A Brand-Led Approach to Women's Sports Media

A comprehensive brand strategy transformed the approach to women's sports media coverage by addressing the market gap in authentic storytelling and fan engagement. The initiative centered on three core pillars—Content, Connection, and Community (3 Cs)—to create meaningful relationships between athletes and their audience.

Problem/Opportunity: The women's sports media landscape lacks authentic storytelling and deep fan engagement. How might we create a distinctive brand that resonates with fluid fans while building meaningful connections between athletes and their community?

Why Rebranding?

  • Build consistency across platforms as we gain momentum in the growing women's sports market

  • Create modern, purposeful branding that resonates with younger generations who value authentic content

  • Leverage March Madness timing to amplify brand launch and athlete-centered storytelling

  • Establish a bold, energetic visual identity that matches our mission to elevate women's college sports

Impact & Revenue Streams:

  • Multiple revenue channels: subscriptions, sponsorships, merchandise, and live events

  • Strategic partnerships validate brand value

  • Community engagement through watch parties attracted up to 500 fans

  • 12% average monthly subscriber growth over 6 months

  • Social media success with 17.3k accounts reached and a 44% click-through rate

Role: Brand and UX Designer/Advisor (work with founders and all founding members)

Visual Foundation

As the founding designer, I developed 5wins' visual identity from scratch, breaking traditional sports media conventions with a bold, modern aesthetic. I created a comprehensive brand style guide and product design system that combines vibrant colors (pink-red, orange, and gold) with sharp geometric patterns and fluid curves, appealing to younger audiences. Photography and video content feature high-contrast, authentic treatments that create engaging social media content. The consistent visual language I established - from typography to motion design – makes a distinctive brand presence across all platforms, driving strong engagement with fluid sports fans.

Before

Market Insights | Go-To-Market Opportunities | Solutions

Market Insights

Research shows strong potential in women's sports media, particularly with "Fluid Fans" - Gen Z and Millennial women who actively follow women's sports. These fans want more than traditional sports coverage, seeking Content, Connection, and Community through authentic storytelling and athlete engagement. 5wins addresses this market need with a bold, modern platform focused on community building and authentic content. This strategic alignment with target audience preferences positions 5wins for growth in women's sports media.

Go-To-Market Opportunities

Content Strategy: Multi-platform content distribution focusing on four key sports—basketball, volleyball, softball, and soccer (articles, newsletters, social media)

Connection Strategy: Direct athlete partnerships through NIL deals

Community Building:

  • Digital engagement (multi-sport bracket challenges, strategic partnerships with leading women's organizations)

  • Physical presence (watch party events in key metropolitan areas, merchandise line launch)

“We are building a new media ecosystem that gives women college athletes a larger voice and revolutionizes the way their sports are covered.”

Alanna Goldman, 5Wins Co-Founder & CEO

Solutions with the AIDA Framework

5wins' AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) marketing strategy begins with building Awareness through social media engagement, interactive bracket challenges, community watch parties, and our partnerships. The team will generate Interest by converting viewers to free newsletter subscribers, launching merchandise, and securing initial sponsors in the growing women's sports market. Moving into Desire and Action in the next year, 5wins will focus on paid memberships and sponsorships.