TRG Sports & Entertainment, founded by Josh Rosen, has transformed from a college athlete Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) firm into a multi-faceted digital marketing powerhouse. 

Josh’s journey from a sports marketing background to the creator economy challenges conventional wisdom, suggesting that niche appeal can outweigh star power. His philosophy is built upon consistent performance.

Through his experiences, Rosen reveals how data-informed decisions, social responsibility, and time-tested business practices impact talent management and brand partnerships.

How TRG Sports & Entertainment Kicked Off

Josh’s journey into the creator economy started almost a decade ago in women’s professional basketball, at a time when many brands were transitioning their investment and activation strategies away from traditional outlets. Platforms like TV, billboards, radio, and newspapers were increasingly being replaced by social media for these activations.

The COVID-19 pandemic proved a catalyst for Josh’s entrepreneurial leap. After leaving a job just before global lockdowns, he had limited options.

“I didn’t have any grandiose ambitions of being CEO, chief talent officer, or founder,” Josh admits. “Truth be told, I wanted to make enough money to be able to put gas in my car.”

He started the company not with grand ambitions but out of necessity. The company’s name, TRG, stands for “The Rosen Group,” a nod to his mother’s financial services company. 

Capitalizing on NIL Opportunities

Rosen initially established TRGSE as a sole proprietorship, focusing on NIL opportunities for college athletes. This decision was timely, as it coincided with significant changes in regulations allowing college athletes to monetize their personal brands.

From these humble beginnings, Rosen leveraged his sports marketing experience and understanding of the emerging industry to gradually expand the company’s services.

TRGSE’s mission is straightforward: “We bridge the gap in digital marketing between creators and brands through a strong network and expertise in campaign management.” The agency aims to leverage traditional marketing solutions.

“Creator marketing is not putting people on the moon,” says Josh, highlighting fundamental business practices in the creator economy. “What does any business want? Communication, consistency, work ethic, competence.”

Despite the industry’s novelty, Josh sees parallels with traditional marketing. “People act as if this is an entirely unfamiliar world,” he notes. “But I always respond by saying we’ve seen it before. It just had a different [look]. Marketing has always been disruptive.”

As TRGSE continues to grow, Josh remains focused on the human element of the business. “You still want to treat human beings like human beings,” he tells us. “As long as we do that, we’ll be able to put creators and brands in positions to be successful.”

The Creator Economy’s Impact on Sports Marketing

The rise of the creator economy has altered sports and entertainment marketing. Josh explains the shift in how athletes are perceived and marketed.

“Athletes now operate very similar to creators in the sense that each athlete is their brand,” he states, hinting at a departure from the past when athletes were primarily identified by their team affiliations.

“Brands are now much more focused on athletes, individuals, and the personalities behind those athletes than they are simply the athlete for their performance on the field,” Josh notes.

This shift aligns with broader trends in digital marketing, where uniqueness and storytelling have become paramount. “Raw statistics have value, but the personality, authenticity, and storytelling aspect has become just as important for brands when looking at partnerships,” Josh states.

According to Josh, the impact of this change is evident in how partnerships are formed. The Los Angeles-based entrepreneur notes that a Cleveland football player can score as many brand partnerships as a Miami Heat basketball player if that person has a great personality.

He suggests that an athlete’s brand and digital presence can sometimes outweigh traditional considerations like market size or on-field performance.

Shifting Trends in Sports and Entertainment Marketing

While top-tier celebrities and athletes still hold value, Josh exposes a growing trend toward more targeted collaborations. 

“We’re seeing this idea of sort of shifting down and getting so much more micro and nuanced in terms of activations and partnerships and what brands are looking for with a real emphasis on personality,” he explains.

Josh recalls a recent experience with an NBA player who loves Legos. Despite not being the league’s top player, this athlete’s passion for Legos made them more appealing to the brand than a higher-profile player. 

“Lego chose the NBA player who loves Legos [over a better-performing player],” he states, indicating that the trend reflects the increasingly segmented nature of social media audiences.

Quantifying Marketing Activation Value

Josh is a big proponent of data in modern talent management and brand partnerships, describing it as “immensely valuable from an education standpoint.”

The ability to quantify the value of specific marketing activations marks a significant shift in the industry. 

Josh illustrates this change by comparing traditional stadium signage to modern QR code activations: “Every activation takes your phone and scans the QR code at the top. Not because it brings more eyeballs but because the brands can track how many people are scanning the QR code, downloading the app at the game, buying something, or following up two days later.”

However, Josh cautions that the data’s value depends on aligning with key performance indicators (KPIs) and campaign goals. 

“If your goal is sales, then peer views do not match up, and therefore, that data is not valuable for that brand’s successful or unsuccessful campaign,” he notes.

This data-driven approach allows TRG to have more substantive conversations with brands. As Josh puts it, “You spent x dollars, you made y dollars. If you invest z, you’ll make more than z.” 

He adds that this quantitative approach provides a clear rationale for investment decisions, moving beyond subjective assessments of “vibes” to concrete, measurable outcomes.

Social Responsibility and Business Sustainability

Josh focuses on maintaining ethical standards while pursuing commercial objectives, especially emphasizing social responsibility in building a sustainable business.

“My philosophical belief on social responsibility and sustainability is I want a sustainable business, and a way to create it is by having a socially responsible business,” Josh points out, revealing that this philosophy guides TRG’s decisions in client selection and campaign management.

Josh likens his ideal client and brand partnerships to Walmart’s broad appeal: “I call it the ‘Walmart creator.’ And what I mean by that is that Walmart fits everyone across the country.” 

The analogy underlines TRG’s commitment to working with creators and brands with widespread, non-controversial appeal.

This approach sometimes means turning down potentially lucrative opportunities that don’t align with the agency’s values. 

“Are we missing out on an opportunity because we’re not working with a very risque brand or a creator that is so outlandish that some people hate them? I will miss out on that opportunity,” Josh explains, adding that he wants to create a business with “a conscience and a soul,” even if it means sacrificing short-term gains.

Prioritizing social responsibility translates to achieving long-term success. “We’re going to make decisions that positively impact every one of our partners today, tomorrow, and the day after,” Josh tells us.

Keys to Success

Josh’s advice and guidance for those looking to enter the sports and entertainment marketing space or the broader creator economy centers on fundamental principles that transcend industry-specific skills.

He outlines three core elements: “Communication, trust, and consistency with a sprinkle in work ethic.” 

This philosophy interlinks communication and trust to build strong relationships with clients, partners, and team members – a crucial aspect of the industry.

Consistency is another crucial element. Josh uses a sports analogy to illustrate this: “Being a nine out of ten once doesn’t mean anything. Anyone can have a good day once. Can you have that good day over, over and over and over again?”

Work ethic underpins all these elements. Josh advocates for sustained effort over time, stating, “You have to work very hard for many days in a row, and you have to build the relationships through that hard work to add value.”

Ultimately, Josh’s advice boils down to a simple yet powerful formula: “If you give your maximum effort, stay consistent, treat people with respect, remain honest, and communicate effectively, you’ll position yourself for success as best as possible.”