Following a discussion on NIL brand partnerships with student athletes, BevNET Live Summer 2024’s focus on the new era of sports marketing continued with a sit down talk with Barcode founder and CEO Mubarak “Bar” Malik, whose brand made headlines last year when it entered an exclusive partnership with NBA star rookie Victor Wembanyama.
In this video from the event, Malik and BevNET managing editor Martín Caballero discuss how Malik’s unique background as director of performance for the New York Knicks informed his approach to launching a hydration brand, the delicate walk of bringing pros in as investors and how authenticity was the key to winning “Wemby.”
Later in the discussion, the panel is joined by Grammy-nominated rapper Jadakiss, who recently joined the brand as an investor. He spoke about how “transparent conversation” and “words like ‘equity’ and … ‘health and wellness’” attracted him to the brand.
“The consumer can see when it’s forced, when it’s not organic,” Jadakiss said. “I think the best way to get anything out there is being truthful and standing on it.”