“There is opportunity for an authentic way in for so many brands who are really deeply understanding their audience and their customer and showing up where they are, which is at our run club,” Starr explained.

How storytelling goes beyond a moment

Baker Machado, host, producer, and moderator at Front Office Sports, shared how brands that partner with athletes and celebrities can outlast a moment by telling a story.

Machado mentioned NFL quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s partnership with LinkedIn as a “perfect example.” Throughout his NCAA championship season at Indiana University, Mendoza built a presence on the social networking platform that culminated on the night of the NFL Draft.

“In that period when he gets drafted by the Raiders at No. 1, he’s this LinkedIn spokesperson, and we’re all waiting for him to update his LinkedIn status to being selected as the No. 1 pick,” Machado said.

However, Machado cautioned that the story being told must be authentic, as Mendoza was with LinkedIn. “If the person who’s trying to sell me this product doesn’t love the product, I’m not going to love the product,” he concluded.