Blacksburg, one of the best college towns in America, has unique opportunities for student-athletes who have the opportunity to become local heroes in the community while also competing on a national stage with a household brand behind them. As a result, there are unique opportunities which Hokie student-athletes will become the beneficiaries of.
Branding opportunities for Hokie student-athletes will be supported and bolstered through incredible national partnerships with media entities including ESPN, ABC, and the ACC Network. Additionally, over 250,000 living alumni create a multitude of opportunities for business ventures within the Hokie community across the world. Through the world renowned Pamplin School of Business, student-athletes can participate in classes to learn about personal branding, monetization of content, career planning, and entrepreneurship, all taught by titans of industry.
As the JumpStart program helps student-athletes leverage their reach, influence, and personal brands, INFLCR’s digital platform will play a critical role by offering education, social media metrics, market valuations, and other important elements for growing personal brands.
JumpStart will enable Hokie student-athletes to measure, evaluate, and analyze data related to their own brand. Moreover, they will continue to access videos, photos, and graphics provided by Virginia Tech’s Brand Advancement department to communicate their story and success through their own social media channels, as has been the case for the last few years. Hokie student-athletes will succeed in this era with the help of branding presentations and consistent coaching in this space. As an example, Christian Darrisaw, recent Hokies Football Student-Athlete and 2021 First Round NFL Draft pick, grew his Instagram follower count by over 30% in one year. As a team per individual accounts, the Hokies Football team was provided over 7,000 pieces of content and witnessed nearly 1m impressions.
