Murray works with organizations such as American Express, WFF, Head and Halo

Arguably Britain’s greatest athlete, Andy Murray achieved what generations of tennis players before him couldn’t: win three singles Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 and the U.S. Open in 2012, and two Olympic Gold Medals in 2012 and 2016.

The 35-year-old Scot has been knighted for his services to tennis and charity in 2019, also recognizing his status as an ambassador for Unicef and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) over the years.

Despite setbacks with injuries, including two hip operations, Murray continues to be a major figure on the tennis circuit. Over the years, he has held deals with sports brands such as Fred Perry, Adidas and Under Armour. However, he now wears his own branded apparel line Andy Murray Tennis Clothing (AMC), produced with Castore—and competes using a Head Radical Pro racquet.  

He also represents American Express, for which he appeared in an augmented reality game last year called “Champion’s Rally with Andy Murray,” as well as Halo—while endorsing his own ventures including boutique marketing agency 77 Sports Management, founded with advisors Matt Gentry and Gawain Davies. The business offers talent management, marketing and business services, alongside performance analysis for athletes directly through Murray and his team.

American Express has a strong heritage in sport and—as a global brand—they invest in really great campaigns that are always fun to work on.

Just before Murray competed at the Laver Cup as part of Roger Federer’s retirement sendoff last month, Adweek talked with Murray about his experiences as a brand ambassador and how he’s developed his approach to fandom.

Adweek: What is your general perception of marketing from your experiences over the years?

Andy Murray: When I started out as a tennis player, I don’t think I really understood marketing. I just wanted to play tennis, so it didn’t really interest me. But as I’ve got older and worked with lots of different brands, I have a better appreciation of marketing and it’s importance in the business of sport. This is particularly the case now I have my own apparel brand, AMC. I get regular sales data updates, so it’s very clear to see when a marketing activity has had an impact and I find that quite motivating.

AW: As a brand ambassador for several companies and organizations, how do you approach representing them? Do you alter it when speaking for Head as opposed to WWF and Unicef?

AM: I take it quite seriously. I am very grateful to all of the partners that I work with for their support—and so it’s important to me to try to represent them in the best way I can. I think, as a professional sportsperson, you have a responsibility to behave in a certain way anyway; you have to behave professionally both on and off the court. And I carry that through in my role as an ambassador for the brands I work with, whether that’s making sure I turn up on time to an appearance, or wearing the correct kit, or supporting any marketing campaigns they may have across my social media channels.

In terms of how that differs for WWF and Unicef, the only real difference is that sometimes I have to react quickly to support their campaigns. Unicef, in particular, often have very short term goals in response to a disaster or conflict, so I do my best to support those quick turn-around campaigns as best I can.

AW: How have you decided which organizations and brands to represent throughout your career? What stands out when it comes to global brands such as American Express, Head and Castore (with AMC?)

AM: It’s something I work on closely with my management team. I have some very clear boundaries for brands they know I wouldn’t work with, tobacco, gambling, alcohol companies, for example. And then we try to identify brands that share some of the same goals or values or ambitions as I have. American Express has a strong heritage in sport and—as a global brand—they invest in really great campaigns that are always fun to work on. I loved this year’s Wimbledon activation. Head has been a partner for over 20 years—I started playing with Head rackets as a teenager and have stuck with them ever since.

The process of working with AMC was a really interesting one—I’d wanted to set up my own apparel brand for a long time. I felt there was a clear gap in the market for stylish tennis wear and so, with my team, we identified Castore as a brand that could help me deliver something I felt really proud of. I like the fact that they are a British brand, set up by two brothers—and that sustainability is important to them.

AW: How have you taken your experience with brands into the companies you have invested in? How do you use your own fame and profile to benefit those? Do you get involved in the marketing?

It varies slightly from brand to brand. Because they are often start-ups or small businesses, they all have different requirements. I try to offer my perspective as a professional athlete, so—for a company like Halo (hydration products)—I am able to give them product feedback and help them build relationships in the world of sport. Whereas for Cromlix, which is my own hotel, it’s more important that I support in a different way—by attaching my name to it and using my experience as a regular traveler to help shape its direction.

I try to always be honest with my fans—what they see is what they get—which I sometimes don’t think is true of all influencers.

For most of the brands I’ve invested in, my profile is the most important thing. Having me on board as an investor helps give them credibility and drives awareness. Game4Padel is a good example of this—they are now the U.K’s leading Padel provider but when the company started out, nobody even knew what Padel was. It’s a really fun sport—a bit like a cross between tennis and squash—and I had played a bit when I was living in Spain, so I knew that it could do really well here in the U.K. I’ve used my profile to help them raise awareness of the sport first of all—and from there build the profile of Game4Padel. Now they are leading the way in terms of number of courts they have in the U.K.—and their pipeline of new openings is really exciting.

AW: With the rise of influencers in recent years, how much have you had to adapt your own approach to fan engagement?

AM: It’s something my team have been looking at and we’ve tried to do some different things, for example in the NFT space. I also put on my own tennis event a couple of years ago—and that was a great way of engaging with my fans a little bit more personally.

I try to always be honest with my fans—what they see is what they get—which I sometimes don’t think is true of all influencers. And although sometimes I end up saying the wrong thing, I think if you’re in the public domain, it’s good to be authentic.

AW: What advice would you have for future athletes as they figure out who they should represent and how important are other aspects of a brand deal besides the fee that they should consider?

AM: I think the most important thing is to be true to who you are. If a brand partnership doesn’t feel genuine, people can quite quickly see through that and it just doesn’t work. I’d also say there is a balance to be struck with how many partners you work with—too many and you can lose focus on what’s important.

AW: Is one particular athlete or person who you have admired as a brand ambassador and why?

AM: Michael Jordan. He is totally synonymous with Nike—and a whole generation grew up wearing his shoes and wanting to be him. They created a cool brand that continues to grow and push boundaries.