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

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 They dive into what most brands get wrong when entering women’s sports: relying on outdated playbooks instead of building authentic connections.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 business decisions, improve efficiency, and reduce risk. Learn more at wrike.com/tmm Follow Kimberly: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyveale/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennialsDaniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com