Sports merchandisers design, market and sell licensed apparel to fans of pro and college teams.
Sports merchandising brings in big bucks for professional and college teams through the sale of jerseys, T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts and other apparel. Teams grant licensing rights to companies to reproduce logos on a wide variety of products. It takes many talented designers and marketing professionals to develop a merchandising concept. People with a love of sports and a flair for promotions can forge a good career in sports merchandising. Sports merchandising jobs can pay anywhere from minimum wage for retail sales jobs to six figures for marketing executive positions.
Brand Apparel and Merchandise Development
Combine a love of sports teams, marketing and design in a job as a merchandise developer for a branding company. Major League Baseball, the National Football League and other pro sports organizations are constantly in need of new apparel and related items geared to loyal fans. As a merchandise developer, you’ll design jerseys, shoes, hats and other products emblazoned with a team’s logo. You’ll work with representatives from the team to ensure that the merchandise meets their specifications. A sports merchandise developer implements sales plans, promotional signs and advertising campaigns for the goods.They deal with online and retail outlets, provide warehousing and fulfill orders for the team's merchandise. You may be involved in one or more of these aspects, depending on your job title and the size of the company.
Retail Sales
Discount and sporting goods stores often dedicate departments to official pro or college sports merchandise. These stores, along with shops that feature only team apparel, provide a great opportunity for entry-level work in sports merchandising. A retail employee deals with every link in the sports merchandise chain: manufacturers, wholesalers and customers. This gives the salesperson insight into the entire process, and can be good preparation for a career as a store manager or merchandise designer.
Equipment and Apparel Sales Reps
Sports merchandise isn’t limited to licensed sports apparel. A merchandising rep can work for a manufacturer of sports equipment, selling baseball bats, skis, football uniforms and other gear sold at sporting goods stores. A rep with experience in high volume sales can sell equipment to high school, college or pro teams. A job with an apparel or sporting goods manufacturer requires excellent people skills and the ability to travel.
Marketing and Promotions for Sports Teams
Marketing directors for pro and college sports teams consider licensing requests from manufacturers and develop merchandising strategies to help promote the franchise. Marketing directors keep tabs on the pulse of the team’s fans to gauge what items will resonate with the most people. They work with branding companies and apparel manufacturers to ensure good quality products represent the team. Marketing reps may also consult with the team’s lawyers to protect the organization from counterfeit products.
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