WEST CHESTER, Ohio — Nine local college athletes now have a deal with West Chester company Totes Isotoner to promote their new recovery shoes, Zenz.
"When you're moving off the field, you want some type of recovery for your feet. That's really what Zenz is designed to do," said Kevin Crociata, senior vice president and general manager of Isotoner.
The campaign features men and women from six different sports — basketball, volleyball, baseball, track and field, football and soccer.
It's been just a little over a year since the NCAA announced that it would allow college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.
University of Cincinnati volleyball player Emme Madden said the new rules help college athletes have more clarity about what they can and cannot do when it comes to brand deals.
"I think that a lot of us were on our tippy toes," Madden said. "We didn’t know what we could post, what we couldn't, who we could support."
Madden said she always hoped to have a brand deal one day, but never thought she could do it as early as in college.
"It came so much quicker than I ever could've imagined,” Madden said. “I’m able to be the person little girls look up to, instead of me looking up to them. It’s honestly just like an amazing experience.”
It's also helping local businesses like Totes Isotoner, who are able to partner with popular athletes.
"It's off to a great start, they're already successful,” said Kash Shaikh, founder and CEO of BSB Sports, a marketing and management agency helping athletes. “They've already gained new awareness within the demographic they're trying to reach."
It's helping the company connect with a younger, more active consumer group.
"This is really athletes talking about a cool new product they found out about," said Crociata. "That authentic content they're creating is driving a lot of the engagement with the product and ultimately with our brand."
READ MORE
Ohio schools reject NIL proposal that would have allowed endorsement deals for student-athletes
University of Cincinnati Bearcats ranked in the preseason Top 25
'A lot of motivation, a lot of pride' in the academic success of UC athletic department
