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Erica Kerner explains the wind of change that leads her to SailGP

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By Shawn Lim, Reporter, Asia Pacific

February 4, 2022 | 6 min read

Sailing competition league SailGP has appointed Erica Kerner as its new chief marketing and communications officer for its business.

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There is already a great team of talented marketing and communications experts at SailGP

Kerner joins from mixed martial arts organization One Championship, where she was senior vice president, head of marketing strategy and partnerships. She has also previously worked at brands like Tiffany & Co., Adidas, and Nike.

The Drum speaks to Kerner to find out why she has joined SailGP and her plans to market the brand.

Why are you leaving One Championship and why is SailGP your first stop?

It was a very difficult decision to leave Group ONE (ONE Championship, ONE Esports). ONE is on an amazing growth trajectory, just last month, ONE topped Meta/Facebook's chart of over 5000+ sports properties as #1 for organic video views for the full year 2021 - an incredible feat for a 10-year-old company. I learned a lot during my two and a half years there about digital fandom and the changing face of global sports media.

I even had the chance to explore the world of non-scripted reality content which is growing very quickly within the sporting world right now with the popularity of F1’s "Drive to Survive" and the Micheal Jordan “ Last Dance” both on Netflix. One of the last projects I worked on was the launch of "The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” which, as of Feb 1, can now be seen on Netflix in over 150+ countries.

But sometimes in life, an opportunity presents itself that is truly one that checks all the boxes. The role at SailGP brings together all of my experience and all of my passions… its sport, purpose, innovation, adrenaline, and luxury. It is one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the world in only its second season.

SailGP is the sport’s most exciting racing on-water championship – national battles, fierce rivalries, close to shore action with a regular season for fans to truly engage with the sport globally.

The best athletes in the sport race identical hydro foiling F50 catamarans, which fly above the water at speeds approaching 100 km/h. SailGP is also the first climate-positive sports and entertainment property. The league uses its global platform to champion a better world powered by nature, with a focus on accelerating a transition to clean energy. As a marketer who believes in the power of sport for good - this is truly a dream job.

What kind of perspectives will you bring to SailGP from your previous experiences at brands and agencies?

Marketing is about the power of storytelling and I have been privileged to have the opportunity to work for brands like Nike, Adidas, Tiffany, and Ralph Lauren who are some of the world’s top marketing and storytelling companies. I hope to bring that experience with me as there is so much to talk about at SailGP…the high-tech, high-speed action…the world’s best sailing athletes…the purpose-led Race for the Future agenda…and much more.

I also bring a background having worked as a brand partner to some of the world’s largest events like the Olympic Games and World Cup, but also as a Right’s Holder. Being able to see both sides will help in developing campaigns for both the SailGP brand and with our partner family to assure commercial success and growth of our fanbase.

As the global chief marketing officer for SailGP, what will be your key messages when marketing the brand? Who are your audiences?

It’s rare in this industry to be able to come into a global sports property at this early stage and be able to be a part of building the foundation and a new fandom. Season 2 will culminate with the grand final at the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix in San Francisco, March 26-27, and then Season 3 will begin in May in Bermuda.

There is already a great team of talented marketing and communications experts at SailGP but as we grow so quickly with new event countries and new national teams joining the league there are new opportunities for us to introduce this exciting, adrenaline-packed sport to a whole new audience all around the world through digitally-led, fan-focused campaigns and activations.

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a priority for many brands. As a brand with close roots in the oceans, how do you plan to be at forefront of championing ESG values?

As the first climate-positive sports and entertainment property, SailGP will continue to push boundaries in the global event industry and its Race for the Future. From its inception in 2019, SailGP has been measuring, reducing, and contributing its entire carbon footprint and has set an ambitious target of 55 percent reduction of its carbon footprint – based on science – by 2025, as well as committing to being fully powered by nature by 2025 onshore and on the water.

In Season 3, all of the host cities where we race will share SailGP’s commitment to climate action and a cleaner future. Every host city will sign the league’s Climate Action Charter – working alongside CDP – and commit to local impact projects focusing on clean energy impact and wider ocean conservation.

It’s not just about the race on the water, SailGP is also racing for purpose and impact off it. Through the innovative Impact League - a world-first, integrated initiative to make sustainability essential to the fabric of the sport and accelerate the transition to clean energy - every SailGP team is tracked, scored, and rewarded for the positive decisions and actions it takes to reduce its overall carbon footprint, helping to contribute to a better planet.

The result is two leaderboards, two podiums, and two champions at the end of the season: one for sports performance; one for the planet.

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