A Conversation with NFLPA's Ben Ruiz

NFL Players Inc., the marketing and licensing business of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), has announced the appointment of Ben Ruiz as vice president, consumer products and strategy. Ruiz will be responsible for leading the global licensing business, focusing on innovation, expanding key partnerships and enhancing licensing programs to unlock greater opportunities for player-branded products.

Ruiz joins NFL Players Inc. with over a decade of experience in brand strategy and licensing. Most recently, as vice president, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), he oversaw licensing programs for brands like Anheuser-Busch, Kodak, Jelly Belly and Ford Motor Company. Prior to CAA, Ruiz directed licensing initiatives for NYC & Company, managing partnerships with the FDNY, NYPD and NYC Parks Department and leading activations at marquee events such as Super Bowl Boulevard and WrestleMania.

License Global caught up with Ruiz to better understand his vision for the NFLPA licensing program.

License Global: What inspired you to want to take over the licensing side of the NFLPA? What stood out to you about this opportunity?

Ben Ruiz: I started my career in sports, so before I moved into licensing, I was with New York City and did the sports marketing for New York City before I transitioned into the licensing world. Sports has always been a big passion of mine. I've always loved the way that sports plays people's identities. When people talk about themselves, they may talk about where they grew up or what they do for a living, but they'll also tell you who their favorite athlete is. I've always loved the power held in culture and personal identity. The opportunity to come over here was great, to bring that to life within products and help extend them into some new categories.

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What sort of strategies are you hoping to implement within the NFLPA from things you've learned prior and how are you hoping to shift the licensing program?

There is a continuation and a growth of what we do really well, highlighting our guys as NFL players, our elite athletes. There are so many stories to be told.

There are 1,700 guys in the league, and with that, in every consumer segment that a brand would want to target or want to be able to speak to authentically, we have guys that are authentic in those spaces. A subset of our players spend their offseason at Fashion Week in Paris, and they go on their own accord because that's something they're very passionate about; we have guys that spend the offseason working their family farms and that's their passion. So, I want to tell more of those stories and help use our portfolio of players to reach different demographics for partners. I want to tell authentic stories with the superstars that people know from making highlights on Sundays, but also showcase who that person is and how they show up for consumers differently.

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I keep using the example of a certain subset of kids, and if you brought up Patrick Mahomes or Saquon Barkley, you might as well be talking about Spider-Man. In their mind, they're the same thing. They're these larger-than-life figures, real-life superheroes. A portion of this program should look more like what Marvel is doing in the consumer product space. There's a lot of great storytelling in different authentic ways that we can show up in new categories.

There's been a huge subset of young girls who are starting to watch NFL games. How are you hoping to capitalize on that trend?

It's important to understand that these guys are pop culture movers, and that, to me, is a huge piece. Travis Kelce is an extreme example of that, and his actions with his brother are extreme examples. Travis dating Taylor Swift and then jersey sales boom and everyone wants to show that fandom and be part of that world. There are so many stories where, for example, these guys walk into the tunnel on game day in these high fashion outfits, and they're moving culture in other ways. It is bridging that gap. These guys are already culture movers. They're already so relevant within pop culture, and how do we tell their stories and elevate them a little bit? There's so much opportunity in the women's space. That's a huge thing we will be targeting going forward.

The NFL statistics show that roughly 50% of football fans are women, and there's a massive opportunity for women to do cool things and show their fandom in authentic ways. That family piece is super important, too. Having your favorite player on your back or showing your support for these guys often is a way for people to connect cross-generationally.

What is it about the NFL that you think makes a licensing powerhouse?

With the NFL players historically, it's always been that NFL players more so than a lot of other sports, you don't see their faces on game day. They're wearing their helmets. In recent years, with social media and podcasts, our guys have done a great job showcasing who they are and their personalities. I think it's such an interesting moment now where because of all these ways that the guys are putting themselves out there, and now, the access that fans have to the man behind the helmet and the personalities underneath those uniforms, I think it's such a great moment in time to work on these retail partnerships and showcase the interest that these guys have and the passion that they have beyond that because they are out there sharing these stories themselves.

You've been in the licensing business for a long time, but for those unfamiliar with you and your work, what would you want them to know about you, your experience and opportunities through the NFLPA?

I've found a lot of success in the past by working with brands and trying to identify beyond the core function of the brand. How and why does that brand resonate with its fans? How can we show up to fans in those ways? The approach that I'm taking to this business is more than just our football players. What are the reasons why people love these specific guys? What is it about them? What are they passionate about that they share with these people? Is it because they're representing their hometowns? Is it because they see themselves? Do they aspire to be like these elite athletes? How can we tell those stories? I would want my peers in the industry to know that we do want to get creative in telling those stories, and the great thing about working with the NFLPA is we have a roster of 1,700 guys that comes with one collective license.

We can be a one-stop shop for telling these very authentic stories with guys who are passionate about many different things, and that's a unique offering to the marketplace. Although we are an incredibly strong sports IP, we are now looking at this as a sports IP and a true lifestyle, cultural IP. I think going forward, I don't necessarily want to pigeonhole us to just competing with sports IP. The NFLPA is an alternative to Disney and Warner Bros.; it's a different celebrity brand. It's one of those brands that when you say to people, 'This is what I do; this is who we represent,' everyone lights up. There's not a single call that we go on where people don't know the IP, and everyone has a story. Everyone has a favorite player, whether it's present or past. Every single person you talk to has a vivid memory.