How To Build Fandom with Kimberly Veale, SVP of Marketing & Communications, Portland Fire | Ep. 413

About this episode

Daniel Murray interviews Kimberly Veale about building a fanbase in sports marketing and the unique dynamics of women's sports.

The playbook for building a sports team just changed…and most brands aren’t thinking big enough. Daniel sits down with Kimberly Veale (SVP of Marketing & Communications, Portland Fire; ex-Golden State Warriors & Valkyries) to break down what it actually takes to build a fanbase before a single game is played. Kimberly shares a behind-the-scenes look at how modern Sports Marketing works, from selling out season tickets pre-launch to turning a team into a full-fledged lifestyle brand. She explains why women’s sports fans behave differently, how merch becomes a leading indicator of demand, and why culture, community, and storytelling matter more than ever. They dive into what most brands get wrong when entering women’s sports: relying on outdated playbooks instead of building authentic connections. Kimberly also breaks down real examples about how the best teams create moments that fans actually care about. If you want to understand the future of Sports Marketing, community-driven brands, and why “social followers” might be the most overrated metric in marketing, this episode is for you. Wrike brings structure, visibility, and accountability to work, so companies can make better…

People in this episode

Host: Daniel Murray

Guest: Kimberly Veale

Topics covered

• sports marketing
• fan engagement
• women's sports
• community building
• branding
• storytelling

Keywords

• sports marketing
• fanbase
• women's sports
• community
• branding
• storytelling
• merchandising

Sponsors

Wrike

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Portland Fire, Golden State Warriors, Valkyries

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