Concepts United and Rising NFL Star T.J. Ward Team Up
Cleveland Browns Starter and Marketing Communications Firm Engage To Develop New Professional Brand Management Strategy
Atlanta – April 18th, 2011 – Concepts United, an Atlanta-based marketing communications and business development firm, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Cleveland Browns Safety T.J. Ward to develop and execute the NFL athlete’s professional brand strategy.
Concepts United, which provides a host of marketing and business development services to a wide variety of clients, will apply its extensive expertise in Web development, social media and media relations to assist the Ward camp in capitalizing on the success of the young player’s rookie year while preparing for a number of upcoming opportunities.
“I am very excited by the chance to work with Concepts United and take advantage of their strategic approach to branding,” said T.J. Ward. “I’ve got many positive things happening this year and Concepts United will help us make sure that we take advantage of them all.”
Ward’s storybook career in football began at prep powerhouse De La Salle High School, where he played a key role in the School’s 1992 – 2004 national record-setting 151 game winning streak. Despite a senior year injury that deterred many college scouts, Ward walked on at the University of Oregon. Red shirted in 2005, Ward earned a position as a two-year starter for the Ducks by the time his college career closed in 2009. In 2010 the 5-10” 211 pound Ward was drafted 38th overall by the Cleveland Browns, where he would lead the team with 123 tackles in his rookie season. This would secure his position as the number one rookie Defensive Back in the NFL. Ward returns to the Browns in 2011 as an integral part of Cleveland’s secondary.
Under the terms of the agreement, Concepts United will develop and execute an online strategy (including a new T.J. Ward Website), assume responsibility of all media relations activities and consult on all other issues that affect the T.J. Ward brand, including the growth of the T.J. Ward Foundation.
“Professional athletes and entertainers who earn a living by sharing their talents with others need to manage and control their professional brands like any other company or corporate entity,” said Marcel Henry, Chief Operating Officer of Concepts United. “T.J. Ward is a rising star in the NFL and is rapidly making a name for himself as both a player and a valuable member of the Cleveland community. He also has strong ties to his hometown of Antioch, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As companies and brands continue to demonstrate interest in working with this positive young role model, it is imperative that the T.J. Ward brand messages effectively and consistently reach their various audiences. Our process allows us to develop a true strategic approach that will ensure this delivery, yielding both short and long-term goals which in turn lead to new business relationships and earnings opportunities.”
About Concepts United
Concepts United is an Atlanta-based marketing and business development firm. We believe that there’s a gap between traditional marketing or business consulting services and the needs that most clients have today. While we believe in the power of marketing, our combined experience has proven that traditional marketing alone does not lead to success. There is, however, a unique combination of strategy, creative, social media, public relations, and partnership development that does. So we leverage our expertise and individual talents to develop overall business solutions for clients that bring together the right combination of these services. While we do a lot of complicated things for a lot of different clients, our goal is always the same – we help our clients Create, Build and Grow. Learn more at www.conceptsunited.com.