Marketing in Motion: Exploring Sports Marketing and Innovation with New Balance
On April 13th, the Harvard Undergraduate Sports Lab took a trip to The Auerbach Center at Boston Landing to see the massive New Balance Headquarters. HUSL members got to tour the Sports Research Lab, see the brand new TRACK at New Balance, participate in a town hall with executives, and shop at the New Balance Flagship Store.
As the buses pulled up, club members were greeted by Joseph VanBuskirk, Head of Partnerships and Athlete Experience at New Balance and Cameron VanBuskirk, Marketing Coordinator at New Balance. They walked the HUSL group through the TRACK which had been converted into several basketball courts. The VanBuskirk’s explained that the TRACK was open to the public for people to come and play. They also spoke of some of the events that had taken place there such as the Boston College Eagle Elite Invitational, which the Harvard Track and Field Team had competed in. After members had an opportunity to explore and ask questions, the HUSL group was led into the Sports Research Lab.
In the Lab, HUSL members had the opportunity to explore all aspects of the research, design, and advertising process. The experience began at the basketball court and astroturf in the center of the lab, in which movements could be monitored and studied by New Balance technology. Students were then given the freedom to speak to New Balance experts in five different rooms. In the first room, researchers could fully control temperature and humidity in order to simulate conditions in all different locations: from the top of a mountain in Colorado to a beach in Australia. This room featured a mannequin that could sweat like a real person, allowing New Balance to understand how different clothes would work on a real human being. The next station, the athlete insights room, showed the group how New Balance is able to track athletes’ movements in the lab and how they use that data in crafting products. The third room had a treadmill hooked up to monitors that allowed New Balance to assess different metrics and make sure their products are working perfectly. Then, HUSL members were able to experience the Smash Lab, where they saw all the parts of the physical design process. The Smash Lab has a special machine that repeatedly presses on the soles of shoes as well as other methods to test the durability of New Balance products. Lastly, students had the opportunity to go to the athlete partnership and sports marketing room that displayed signature collections with athletes like NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard and Tennis superstar Coco Gauff. Members heard about and asked questions about how to advertise and partner with athletes of all sports effectively.
After experiencing the Sports Research Lab, members headed to another state-of-the-art basketball court where Chris Davis, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Merchandising, welcomed the group. He spoke about his role, the marketing strategy of the company, the importance of the space, and also answered questions from the HUSL group.
After this introduction, Tai Tatum ‘24, co-founder of HUSL, led a town hall with five esteemed panelists: Head of Partnerships & Athlete Experience, Joe VanBuskirk; Senior Director of Global Marketing, Kevin Fitzpatrick; Head of Global Sports Marketing for Basketball, Naveen Lokesh; Head of Global Sports Marketing for Football, Andrew McGarty; and Director of Global Philanthropy, Megan Bloch. These panelists were able to give insights about their company mission, their global marketing strategies, which athlete partnerships to pursue, their philanthropic efforts, and the importance of working with the community.
At the end, the panelists engaged in a stimulating q&a session with HUSL members, covering everything from how they choose which athletes fit the New Balance brand to what it is like to work with the Celtics, Bruins, and various colleges. The panelists even stayed after to speak individually with HUSL members and provide them with contact information, urging them to reach out and continue the relationships formed.
After learning all about the company, members were given full access to the beautiful New Balance Flagship Store where they were given a discount to buy shoes, jerseys, and all the other products they had just learned about. Reflecting about her experience on the trip, Dylan Goodman ‘25, commented, “the opportunity to learn more about New Balance and the sports industry as a whole through HUSL was unparalleled. I enjoyed the direct insight that the group gained through the panels, tours, and discussion that transpired throughout the event.”
Ayah Al-Zubi (AB ‘23) and Tai Tatum (AB ‘24) co-founded HUSL together in 2022 with the objective of showing the community the power and possibility in sports. The founders are committed to creating a long lasting impact at Harvard and beyond in the field of sports.
Learn more about the Harvard University Sports Lab Here or email harvardsportslab@gmail.com. Photography by Dylan Goodman.
