In an era where brands often chase athletes only when they are winning trophies, breaking records or dominating headlines, the relationship between Coco Gauffand New Balance remains one of the strongest examples of what happens when a brand chooses to invest in the person before the superstar fully arrives.
New Balance signed Coco Gauff when she was just 14 years old in 2018, long before she became a Grand Slam champion and one of the biggest names in world tennis. The brand saw something in her early, but more importantly, it committed to growing alongside her.
That patience is exactly what South African sports lover, Tennis to be exact! and Kurumana’s MVP @PortiaMoemedi highlighted in a tweet celebrating the partnership:
“Oh @newbalance, what you have done for Coco Gauff since she was only 14 is admirable. Your patience is something other brands can learn from! If anyone has written a marketing case study on Coco and NB, please send it to me . You mean the world to us NB.”
And honestly, she makes an important point. The best athlete-brand relationships aren’t supposed to begin and end with winning. Athletes are human beings. Their careers come with losses, injuries, difficult seasons, changes in form and moments when the world questions whether they can reach the next level. That is exactly when a partnership can reveal whether it is genuine or simply transactional.
New Balance has been there throughout Gauff’s evolution — from teenage prospect to Grand Slam champion, while also giving her space to develop her identity beyond the tennis court. The partnership has produced signature footwear, including the Coco CG1 and CG2, with Gauff becoming increasingly involved in shaping the products and creative direction as she has grown. What makes the relationship even stronger is that New Balance appears to have invested in Coco the person, not just Coco the athlete. Gauff herself has previously described the relationship as one where the brand has been present throughout every stage of her journey and genuinely cares about her beyond her performances on court.
That is the real marketing lesson. A brand shouldn’t only post the athlete when they lift the trophy. It should be present when they lose in the first round, when they are rebuilding their game and when they are finding their confidence again. Because when the athlete eventually wins, the audience remembers who was there before the cameras, celebrations and championship campaigns. Of course, winning matters. Sports partnerships are businesses, and success will always be part of the equation. But the strongest relationships are built on something deeper than the latest result. They are built on belief, patience and understanding an athlete’s long-term potential.
New Balance didn’t just wait for Coco Gauff to become a champion before building with her. They invested in her journey, her personality, her style and her future. And when she eventually lifted the US Open trophy in 2023, the brand’s famous “Call Me Coco” campaign was able to evolve naturally into “Call Me Champion” — a marketing moment years in the making.
That is why the Coco Gauff and New Balance relationship deserves to be studied. Great athlete marketing isn’t about finding a winner. Sometimes, it’s about believing in someone long enough to watch them become one.
![CTT Beats, Flash Ikumkani, Hannah V – UNDITHWELE [ Official Video]](https://dalakreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/126e2320-6774-67b8-c0d0-6e9f02af4d58.jpg)
