Cincinnati Marketing Firm Launches Sports Division to Help College Athletes Make Money

(CINCINNATI - March 2, 2022) – A fast-growing downtown marketing firm has launched a sports division aimed largely at helping college athletes find and evaluate newly available opportunities to make money.

BSB Group International, the firm started in 2018 by marketing executive Kash Shaikh, started BSB Sports in large part to work with college athletes on profiting from their name, image and likeness, known as NIL.

“There are not many things I’ve been more excited about in my career,” Shaikh said. “Sports have been a lifelong passion of mine. And a large chunk of my 10 years at Procter & Gamble was focused on sports, whether it was the Olympics, the NFL or other sports.

“Sports marketing has always been a key element to how we help build brands.”

BSB’s goal is to connect brands with athletes, help create athlete-driven content and provide management and counseling for the athletes.

Last summer, Ohio, Kentucky and other states legalized college athletes’ ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL). The new law basically allows college athletes to make money from advertising, endorsements, jersey sales and other marketing opportunities that previously were prohibited.

“The first place we felt we could add value was NIL,” Shaikh said. “There’s a seismic shift in the whole industry.”

Marketing and brand building is a key, he said. Companies have a new channel to engage their customers. College athletes can now become a significant part of the group of influencers companies can work with to reach customers.

“This is a really powerful group that we can now offer to brands,” Shaikh said.

BSB has already signed up more than 150 college athletes. Those include Evan Prater, the University of Cincinnati quarterback who could be in line to become the starter next season, as well as UC football players including wide receiver Jadon Thompson and linebackers and brothers Deshawn and Ivan Pace.

Others include Xavier basketball player Adam Kunkel and women’s tennis player Ahmeir Kyle; UC baseball player Paul Komistek, women’s basketball player Jillian Hayes and women’s soccer player Vanessa Dinardo; and Northern Kentucky University basketball players Trey Robinson and Sam Vinson, and volleyball player Katy Yopko.

More than half of its college athlete clients are from local universities.

BSB Sports has gained clients by building connections and hosting information sessions. Word-of-mouth helps as one athlete tells his or her teammates.

"Kash and his team have worked with some amazing companies and athletes over the years, and it's great to see them apply their knowledge of brand-building and sports marketing to the college space,” Prater, who starred at Wyoming High School before going to UC, said in a news release. “They know how to get deals done the right way, with the right people.”

BSB Sports also works with athletes in combat sports such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and women’s sports. It aims to drive revenue and return on investment for brands as well as athletes. It has offices in Austin, Texas, and in Miami, in addition to its downtown Cincinnati office at 917 Main St.

BSB Group International works with companies on consulting and leadership development, creative and content production, and social media and sports marketing. Kroger, Kroger Health, Microsoft and PepsiCo are some of its current and past clients. The company generated more than $30 million in revenue last year, industry sources said. Its client base tripled in the past three years, Shaikh said.