Following her sensational US Open win, speculation is rife as to what it means for her commercially so caytoo takes an alternative look at brands that would fit well in the Emma Raducanu sponsorship portfolio

She’ll certainly have her pick among the brands queueing up to sign her and with the IMG guru who helped another young tennis superstar (*answer at bottom of page) to become Forbes’ top-paid female athlete for 11 straight years, they certainly won’t need any help from us. However, if they did, here’s how we might go about it…

Laying out the court

The basis of our brand research is authenticity. This is becoming more important in sponsorship and marketing with the rise of social media and influencers, so does the brand relate to her or her lifestyle in some way? (Nothing at all against fellow young superstar Naomi Osaka but we’re not sure she screams financial and HR management software to the everyday person.**)

We acknowledge our brands are smaller than those she’ll be able to attract but its more interesting to look outside the usual suspects (sorry Rolex, Visa, Sony et al). Additionally, some experts have advised that Raducanu dips her toe into the sponsorship world gradually rather than jumping into huge long-term global deals which could disrupt the progress of her early playing career.

Another advantage is that smaller/emerging brands would be more likely to provide an equity stake that could end up being more lucrative; Osaka has such deals with BodyArmor, Hyperice and Muzik alongside traditional deals with the likes of Nissan, Mastercard and Google.

So this is the criteria against which we researched good fit brand matches for Raducanu:

• Authenticity: does the product relate to her and/or her lifestyle?
• DNA: does the brand have characteristics which match hers?
• Footprint: is the brand global, particularly being available in the UK, Canada, Romania and China? (reflecting the four locations on her Instagram bio)
• Revenue: how likely could they afford her without giving away equity?
• Timing: is there something going on in their world that she’s relevant in addressing?

Serving up the brands

Duolingo (fit score 95%)

Much has been made of Raducanu’s bilingual capabilities, delivering a message in Mandarin to her Chinese-speaking fans after her win so a language-learning platform is a natural part of any Emma Raducanu sponsorship portfolio. Duolingo is particularly relevant, being all about making its content fun and effective. Available globally the brand talks about “progressing quickly”, “staying motivated, “learning anytime, anywhere,” “quick, bite-sized lessons” – all relevant to her career. The theme of “access to a private tutor experience” also reflects her successful A-Level studies.

The firm was recently listed on the Nasdaq and is on a publicity charge having hired a PR agency to  deliver press relations, a social media programme and creative campaigns. Crucially, Duolingo is also in the process of adding a Cantonese course for Mandarin speakers.

Ben & Jerry’s (fit score 90%)

On winning the title, Raducanu revealed she’ll be celebrating by eating chocolate-flavoured frozen yoghurt with brownies. Like Raducanu, Ben & Jerry’s is a global, fun and natural brand who happens to produce a “Chocolate Frozen Yogurt mixed with Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Fudge Brownies” which she’d no doubt love.

This summer the brand also launched a “Totally Unbaked” product – a mixture of chocolate and vanilla ice cream that prominently features two unbaked components: chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter swirls – and a new vegan Salted Caramel Brownie ice cream. We’re sure these would also probably go down quite well with her. Food for thought…

Azimo (fit score 85%)

The “global money transfer service for hard-working people” is a clear fit with Raducanu following her increased wealth and family heritage spanning four countries. It’s a fun, relatable brand like her (after all, for the post-win trophy photoshoot she offset the shimmering black strapless mini dress with a pair of Nike Air Force 1’s) and speaks to ‘international’ and ‘fast’ which are also a fit.

Crucially, the brand has recently launched in Canada, allowing residents to send money to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide including China and the Philippines, which together represent almost 35% of money transfers from Canada.

City Experiences (fit score 80%)

Raducanu’s Instagram profile shows she’s a keen tourist, posting videos from cities in which she’s playing from Felixstowe to New York so a city-travel related brand is a natural fit.

One such brand is City Experiences which earlier this year became the new overarching brand name  for the Hornblower Group. The group created the new brand under which to consolidate its 25+ city-based travel and sightseeing offerings into three distinct offerings – City Cruises, City Ferry and City Experiences. The firm operates in 111 countries and is particularly focused on the UK, Canada and the US.

quip (fit score 75%)

After breaking onto the scene at this year’s Wimbledon, Raducanu’s winning smile was said to be worth at least £3 million (according to  the Brand Council consultancy’s Marcel Knobil) and what a smile it is. So an Emma Raducanu sponsorship portfolio wouldn’t be complete without a dental related partnership.

Although there are dozens to choose from we’ve gone with quip – a bright, healthy, fun, relatable, family brand like Raducanu. More importantly, they’ve just raised $100 million in growth funding. One of the firm’s key areas of strategic focus is “Global Expansion”: with members in over 100 countries, quip plans to meet international demand for its products by launching international ecommerce and brick and mortar channels.

A partnership with Raducanu could help accelerate quip’s expansion and is one of the brands where an equity stake would seem to be most realistic perhaps along with Azimo.

Ola (fit score 75%)

As a child, Raducanu participated in Motocross and reports say she’s looking to do her motorbike test so this fondness with two wheels naturally points to a motorcycle brand partnership.

Interest in electric motorcycles has seen skyrocketing lately particularly among young riders which reflects the concern that many young people have about climate change. So, as part of Generation Z herself and likely to be a huge influencer, an electric brand is the way to go.

One such brand could be Ola. The ride hailing app says it’s also the first mobility company globally to manufacture electric mopeds. These have just gone on sale in India with plans for launches in Europe and Australasia before the end of the year and the US early next year. No doubt the in-built digital voice assistant and music speaker system will also appeal heavily to Gen Z.

In a very relevant major new twist, the company’s owner has announced that all the scooters will be built entirely by women.

So, there you have our take on what a truly authentic Emma Raducanu sponsorship portfolio might look like and if you’re a rights holder organisation on the hunt for attracting sponsors and need a little bit more help than she’s likely to need then just check out our Custom Reports solution.

*Maria Sharapova
** Sponsored by Workday