MarketPryce, founded by Jason Bergman, is a platform that facilitates meaningful partnerships between companies and college athletes, tapping into the influential power of sports and the aspirational appeal of campuses.

Seeing an Opportunity, Seizing the Moment

Bergman’s journey to establishing MarketPryce was fueled by his passion for sports and a keen eye for untapped potential. “I started my own sports marketing agency, where I represented 12 professional athletes. Long story short, I saw how hard it was for athletes and agents to find the right person at the right company, at the right time,” he shares. “So I saw an opportunity to start MarketPryce. Where in clicks, you’re able to connect athletes and businesses.”

The platform operates like a “dating app for brands” – companies provide detailed information about their products, values, and missions, while college athletes share their interests and preferences. MarketPryce’s algorithm then matches brands with the most suitable student-athletes based on shared values and interests. “Brands tell us more about themselves and not just what their product and industry are, but are they socially responsible? Do they give back to any charities or do they have eco-friendly packaging? Are they women-owned? And then we also have over a thousand student-athletes who have signed up, telling us what they’re interested in and what types of brands resonate with them.”

At the core of MarketPryce’s approach lies a fundamental belief in the power of authenticity. Bergman firmly advocates for product seeding as the essential first step in any successful influencer marketing campaign. “Every winning partnership is rooted in authenticity, and that starts with product seeding. Offering to pay someone off the bat is silly. Offering to promote a company you’ve never tried or worked with before is also kind of crazy. Start slower. Think long term.”

Tapping into the Power of College Campuses

Bergman recognizes the immense value that college campuses hold for brands seeking to connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences authentically. “They’re the gold standard of health and wellness, the coolest kids walking around college campuses. They’re the ones who are driving trends across fashion and health, wellness, and lifestyle. It’s a very attractive audience to get to.”

By facilitating partnerships between brands and college athletes, MarketPryce aims to help companies build genuine communities around their products and tap into the cultural pulse of college campuses, where trends are born and consumer habits are shaped.

One standout success story from MarketPryce’s portfolio is the unexpected partnership between Dr. Squatch, a soap company, and Devin Miller, a football player who scored the game-winning touchdown for Marshall University against Notre Dame.

“We reached out to him after he scored the game-winning touchdown pass and said, ‘Hey, you just did this awesome thing. What’s your dream NIL deal now?’ And he mentioned a couple of companies. One of them was Doctor Squatch. […] Devin not only closed the deal with Doctor Squatch, but they also sent and gave a deal to 25 of his teammates afterward because the first deal with them went so well.”

The partnership highlighted the powerful potential of athletes to move products through the intensity of their fanbases. Miller’s organic endorsement carried major credibility. “My favorite part of it is he had hundreds of fans and friends tag a company that they’ve never heard of just because Devin wanted to do the deal,” Bergman notes. “So now how can brands tap into influential people on campus?”

Brand-Creator Partnerships Shift to Long-Term Community Building. 

Bergman envisions a future where brands focus more on building genuine communities around their products, hiring in-house content creators, and investing in long-term relationships with influential voices.  “I think a lot more brands should be and will be focused more on building real relationships with the community, as well as hiring people to run that community. And maybe I think a lot of brands are also going to hire content creators in-house. So influencers full-time to be the face of the brand,” he says. 

As both creators and brands navigate the complexities of the creator economy, Bergman offers sage advice rooted in authenticity and long-term thinking: “Think long-term. Instead of trying to get a quick paycheck from a brand or for a brand trying to get a quick bump in sales, all of the winning partnerships are long-term. So give yourself the time to see how a partnership develops. And then, be yourself in the best sense. Buy brands that resonate with you.”

MarketPryce’s mission is clear: to facilitate authentic connections between brands and creators, fostering partnerships that resonate with audiences and drive genuine engagement. By prioritizing shared values, product seeding, and long-term relationships, the platform is charting a new course in the ever-evolving creator economy, one that promises to reshape how brands and creators collaborate and engage with their audiences.