Damian Lillard Put Product Credibility Forward of Superstar Hype. The Actual Benefit Is What He Is not Promoting

The point guard’s product is used by athletes across the NBA. His unique approach may be part of the company’s appeal.

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. Photo:

Damian Lillard has found a way to get his NBA competitors to use his product. Some don’t even know it’s his.

The Portland Trail Blazers point guard co-founded Move Insoles, a company selling performance shoe inserts for as much as $64.99 a pair. But unlike many athlete-backed businesses that prominently feature their celebrity founders, Lillard hasn’t been aggressively promoting his involvement. And it appears the product has been gaining traction anyway.

Even Ja Morant, his teammate, was surprised

Even Ja Morant, his teammate, was surprised to learn who was behind the insoles he had been using. During the team’s preseason training camp, Morant mentioned needing more pairs. Lillard then revealed that he had co-founded the company.

Move, which Lillard co-founded with sports marketer Nate Jones, now counts players on an estimated 25 NBA teams among its users Its reach extends beyond basketball, with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and WNBA star A’ja Wilson also using the insoles

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According to marketing experts, Lillard’s relatively low-key approach could be a smart way to build credibility in an industry where attaching a famous name to a product doesn’t always guarantee success.

He feels more like an advocate than

“He feels more like an advocate than a pitchman,” Mike Lewis, a marketing professor at Emory University, told Inc. “They are being subtle so that it doesn’t feel like marketing.”

Lewis noted that Lillard still appears prominently on Move’s website, meaning his involvement isn’t exactly a secret. Instead, the company is benefiting from his credibility without making him the center of every sales pitch.

Source: www.inc.com