A club's most valuable brand isn't just built. It's protected.

Most sports organizations invest enormous resources in growing their brand. But few dedicate the same effort to protecting it.

While clubs monitor athletic performance almost in real time, the value of their brand remains exposed to risks that often go unnoticed: identity theft, unauthorized digital assets, counterfeits, loss of control over the digital ecosystem, or crises that erode the trust of fans, sponsors, and partners.

We spoke with Tamara Navarrete Navas founder of Your Brand Value Sports , about why the brand has become one of the most important strategic assets in professional sports, how to truly measure its value, and why protecting it is no longer just a legal or technological responsibility—but a priority for any organization that wants to keep growing.

Tamara, what is the biggest mistake clubs and federations make today when managing their brand?

Thinking that the brand is a consequence of sporting results.

Results help, but they're not enough. A brand is built every day through reputation, fan relationships, digital experience, the ability to attract sponsors, and the cultural relevance of the organization.

Clubs that understand this generate value even during difficult sporting seasons. Those that don't are entirely dependent on the scoreboard.

2\. Why do you think many sports organizations still manage high-value brands with fragmented information or gut instinct?

Because historically, sports has prioritized measuring athletic performance over brand performance.

Today, a club can measure every sprint a player makes, but often doesn't know what factors are driving or destroying its brand value.

The information exists, but it's scattered across marketing, commercial, communications, sponsorship, and social media. The challenge isn't getting more data—it's turning that data into intelligence for decision-making.

3\. How does brand value actually influence the revenue of a sports organization?

It influences it directly.

Brand value determines the ability to attract sponsors, negotiate better commercial deals, sell merchandise, grow international audiences, and generate new revenue streams.

In the attention economy, the brand is the bridge between visibility and monetization.

4\. Do you think clubs are leaving commercial opportunities on the table by not adequately measuring their brand value?

Without a doubt.

Many organizations don't know which assets truly generate value for sponsors, which markets have the greatest growth potential, or which fan profiles are most commercially attractive.

What isn't measured is hard to optimize. And what isn't optimized ends up creating missed opportunities.

5\. What indicators should a club monitor to understand whether its brand value is growing or declining?

Beyond followers or impressions, I would recommend monitoring:

Brand strength.

Sentiment and reputation.

Digital interest trends.

Ability to attract sponsors.

Qualified engagement.

International audience growth.

Dependency on specific players or results.

Commercial revenues tied to the brand.

The key is to look at the full picture, not just one isolated metric.

6\. When we talk about brand, we tend to focus on growth. Do you think there's enough awareness about the factors that destroy value?

Not yet.

Most organizations focus on how to generate awareness, but spend less time identifying risks that erode trust.

Value destruction is usually silent: reputational crises, loss of authenticity, negative experiences, positioning inconsistencies, or lack of control over digital assets.

7\. How do threats like identity theft, counterfeiting, or unauthorized digital ecosystems affect the value of a sports brand?

They have a much greater impact than is usually perceived.

These aren't just legal or technological problems. They are direct threats to trust.

When a fan can't tell the difference between an official asset and a fraudulent one, the brand's credibility suffers. And when trust declines, so does engagement, loyalty, and commercial value.

8\. Can poor management of these risks affect the trust of sponsors, fans, or commercial partners?

Yes.

Trust is the foundation of any commercial relationship.

Sponsors want to associate themselves with solid, protected organizations. Fans expect authenticity and security. Partners look for stability.

A brand that doesn't adequately protect its digital ecosystem can create uncertainty among the very groups that contribute most to its growth.

9\. How do you envision brand management in sports five years from now?

Much more professionalized and data-driven.

I think we'll see clubs managing their brand with the same level of sophistication they currently apply to finances or athletic performance.

Artificial intelligence will make it possible to identify opportunities, anticipate risks, and measure the real impact of every decision on brand value.

The brand will no longer be a communications function—it will become a strategic business variable.

10\. If you could give one recommendation to club and federation executives about brand management, what would it be?

Start treating the brand as one of their most important assets.

The brand is no longer a decorative element or an isolated department. It is a lever for growth, differentiation, and revenue generation.

Organizations that manage it strategically will have a competitive advantage that is hard to replicate.

11\. In your view, who should take control of BRAND RISK in the digital ecosystem? The brand manager? Legal? Fraud? We'd like to identify the primary owner, even though we know other areas provide support and are also involved. Perhaps it's the evolution of the modern brand manager's role?

Responsibility should be cross-functional, but leadership should sit with the brand function.

The modern Brand Manager can no longer be limited to managing identity, campaigns, or communications. They must become the guardian of brand value, coordinating areas such as marketing, legal, cybersecurity, fraud, communications, and business.

Brand protection is no longer purely a legal or technological issue. It is a strategic one.

That's why I believe we'll see the Brand Manager role evolve toward a figure much more closely aligned with the comprehensive management of the brand as an asset—and all the risks that can affect its value.

By the end of our conversation with Tamara, one thing was clear: in sports, building a brand and protecting its value can no longer be separate strategies.

The more a brand grows, the greater its exposure. Identity theft, counterfeiting, unauthorized digital assets, or loss of control over the digital ecosystem can silently erode the trust of fans, sponsors, and partners.

That's why brand management is evolving. It's no longer just about measuring awareness, engagement, or commercial value—it's also about understanding what is putting that value at risk and taking action to protect it.

At Smart Protection , we work precisely at that intersection: helping organizations detect, prioritize, and act against the risks threatening their brands in the digital environment.

Because if the brand is one of a sports organization's most valuable assets, protecting its value should be part of the strategy to grow it.

Thank you to Tamara Navarrete Navas for sharing her vision and experience on how brand value management is evolving in the sports industry.

Tamara Navarrete Navas is the founder of Your Brand Value Sports, a Brand Intelligence platform that helps clubs, federations, and sports organizations measure and manage their brand value as a strategic asset. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, communications, and business development, she has worked in international environments and currently drives initiatives that connect branding, data, and artificial intelligence to improve decision-making in professional sports. Her work focuses on demonstrating that the brand is no longer an intangible element, but one of the key levers for growth and revenue generation in the sports industry.

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