The content-sphere is moving so rapidly, how can we evaluate the state of our sport? Let's attempt to make sense of it and leave with some actionable advice.
Great writing and enjoyed reading this. I’ve watched this evolve on social media over the past 4/5 years. It can often feel like people are baying for the blood of influencers which always seems strange to me. We pit athletes / influencers against one another like they’re different. Who gets to draw the line that distinguishes an athlete from an influencer? Is the milkman different to the nurse? When you boil it down enough, not really… It’s my understanding that we’re all human beings who happen to be doing their best with what we have. Contrary to popular belief, you could stumble upon an influencer who is a better coach and more knowledgeable than an athlete - being good at something doesn’t make you a great coach. Let’s just enjoy the sport for what it is and explore the opportunities we are given. Love everything x
As a running influencer who started 10+ years ago in the days of a thing called "blogging" - I've seen so many changes in how brands work with influencers. I think you make a great point about professional athletes. They should be able to focus on their sport and not obligated to make content (if they don't want to). ❤️ Also, I appreciate that social media gives us the opportunity to connect with all different types of runners and influencers. I hope it makes people feel more welcome.
This was such a great read. I have been having bf similar thoughts and conversations with close ones around this exact topic and the over saturation of influencer marketing. Really well written!
I think the strategy of brands using influencers to highlight their athletes is the easiest to pull off and simply not used enough. The times I have worked with the professional athletes they are more than willing and often relieved they don’t have to do all the post production work, because that’s my job, and theirs is to run fast. The more crossover the better. For all parties involved.
I think the influencer market is simply in a state of flux, as it has been for the entirety of its hideously unregulated existence, and it's going to naturally move to the place it needs to go, and it'll serve a good purpose there as well. No bubbles! I say this as someone who loves influencers and has zero desire to be one, even though it would help a lot more people read my work.
Though, I don't feel like the headline and the article align. The case being made seems to be that the bubble has far from burst, it only continues to grow as brands get more value out of a random dude who knows little about the sport than a young man who can run 13:34 for 5k.
I may be in a bit of a nihilist moment, but I generally think if people are going to get their running tips from reels made by influencers then they get what they pay for. It's often bad advice, but rarely as dangerous as say, anti-vaccine conspiracies.
I was eager to read the article because I'm excited for when the bubble bursts. For when runners see that the loudest person in the room rarely has the best knowledge or teaching methods. But also, in individual sports athletes need to do more than just show up, run, and go home. So it feels like both sides need to do better.
I can see what you are saying about the headline not aligning with the article. The bubble has burst on the pro athlete side. People are finally talking about it and athletes are pushing back. This is how all my conversations have gone with professional athletes as I discuss renewal and contract deliverables. The Matt Choi incident was also a defining moment, as every mainstream news outlet was spinning the article. So while the bubble as a whole hasn't quite burst, some small ones are popping here and there. A year from now, I'm sure the landscape will look even more different.
Ohh, gotcha, yes it certainly feels like a moment, and end of the calendar year in an Olympic cycle is a particularly poingnant moment to discuss what brands are looking for from their pro runners.
Fascinating read! I hope that as more people become interested in running (by way of influencers), some of them will stick with it long enough to become fans of the sport. My goal with The Ultra Minute is to create more passionate fans of ultrarunning, so this post has me thinking about what else I can do to be more effective.
This was a great read and feels so timely as the influencers descend on TRE! It’s been said before but I don’t think the “content creator” personality and top running performance tend to go hand in hand (Allie O being a rare outlier) - it’s incumbent on brands to help pros share their stories in ways that feel authentic. I’d love to see some pro runners on Substack - feels like a great medium for some of the nerdy ones vs say, a TikTok dance.
Thanks Lee! Glad you enjoyed the read. Phily Bowden is another one of those outliers. Hard to come by, so it's really up to brands to do that work IMO!
