Last season, the Connecticut Sun sold out the nearly 20,000-seat T.D. Garden — home arena of the Boston Celtics — for the second time, an impressive achievement for both the WNBA team and a league growing by leaps and bounds.
Kirsty (Beauchesne) Beauchais ’17, the Sun’s director of partnerships, was equally impressed by the people who filled the seats. “Over half of those fans were women and young girls and many of them had never attended a game in their lives,” she says.
Beauchais, it turns out, has a lot in common with them. “I didn’t have a background in basketball at all when I started with the Sun — besides following a few women’s college teams and cheering for the team at Bryant,” she admits with a smile. “But I'm passionate about everything the WNBA stands for.”
Her job, she says, centers on helping the league grow and spread its message of empowerment by finding partners who can help amplify that message. “Partnering with the WNBA is making a statement,” says Beauchais, who notes that sport and brand partnerships have always been a powerful driver of equality.
Beauchais says Bryant provided her with a valuable perspective on how businesses can play a role in changing the world.
“Professors like Lori Coakley and Mike Roberto showed me that brands can help make a difference as much as politicians or influencers or anyone else can — and they're doing it with billions of dollars behind them,” she says.
“We’re building the league, and we want to do it the right way. We’re putting the important things first.”
In her role with the Sun, Beauchais works with both local partners and major brands including TD Bank, Xfinity, and Walgreens on initiatives and activations ranging from signage to musical festivals to larger campaigns. “I sit down with them on a regular basis and discuss what their business goals currently are, the work they’re doing in the community, what their marketing focus is, what their alignment is with the WNBA, and how they’re looking to deepen their impact with our fans,” she says.
The WNBA’s new fans want to connect with sports in new ways, suggests Beauchais. “They don't just want highlight reels,” she says. “They're watching just as much for tunnel fits and the brands the players support, and the little snippets of their personality everywhere else. Players are culture-drivers and fans listen when they use their voice.”
That multi-level connection appeals to brands who see an untapped market. But deep pockets aren’t enough to be part of the game. “I'm the first line of defense for ensuring that brands are a good fit for the Connecticut Sun and the WNBA,” Beauchais notes.
One of her favorite recent initiatives was the “Said Out Loud” campaign, organized in partnership with Walgreens, in which the Sun’s players shared their experiences regarding mental and physical well-being. “The campaign gave them a platform and let them share their stories and connect with our fans on important issues impacting women’s healthcare — and Walgreens helped us to tell that story,” says Beauchais.
“We’re building the league, and we want to do it the right way,” she says firmly. “We’re putting the important things first.”