WTA Targets Change With Senior Appointments

The Women’s Tennis Association has announced a new three-year plan designed to transform its marketing operation into a digital and mobile centric editorial and publishing organisation, appointing Heather Bowler and Richard Libero to help drive this change.

The WTA said the new content driven marketing strategy, which runs from 2014 to 2016, is the first step in its vision ‘to be the most inspirational and exciting sports entertainment experience on earth.’

Changes in the strategic marketing direction include the creation of an integrated marketing team, which will enable an internal content news calendar and shoulder programming organisation across all WTA owned and controlled media. 

Website, mobile and social media content will also shift from a marketing channel to a publishing channel, allowing the WTA to drive content, narration and engagement across all its media and informational platforms.

Bowler, who will join the WTA in June after serving as global communications director for pan-regional broadcaster Eurosport, will lead communications and brand marketing efforts in her role as senior vice-president of communications. 

Based in the WTA’s European headquarters in London, Bowler will be responsible for the WTA’s strategic communications, media and public relations, advertising and will support the WTA’s player and tournament members in driving earned media across all channels.

Libero will join the team next week and will be based in the corporate headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. Libero comes to the WTA with a journalistic background and almost 20 years of digital and content production experience. Having been a part of building nhl.com and NBC Sports Regional Network, he will lead the transformation of wtatennis.com, wtachampionships.com, wta.cn, and all digital, mobile and social assets of the WTA, while working closely with the WTA’s broadcast team, rising stars and partners.

Alongside the new appointments, Emily Wright has been promoted from within the WTA to vice-president of marketing solutions. Wright will oversee all of the WTA’s sponsor partner programs and will proactively be responsible for generating activation ideas and programs that will be leveraged by WTA’s partners.