Tom Fletcher’s Post

"Hey Barbie! You can't be what you can't see." This most recent release of 'role models' by Barbie is incredible. As part of the brand's continued celebration of Barbie's 65th anniversary, a total of nine international female athletes were honoured with a doll in their image including Matildas star, Mary Fowler, tennis player Venus Williams, French boxer Estelle Mossely, Canadian goalscorer Christine Sinclair, and Polish sprinter Ewa Swoboda. What is so great about Mattel, Inc. is that their contribution goes beyond creating dolls that empower and encourage young girls to pursue their dreams in sports. It goes beyond consumer-facing initiatives and it shows their true commitment to their mission. As part of this new release, Barbie confirmed they are extending their partnership with VOICEINSPORT, a global digital platform that connects and inspires girls and women in sports through mentorship, educational content, and expert services, to help support and empower the next generation of women leaders in sports to thrive.  In a world where every brand is trying to define its impact, and with so much virtue signaling coming from every corner, it's fantastic to see big players like Mattel finding ways to contribute to social issues in a positive way. The full media release goes into details about the partnership with VOICEINSPORT, its impact and vision. #womeninsports #genderequality #barbierolemodels #barbie #marketing #partnerships #branding

In celebration of Barbie’s 65th anniversary, Mattel, Inc. honour nine female athletes with one-of-a-kind role model dolls made in their likeness to encourage young girls to stay in sports and recognise their full potential. We've discussed before how significant the correlation between female leadership and sports is - 80% of female Fortune 500 executives played competitive sports growing up, after all. Mattel dedicates this decision to "knowing that girls involved in team sports are more likely to believe they are smart enough for their dream career, have high opinions on their abilities and competencies, increased leadership aspirations and enjoy higher levels of self-confidence" Read the full article below⬇️

9️⃣2️⃣ Days to Go! Last week, we shared the leadership role Pierre de Coubertin had in bringing the first edition of the modern Olympic Games to life, as well as his negative role in excluding women from the Games and professional sports. During the history of the Games, many inspiring women and allies have been fighting for gender equity in sports. Allyson Felix is one of them. This American hero is simply the most decorated track and field athlete in the history of the Olympic Games. She won 11 medals – 7 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze. If reaching those heights was not enough of a leadership accomplishment, she has also helped to push important social issues forward. In 2019, she wrote an op-ed for the New York Times exposing that her sponsor, Nike, was not guaranteeing salary protection for female athletes during the first months after pregnancy. The article strengthened previous claims from other athletes and led to a change in Nike’s maternal policy. She was also an open advocate against the inequitable maternity care of black women in the United States, which was triggered by the challenging experience of the premature birth of her daughter due to pre-eclampsia. If Pierre de Coubertin helped to actualise the ancient version of the Games, women like Allyson Felix are helping to actualise its modern culture, so we can truly celebrate athletes going faster, higher, stronger – together. #100DaysofSummer #LegacyGroupe #Sport #Leadership #OlympicGames

Breaking Barriers: Cynt Marshall Makes History as First Black Woman CEO of NBA Team, Paving the Way for Inclusion in Sports #communityrelationships #CyntMarshall #diversityandinclusion #fanengagement #gamedayexperience #inclusivityinsports. #NBAteamCEO #professionalsportsdiversity #representationinleadership #womeninleadership #womenofcolorinsports

Breaking Barriers: Cynt Marshall Makes History as First Black Woman CEO of NBA Team, Paving the Way for Inclusion in Sports #communityrelationships #CyntMarshall #diversityandinclusion #fanengagement #gamedayexperience #inclusivityinsports. #NBAteamCEO #professionalsportsdiversity #representationinleadership #womeninleadership #womenofcolorinsports