Great writing and enjoyed reading this. I’ve watched this evolve on social media over the past 4/5 years. It can often feel like people are baying for the blood of influencers which always seems strange to me. We pit athletes / influencers against one another like they’re different. Who gets to draw the line that distinguishes an athlete from an influencer? Is the milkman different to the nurse? When you boil it down enough, not really… It’s my understanding that we’re all human beings who happen to be doing their best with what we have. Contrary to popular belief, you could stumble upon an influencer who is a better coach and more knowledgeable than an athlete - being good at something doesn’t make you a great coach. Let’s just enjoy the sport for what it is and explore the opportunities we are given. Love everything x
As a running influencer who started 10+ years ago in the days of a thing called "blogging" - I've seen so many changes in how brands work with influencers. I think you make a great point about professional athletes. They should be able to focus on their sport and not obligated to make content (if they don't want to). ❤️ Also, I appreciate that social media gives us the opportunity to connect with all different types of runners and influencers. I hope it makes people feel more welcome.
This was such a great read. I have been having bf similar thoughts and conversations with close ones around this exact topic and the over saturation of influencer marketing. Really well written!
I think the strategy of brands using influencers to highlight their athletes is the easiest to pull off and simply not used enough. The times I have worked with the professional athletes they are more than willing and often relieved they don’t have to do all the post production work, because that’s my job, and theirs is to run fast. The more crossover the better. For all parties involved.
This is a great suggestion and an easy win for both sides.
I think the influencer market is simply in a state of flux, as it has been for the entirety of its hideously unregulated existence, and it's going to naturally move to the place it needs to go, and it'll serve a good purpose there as well. No bubbles! I say this as someone who loves influencers and has zero desire to be one, even though it would help a lot more people read my work.
Thanks for this!
Though, I don't feel like the headline and the article align. The case being made seems to be that the bubble has far from burst, it only continues to grow as brands get more value out of a random dude who knows little about the sport than a young man who can run 13:34 for 5k.
I may be in a bit of a nihilist moment, but I generally think if people are going to get their running tips from reels made by influencers then they get what they pay for. It's often bad advice, but rarely as dangerous as say, anti-vaccine conspiracies.
I was eager to read the article because I'm excited for when the bubble bursts. For when runners see that the loudest person in the room rarely has the best knowledge or teaching methods. But also, in individual sports athletes need to do more than just show up, run, and go home. So it feels like both sides need to do better.
I can see what you are saying about the headline not aligning with the article. The bubble has burst on the pro athlete side. People are finally talking about it and athletes are pushing back. This is how all my conversations have gone with professional athletes as I discuss renewal and contract deliverables. The Matt Choi incident was also a defining moment, as every mainstream news outlet was spinning the article. So while the bubble as a whole hasn't quite burst, some small ones are popping here and there. A year from now, I'm sure the landscape will look even more different.
Ohh, gotcha, yes it certainly feels like a moment, and end of the calendar year in an Olympic cycle is a particularly poingnant moment to discuss what brands are looking for from their pro runners.
Great discussion, thanks for bringing it up.
Fascinating read! I hope that as more people become interested in running (by way of influencers), some of them will stick with it long enough to become fans of the sport. My goal with The Ultra Minute is to create more passionate fans of ultrarunning, so this post has me thinking about what else I can do to be more effective.
This was a great read and feels so timely as the influencers descend on TRE! It’s been said before but I don’t think the “content creator” personality and top running performance tend to go hand in hand (Allie O being a rare outlier) - it’s incumbent on brands to help pros share their stories in ways that feel authentic. I’d love to see some pro runners on Substack - feels like a great medium for some of the nerdy ones vs say, a TikTok dance.
Thanks Lee! Glad you enjoyed the read. Phily Bowden is another one of those outliers. Hard to come by, so it's really up to brands to do that work IMO!
Yes! Philly is really good. They’re unicorns.
Yes, yes, yes to more pro runners on Substack! Every time I come across one I jump with joy a bit.