Ep 30 Ricardo Fort - A Bridge to Brand Relevance.

The Marketing Marriage

Sport and entertainment are a few of the most powerful tools left in the marketing arsenal that have the ability to make people stop what they’re doing and care about your brand. Needless to say, they’re also some of the coolest areas in which marketers dream to work. According to Ricardo Fort, they represent a bridge and a shorcut to brand relevance in people’s lives. Ricardo has been fortunate to experience the most epic moments in the World Cup, the Olympic Games, and the Super Bowl as part of his job description. A list that could make not only the IT guy who inquired about too many soccer match files on his work computer but also a wider audience jealous of him calling it work.

Ricardo is one of the most respected names in the global sponsorship business. As the only executive to lead the Global Sponsorship Departments of two FIFA and IOC sponsors - Visa and Coca-Cola – he successfully negotiated over a billion dollars worth of sponsorships. We had the privilege to chat with him about:

• His personal journey from an an engineering background to the alluring discipline of sports marketing.
• The power of sports and entertainment.
• His favorite project with the soccer legend Pelé. - His take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to the Middle East.
• Sometimes publicly divided opinion on companies like Coca Cola.
• Peaks and valleys of leadership in large corporations.

After working with the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, UEFA, the Special Olympics, athletes, McLaren F1 team, Ricardo launched his own company Sport by Fort Consulting. He helps sponsors, leagues, investors, and athletes successfully invest in sports and counts Olympic sponsors, sports-tech startups, Federations, and clubs. among his clients.