Real influence: Cate Campbell meets Hyland Agency
The Brief
Cate Campbell is one of Australia’s top sports stars and most accomplished swimmers - a world record holder, Olympic gold medallist, and Commonwealth gold medallist among many other successes and achievements.
But it is Cate’s attributes outside of sport that separate her from the rest. Women’s Health awarded her Sportswoman of the Year 2018 as well as ‘Comeback of the Year’, calling her “Australia’s most resilient swimmer” after bouncing back from failure at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Cate has also spoken out about body image challenges, overcome a skin cancer scare, taken on keyboard warriors, and pushes for gender equality.
Solution
Cate’s values connected with Hyland, an agency working closely with leading women’s brands like Covergirl, COTY, Rimmel, Bod Australia, and more.
Cate is also studying media and communications, so it gave the sports star an opportunity to make connections for life after sport and understand the world of marketing.
At an informal boardroom event with the Hyland team and key clients, Cate shared her story including humble beginnings growing up in Malawi through to making her first Olympic team as a 16-year-old. She talked about her many successes as well as failures, including the disappointment of Rio Olympics 2016 and what she learned about herself from the experience.
She also answered many burning questions from guests, who wanted to know her high-performance secrets - including her habits and rituals, sources of motivation, balancing training with life, overcoming challenges, and key learnings.
Cate talked about the financial challenges faced by many athletes, which many people are unaware of, as well as her approach to building her personal brand around strong values and the causes she cares most about.
Outcome
Cate had a tremendous impact on the audience. And not just through her inspiring story, insights, and learnings. She prompted conversations and encouraged a broadening in thinking about marketing, particularly how we view ‘influencers’, and the role that athletes play in the community.
Social influencers continue to take an increasing share of marketing spend, particularly for women’s brands and products, but athletes like Cate offer much more than just access to their engaged social media audience - they have the ability to bring true influence through their work as role models and commitment to their values and the community. They bring powerful personal brands, media presence, and stories that connect well beyond the limits of social media.
"Cate is one of the most inspiring people we have had the pleasure to listen to. The resilience and toughness to become the world's best swimmer is incredible. Particularly when the income doesn’t cover the rent! $300 support from sponsors is the difference between paying the rent or not paying the rent! Thank you for sharing your journey with us." - Virginia Hyland, Founder, Hyland
"It was an absolute pleasure having you both join us. It was a privilege to hear Cate speak of her journey to the top. Her will-power and unwavering determination in the face of adversity, coupled with her humble nature, make her a true champion in my eyes. Thank you both for a great afternoon." - Liz Righton, Executive Manager, Hyland
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