She’s the Client Service Director at Nielsen Sports SA, but has an interesting sideline in women’s sport, heading up an organisation that focuses exclusively on female athletes.
Q: How would you describe your job?
A: Challenging and fulfilling. I am constantly learning. Learning about the business, about the industry, about people, different sponsorship properties – you name it. One of the things that drives me is that Nielsen Sports SA helps clients make informed decisions. Our data helps our clients connect with their consumers.
Q: But, you’re also the Co-Founder and Director of SARTORI: The Empowered Athlete – how do you divide your time between the two roles?
A: It is a balancing act. SARTORI™ athletes and personalities are located around the globe and their needs do not stick within ‘working hours’. I have made sure that I have clear, clean and simple processes in place to ensure that nothing is missed between the two roles.
Q: What exactly is SARTORI?
A: SARTORI™ manages and builds brands of female athletes and personalities. We have a niche focus with very select clients. This allows us to give personalised service to each client.
Q: Do you feel the female athlete is under-represented here in South Africa?
A: Yes I do. It is common knowledge that female athletes are generally paid less than male athletes within the same sporting code, as well as having female sports televised less than male sports. In saying this, the sports have to be entertaining to make it onto TV. In a study conducted by Nielsen Sports SA, ‘The Women’s Sport Report’ in 2019, the top two reasons for disinterest in women’s sport were that people were not interested in watching/didn’t like it, and that women’s sport was rarely aired on TV/didn’t get enough coverage.
Q: What’s your view on the state of women’s sport in SA and its current commercial viability?
A: This leads on from my previous answer. A sport, no matter if it is a male or a female sport, will not be commercially viable if people do not know about it. Female sports are less known and have a further way to go in South Africa – they have to work harder to be a great commercial asset.
Q: Do you think it’s fair to say that the SA sports industry, including administration, is male-dominated, and if so, what would you do to change the status quo?
A: If you asked me this question 10 years ago, I would say 100% it is a male-dominated industry. But I am finding that I am dealing with more and more females as the years go by, from a rights-holder and brand/company point of view. The top decision makers may not all be female yet, but we are getting closer to it.
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Q: What do you view as the biggest impact of Covid-19 on the way sport is run, consumed, commercialised etc?
A: Without question, the biggest impact lies in the digital/online space. Companies/brands and rights-holders have all had to pivot at quite a pace to stay top of mind with consumers/fans. And if they don’t, they will be left behind – there is so much choice and access for consumption, that you need to stay relevant.
Q: How has the sponsorship landscape changed?
A: A great example, from a global point of view, is Formula 1. If you have not followed the F1 story/transition over the past few years, you need to look it up. This is a sport that has transformed not only itself, but set the path as to how all sports should be thinking and acting. Formula 1 have allowed the fan to truly experience the sport. The race weekends are now events that entertain the fan at the race, as well as the fan at home, around the world. Brands and right-holders need to tell stories, they need to engage with their fans – when they get that right, then you will start to see the true benefits of sponsorship.
Q: Do you believe the business of research has grown in importance, in the wake of the impact of Covid-19 on the sports sector?
A: Absolutely. Over the past 20 months, at Nielsen Sports SA we have seen a substantial increase in companies wishing to understand their return on sponsorship investment, and once they understand that, the tracking of their sponsorships, to ensure a continuous return – both of which are incredibly valuable, especially when millions of Rands are being invested into a property.
Q: What does your daily routine look like? Early mornings or late nights?
A: Monday to Fridays, my day starts when my 11-month-old baby wakes up, which generally is any time between 05h00 and 06h00. From the moment she wakes up until around 08h00, when her nanny arrives, I am busy with ‘getting the house up’ (feeds, nappy changes, coffee, shower, breakfast etc). At 08h00 I start my working day, skimming email, arranging my day, and ordering my tasks. Once the nanny leaves at 17h00, I prep my baby’s dinner, but my husband and I also love our walks, so I’ve started incorporating her feed on the walk. Once home, it’s bath and bedtime, and once she’s down, dinner and a glass of wine. I tend to read a bit in bed before falling asleep.
Q: How do you cope with stress and how do you unwind?
A: The processes I have in place are very important to ensure that nothing gets missed – if a task is captured, it will get done. This helps to ‘stress less’. We are very fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world in the Western Cape, which helps with keeping the stress levels down. Our walks along the cliff paths and beaches are a real treat at the end of a busy day. I also work from coffee shops once in a while if I feel I need a change of scenery. But, one of the biggest factors that helps me deal with stress is how we live our life. We aim for a life that is as simple and as uncomplicated as possible. This spans from what our home looks like to how we dress, how we eat, how we spend our time – a holistically simple lifestyle.