- One year in and Ally is ahead of schedule, nearing a
60/40 split in its sports paid media spending across men's and
women's sports
- Meet Team Ally – 11 influential athletes and creators
joining forces with Ally to make women's sports hard to
miss
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 4, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- One year ago, Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:
ALLY) pledged to reach equal spending on advertising between men's
and women's sports within five years. On the first anniversary of
its unprecedented pledge, Ally announced it is ahead of schedule,
expecting to reach a near 60/40 split by the close of 2023.
Additionally, Ally marked the milestone with the introduction of
Team Ally – a collective of influential athletes and creators who
teamed up with Ally to help make women's sports hard to miss.
The announcements came during an episode of the hit podcast
Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy,
World Cup Champion, and Team Ally member. The show was broadcast
live from the espnW Summit NYC, a gathering of thought-leaders all
focused on creating impact and opportunity for women in sports.
"When I look back over the past year, I'm in awe of all that
we've been able to accomplish by doing the right thing, being
intentional in the way we're investing in women and showing up,"
said Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing
and public relations officer at Ally. "We have no doubt that we'll
reach our five-year goal of parity in spending, but it's not easy
work. There continue to be huge barriers, such as a lack of
available media to buy and the systemic issues in women's sports
that keep costs, and therefore values, low."
From the announcement in May to the end of 2022, Ally
recalibrated its spending in men's sports and increased its paid
media investment in women's sports by 300%. The result: Ally helped
make history by working with the National Women's Soccer League
(NWSL) and increasing its media spend with CBS to move the 2022
NWSL Championship game into prime time. It was the first time a
professional women's sports championship aired on a broadcast
network in prime time. Viewership for the game was up 71% over the
previous year.
More recently, together with ESPN, Ally challenged traditional
media buying, creating a first-of-its-kind sponsorship package with
more than 90% of the investment anchored in women's sports. Ally
then announced its sponsorship of The Ally Women's Open, a new
women's esports tournament produced by Raidiant, a gaming and
esports media platform led by an all-women management team.
Now, with the launch of Team Ally, the company is investing
directly in athletes and cultural icons, working together to push
for progress. Brimmer said, "Our intention with these
player-direct relationships is to increase demand for women's
sports, increase year-round fan engagement, and create social
currency – all while injecting money directly into players'
pockets. It's a natural next step in our buying strategy."
Team Ally is not a typical brand ambassador program. These
powerful women will have a platform to advocate for women's sports
wherever and however it's needed most and work closely with Ally to
advance its mission to increase visibility and media equity. And
it's a two-way street for Ally.
"We're going to meet regularly with Team Ally, adding
perspective to our work from those closest to the game," said
Brimmer. "We want to hear where, from their perspective, brand
investments can make the most impact."
Packed with talent and a desire to be bold, the Team Ally roster
includes:
- Ali Krieger (Sport:
Soccer)
-
- LGBTQ+ and Women's Rights advocate; Current NWSL (Gotham FC)
and USWNT; 2x WORLD CUP CHAMPION; 3x NWSL Best XI; Washington Post
Distinguished All-Met Award; 7th Most Remarkable Athlete
in the World
- Ashlyn Harris (Sport:
Soccer - retired)
-
- LGBTQ+ and Women's Rights advocate; Retired NWSL and USWNT; 2x
WORLD CUP CHAMPION; NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, NWSL Best XI;
3rd Most Remarkable Athlete in the World
- Deja Kelly (Sport:
Basketball)
-
- Current UNC basketball player;
All-ACC first team, Gatorade Texas Player of the year; uses her
platform to inspire and encourage peers and youth
- Jess Long (Sport:
Swimming)
-
- Current Paralympic swimmer; second-most decorated Paralympian
in U.S. history; 30 world metals + 29 Paralympic medals; 5x world
record holder; staunch advocate for fairness in Paralympic
classification
- Julie Foudy (Sport:
Soccer - retired)
-
- Legend and a trailblazer in sports equity; 2x World Cup
Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, first woman to receive the FIFA
Fair Play Award; 2007 inductee into the National Soccer Hall of
Fame; current ESPN reporter
- Kasey Choma (Sport:
Lacrosse)
-
- Current Notre Dame lacrosse player;
First Team IWLCA Midwest/West All-Region; led high school team to
NY state Championship; well known for style of play and
sportsmanship
- Merritt Mathias (Sport:
Soccer)
-
- Current NWSL (Angel City) player; 2x NWSL Champion with the
North Carolina Courage and 2x Supporters Shields honoree; named to
2018 NWSL Second IX
- Michelle Cooper (Sport:
Soccer)
-
- Current Duke soccer player; ACC
Offensive Player of the Year; Herman
Trophy winner; making waves on the international stage after
winning Golden Boot and Golden Ball at the Concacaf CWU20
Championship
- Nneka Ogwumike (Sport:
Basketball)
-
- Current WNBA (LA Sparks) player; 6x WNBA All-Star; 2x leading
scorer; WNBA #1 draft pick; named to The W25; WBCA all-American;
member of USA Under 18 Team that
won gold and named MVP; natural advocate for women's sports
- Sophia Chang (Artist /
Creator)
-
- Influential artist; #1 grossing lifestyle release with Puma;
founder of Common Ace – first of its kind sneaker collecting hub
for women; sports culture champion
- Sophia Smith (Sport:
Soccer)
-
- Current NWSL (Portland Thorns) player; #1 overall pick in the
NWSL draft; US Women's Player of the Year, NWSL MVP, NWSL Champ.
MVP; first Black USWNT Female Soccer Player of the Year; first teen
drafted in NWSL history
About Ally Financial
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY)
is a financial services company with the nation's largest
all-digital bank and an industry-leading auto financing business,
driven by a mission to "Do It Right" and be a relentless ally for
customers and communities. The company serves more than 11 million
customers through a full range of online banking services
(including deposits, mortgage, point-of-sale personal lending, and
credit card products) and securities brokerage and investment
advisory services. The company also includes a robust corporate
finance business that offers capital for equity sponsors and
middle-market companies, as well as auto financing and insurance
offerings. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and
follow @allyfinancial.
For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit
https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.
For further images and news on Ally, please visit
http://media.ally.com.
Contact:
Justin
Nicolette
Public Relations
Ally Financial Inc.
justin.nicolette@ally.com
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SOURCE Ally Financial