this.’”

Gatorade’s long history around women’s sports — signing U.S. soccer great Mia Hamm as its second athlete (after her fellow North Carolina alum Michael Jordan) — adds significant credibility to the thoughts of Carolyn Braff, PepsiCo VP/Sports & Entertainment, on the relatability and accessibility of female athletes.

“Female athletes tend to bring their full selves to the partnership in a way that male athletes don’t always,” Braff said. “So they want to be shown as multidimensional. They want to show off who they are as a full person on and off the field of play. And that tends to appeal to a broad array of consumers, not just women.”

Data turns into messaging sophistication

The level of data insights around the marketing landscape is monitoring both the success of current campaigns and exposing opportunities for new ones.

Diane Sayler, senior director/Full Funnel Marketing for Mars Snacking, highlighted that as Cheez-It began contemplating its push into basketball by recognizing an opportunity to better reach Gen Z. Hunter Renfro, senior manager/corporate partnerships strategy for the Dallas Cowboys, shared the data measurement conversation around deals now coming way earlier.

“We’re all striving to be that partner that can hit those KPIs that they have set and then, if they do, then that’s going to be great for us as well,” Renfro said. “That’s kind of where we’re headed as brands are getting smarter about this, as teams have added to their insights and strategy verticals on corporate partnerships.”

Shelby Williams, head of integrated sports marketing for AWS, shared that she works alongside a team of data scientists who focus on measuring the success of their sponsorships. Because they gauge the entire life cycle of a deal, its campaigns and activations, it allows for a replication of success across the whole AWS ecosystem.

“We are measuring everything that we’re doing across the marketing funnel, and then we’re really able to move quickly in our business and pour gas on things that are working well, pull back on things that are not working, and just continue that flywheel,” Williams said.

DISCLAIMER: Monumental Sports Network and SBJ are co-producers of a syndicated television show, “SBJ Inside the Industry.”

The crowd from within the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile on Tuesday afternoon made its voice heard upon learning that, somehow, some still had not yet tried the increasingly popular Honey Deuce drink. Still, panelists made up for it by handing out Honey Deuce pins to audience members.

The USTA’s U.S. Open didn’t know it in 2007 when it partnered with Grey Goose that the pair would strike liquid gold, and such a strong crowd reaction, in the form of a fairly simple drink containing vodka, lemonade, raspberry liqueur and a few honeydew melon balls. The cocktail and the event have become synonymous with one another, so much so to the point that it has become a part of the experience.

“If you go to the U.S. Open and you don’t have a Honey Deuce, did you really go to the U.S. Open? The answer is no,” said Deanne Pownall, managing director of corporate partnerships for the USTA.

It’s an overnight success story 19 years in the making, said Grey Goose North America Brand Manager Rasheda Petty. The Honey Deuce’s growth last saw over 700,000 drinks sold in 2025, generating $17 million for the event, a number which has surprised both the USTA and Grey Goose. Standing at a somewhat hefty price tag at $23, the drink’s popularity continues to boom thanks to the growth of social media, support from celebrities like Taylor Swift and the experience of having one while watching a tennis match live remains exclusive to the U.S. Open.

“Once we saw that surge of social media, we really decided to pivot with our strategies,” Petty said. “[We made] sure that the Honey Deuce was a focal point, not just being the exclusive vodka for our spirits partner for the U.S. Open, going beyond that. It really allowed us to focus on the Honey Deuce from a social media aspect, PR, out-of-home, experiential, the full 360 program.”

Though Pownall could not confirm if this year’s event would see a pricing change for the drink, she and Grey Goose still expect to hit over 700,000 sales, especially with the expansion of the U.S. Open to a three-week format.

Attendees were hit with steady surprise-and-delight experiences from a multitude of brands, which either handed out some of their latest products or gave out gifts that were placed under chairs in the conference space.

Following their premium hospitality panel, Marriott VP/Head of Global Sponsorships & Experiences Tonia Constable and AXS/AEG’s Erin Zinser collaborated for a giveaway of a one-night hotel stay, along with show tickets. Marriott also provided many gift cards: one for $500, four for $250 and five for $100.

During Bulls’ Luka Dukich session, Manny Cabrera of streetwear brand Gente Fina gave out one of the designer’s team varsity jackets. A Panini sports trading card was given out by Toyota, which featured Packers QB Jordan Love and Toyotathon branding (similar cards, by the way, have garnered $2,000 bids on eBay). Thirty lucky folks earned Sephora eyeshadow palettes by finding stickers placed on the bottom of seats.

There were also Cheez-Its on every seat ahead of the presentation from Senior Director/Full Funnel Marketing for Mars Snacking Diane Sayler’s presentation on the snack brand’s push into basketball, Happy Meal toys provided by McDonald’s, regular and diet versions of Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut (as well as air fresheners featuring the flavor, uh, we mean scent) and cold Heineken 0.0 nonalcoholic beers on hand for folks to grab.

A constant eye-catcher throughout BIS’s two days was the art of Taylor Gallegos, a painter working on a canvas outside of the venue’s grand ballroom. The piece featured a trio of Chicago sports greats: the Bulls’ Michael Jordan, the Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane and the Bears’ Walter Payton.

Gallegos has been working as a full-time painter/muralist for the last 10 years, and over the last three, business has picked up significantly thanks to sports. His work has also been part of branded efforts, such as a collaboration with Toyota and the Rockies. The car manufacturer is the naming-rights sponsor for the team’s VIP clubhouse, getting Gallegos to paint six large-scale murals and 14 canvases featuring big moments in club history, players on the team and Toyota’s fleet of vehicles.