Caitlin Clark's Success Highlights Racial Disparities in Women's Basketball It’s sad that it took Caitlin Clark, a white woman, for the public to become interested in women’s basketball. The sport has had hundreds of Black women who are better players than her, but she gets all the endorsements and publicity. In 2024, it's disappointing to see these disparities persist. Women’s sports in general have historically been undercovered and underpromoted compared to men’s sports, regardless of the race of the athletes involved. However, there is a valid criticism that Clark, as a white woman, has been able to capitalize on endorsement opportunities and media attention in a way that many excellent Black players before her could not. Even in 2023, research showed Black WNBA award winners received only half the coverage as white athletes. Clark's success has brought unprecedented levels of viewership, media coverage, and revenue to women’s college basketball as a whole. This increased spotlight could benefit all players, including Black athletes, but the lack of media coverage for Black women athletes is a systemic issue that goes beyond just Clark. The rise of players like Clark capitalizing on NIL rules is still a very new phenomenon, and it remains to be seen if increased exposure through stars like her can help address long-standing inequities in media coverage and marketing opportunities for Black women athletes. It’s hard being Black in the United States. It takes ten times the effort to excel, to stand out, and to be accepted, and this is not going to change anytime soon. Black players like Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson actually rank ahead of Clark in projected NIL valuations for women’s basketball, yet their stories don't receive the same level of attention. While Clark has been very successful with NIL deals, these disparities highlight the ongoing challenges faced by Black athletes. In summary, while Clark’s success has elevated the sport, it underscores the racial disparities that persist. The struggle for equality in recognition and opportunity in women’s basketball, and beyond, continues. #WomenInSports #RacialDisparities #EqualityInSports #CaitlinClark #BlackAthletes #NILDeals

An eye-opening read on the challenges of fostering true diversity and inclusion in the corporate world, this article sheds light on the experiences of Black employees at Lululemon. It reveals a concerning pattern of racial discrimination and barriers to career advancement, despite the company's efforts to promote inclusivity. This piece not only highlights the specific issues at Lululemon but also underscores the broader complexities and necessities in effectively implementing DEI initiatives in any organization. A must-read for anyone committed to understanding and improving workplace culture. #DiversityAndInclusion #CorporateCulture #Lululemon

In the journey towards a more inclusive world, media has played a pivotal role in spreading awareness and sparking conversations. We showcase 5 commercials that have transcended their marketing purposes, leaving an indelible mark on society's perception of racial disparities. ✊ National Basketball Association (NBA) ➡️ The Truth is #BlackLivesMatter ✊ Procter & Gamble ➡️ The Talk ✊ YouTube ➡️ Bear Witness, Take Action ✊ The Walt Disney Company ➡️ Speaking Up Because Black Lives Matter ✊ Nike ➡️ For Once, Just Don’t Do It These ads not only shed light on the challenges we face but also inspire us to be part of the solution. #racialequality #videomarketing #ClickInsights https://ow.ly/vsBw50PEMbg

Sharing this post and video ICYMI with an overdue #TBT S/O to friends at Nike social and community impact. I caught up with one of them on a Zoom call just the other day and two things worth sharing: 1. They publicly released an open-source playbook with FREE insights on how they approach moving the world forward through the power of sports. This is huge. If you do any work in this space and haven't downloaded it yet, I'm not sure what you're waiting on. It's 10 pages of brilliant info that is meant to be a resource for other funders seeking to invest in and build more inclusive communities because the reality is none of us can do this work alone. 2. Something said to me that I think gets overlooked is the importance of "keeping your north star sharp". A lot of orgs can get what I call "bright shiny object syndrome" and divert their focus and attention to too many initiatives that end up watering down the ability to reach long-term goals. In addition to the aforementioned guide, also worth checking out Nike's recently released FY'23 Impact Report, where they keep accountable on their path to multi-year #socialimpact targets. These reports take a phenomenal amount of work to put together and can often go under appreciated but I'm telling you, again, a gold mine of info. Worth learning from some of the best in the biz - both the playbook and the impact report are linked in the comments below. #sportsbiz #socialimpact #grantmaking #bestpractices #Nike #justdoit 

For #Juneteenth, I want to have a tough discussion around the media coverage of Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark. Why? For over a century, the media has reinforced certain tropes that perpetuate the stereotypes of Black women’s adultification and dehumanization. DISCLAIMER***This conversation is not meant to be divisive, but an attempt to share the "why" behind common tropes and stereotypes that feed into present-day media and our unconscious bias. As a person working in sports marketing and media, I feel a responsibility to elevate our conversations about Women's sports and the intersectionalities at play . #SportsMarketing #CaitlinClark #AngelReese #SportsBiz