Rasheda Petty, the brand manager for Grey Goose Vodka and panelist for a discussion on the evolution of the Honey Deuce cocktail, didn’t come alone to Brand Innovation Summit. She brought her mother, Angela Harris, whose first job was at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. Before watching her daughter take the stage, she reminisced with SBJ staff on her days as a personnel assistant from 1978 to 1983.

Regions Bank SVP/Sponsorships & Experiential Marketing Strategy Paul Hodges followed up his Tuesday panel appearance by taking in a White Sox game featuring his favorite team, the visiting Braves. While they lost in extras, he saw an awesome ending: Chicago rookie outfielder Braden Montgomery, making his MLB debut for the club, hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 10th to give the White Sox a 6-5 win.

Erin Zinser (SVP, AXS sponsorship sales & activation, AEG global partnerships, AEG global partnerships) is a huge Marriott Bonvoy fan and shared in detail with her BIS panel in the green room before they went onstage her ability to recall Marriott hotel brands’ custom scents.

Zinser, who is friends with fellow panelist Tonia Constable (Marriott VP and head/global sponsorships & experiences), said “The Edition” is the fan favorite, and she also likes the JW Marriott’s and Ritz-Carlton’s smells. Westin’s “Westin Heavenly Scent” is just that, to Zinser’s nose, and she enjoys all the Autograph Collection Hotels, each which has its own custom scent. Her favorite aroma for an Autograph property is Lido House in Newport Beach, Calif., which has a “magical beach vacation scent.”

Kristyn Cook, State Farm EVP and chief agency, sales & marketing officer, shared a key to her personal routine, where she tries to allow some time for herself before “letting the world come in.” That can range from journaling to fresh air to a short session in her infrared sauna. She also shared a guilty pleasure of reality TV, saying that she’s enjoyed watching “Summer House” and the “Rafa” documentary on Netflix. That latter form of entertainment has inspired one of her latest quips in the office.

“When my teams say, ‘Well, limitations are ... ’ I’m like, ‘Did you know that Rafael Nadal played most of his career on a broken foot?’” Cook deadpanned. “So guys, we can do this.”

Party scene

The highest-attended BIS in SBJ history also featured a large amount of shoulder programming.

Legends Global held a Monday evening happy hour gathering at the Rooftop Lounge of the Godfrey Hotel, where Ryan Sports Development CEO Pat Ryan Jr., Group 1001 Chief of Sponsorship Strategy & Activation Mike Nichols, JMI CEO Erik Judson, and Molson Coors Head of Partnerships/North America Adam Dettman made appearances.

Intersport’s gathering Tuesday evening saw appearances by Unrivaled VP/Partnerships Taylor Lake, Heisman Trophy Trust CEO Jeff Price, Overtime co-founder Zack Weiner, Mastercard VP Michael Paolini, Toyota Motor North America VP/Marketing & Communications Dedra DeLilli, Salesforce Named Account Executive Jacob Ojalvo and Verizon Senior Manager/Partnerships Colleen Kowalczyk.

Publicis Sports hosted a packed reception Tuesday evening at the Miru Sake Room in the St. Regis Hotel. Hosts on hand were Publicis Sports President Jon Tuck and 160over90 EVP/co-Head Justin Zambuto. Guests included the Bears VP/Corporate Partnerships Doug Carnahan, President/Legends Global Partnerships Chris Hibbs, Director/Sponsorship Marketing at Reliant/NRG Energy Katie Register and Constable.

The Heisman’s Price was a shoulder programming MVP, bouncing around the scene and hitting up the Legends, Intersport and Publicis events.

Unrivaled, Sephora and a few others held a watch party for AUSL’s opening day, with the makeup brand’s Nanette Nunu extending an invite to attendees who sat in on her panel closing out Day 1.

Sephora provided gift baskets at that gathering that were so big — both in the amount of offerings and the size of those containers — they far exceeded the amount of liquid allowed by TSA to pack in carry-on luggage. Some attendees opted to ship them home because they were too good to pass up.

SBJ’s Brand Innovation Summit wrapped up Wednesday, and here are the stories that have come out of the event:

• PepsiCo’s Carolyn Braff on women’s sports being a key growth driver
• Why Heineken sees the future of sports marketing in fandom
• Now is the time to invest in women’s sports
• Dr Pepper’s route to reshaping marketing through ‘Fansville’ storytelling
• How tech is reshaping sponsorship strategy
• State Farm’s Kristyn Cook on Jake, Stan and why sports work
• Authenticity makes activations more effective
• How sports CMOs are winning the battle for next-gen fans
• How Toyota took advantage of cultural moment to boost its brand
• Dude Perfect’s Andrew Yaffe believes teams could learn from content creators
• Bank of America looks to take advantage of global FIFA rights
• Sights from Day 2
• Sights from Day 1

SBJ would like to express our sincere gratitude to each of our sponsors, speakers, attendees and other guests for their participation in and support of the Brand Innovation Summit.

SBJ’s Brand Innovation Summit returns to Chicago on June 15-16 in 2027.

With the summit behind us, the countdown begins for our next event: SBJ Thought Leaders and SBJ Thought Leaders Tech, which run July 28-30 at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.

Also: See our event slate for 2026.