Born from rebellion, built for the future: Inside the WTA’s transformation

The hallmark of an effective logo is simplicity: The ubiquitous Nike swoosh, Apple’s modest apple, a clean, clear Netflix spelled out in red.

“The reality is, even the most powerful logos in the world cannot tell you what the brand is,” said Sarah Swanson, Chief Brand Officer for WTA Ventures. “What infuses those brands with meaning is the marketing, the PR and the storytelling around the logo.”

On Thursday, the Women’s Tennis Association unveils its new logo, a dynamic, streamlined affair with some coy nods to tennis. The color purple -- Heritage Purple -- has deepened, the letters are set on a rectangle that suggests the proportions of a court, there is a sense of movement and, if you look closely, the hint of a bouncing ball.

The initiative, of course, goes far beyond a three-letter logo. For months, Swanson and her team have been crafting a new brand identity, a creative reinvention they hope will strengthen the WTA’s global identity as the leader in women’s professional sports and entertainment, as well as inspire fans, empower players, and deepen partnerships.

Since its birth more than 50 years ago, the WTA has been a trailblazer in pioneering equality, redefining competition, and showcasing the world’s greatest athletes. This reimagination honors that legacy and, at the same time, looks forward to the future.

Rally the World: Welcome to the new WTA

At the core of the philosophy is the WTA’s chief asset: The players, the true brand ambassadors.

“I’ve been doing this for 20-plus years now, and people do not fall in love with brands and leagues -- they fall in love with players and teams,” Swanson said. “It’s about winning and losing. It’s about storytelling so people care about the players.

“Our players are beloved and famous. Yes, they’re independent contractors, but they’re independent contractors as part of a tour and tournament schedule that is the WTA. We’re treating them the way an entertainment entity treats its stars.”

Thus, a tennis court is more than just a tennis court. It’s also a stage for greatness. It’s a platform for a distinctive voice. Soon, you’ll be seeing personalized videos from these remarkable players, talking about the things that matter to them most. From the beginning, the WTA has worked with the players’ council to bring these changes to fruition. Swanson said she’s had individual conversations with close to 100 players, past and present, including the iconic founder, Billie Jean King.

Swanson learned her marketing chops at one of the world’s most successful sports operations, the National Football League. She was there for nearly 10 years, working in consumer and affiliate marketing and as the vice president of marketing for the NFL Network.

“When I took the WTA job, every single building block was there,” Swanson said. “What was missing was the thing that pulls all of that together. The foundation work we do is extraordinary, what we do for women’s health is amazing but it doesn’t ladder-up to this overarching thing. Until now.

“What I say here is that we have the backing and the legacy and the positioning to be able to behave with confidence. This is a confident brand that owns the preeminent position and the space.”

The timing seems to be fortuitous. The swiftly increasing interest in women’s sports was encapsulated last year by the extraordinary success of Caitlin Clark and the WNBA.

One of the brand personality phrases that captures the new mood is “Born from rebellion, rebels with a cause.” Indeed, in terms of women’s professional sports, that table was actually set by the WTA, which fought early and often for equal pay with men, something that was first achieved in 1973 at the US Open. Today that standard is in place at all four Grand Slams. Today’s top players can generate tens of millions of dollars in endorsements from the most discriminating luxury brands.

Fans will see changes far beyond the logo. Beginning Thursday, the website will feature a new dash of the electric color, Powered-Up Green. The fonts and graphics have been redesigned and updated and a completely new website will open for business in April. There’s a new social media template, too.

Beginning on March 5 -- the first-round at Indian Wells -- the WTA’s many broadcast partners will all be on the same page with respect to presentation. Swanson has been in communication with Tennis Channel, ESPN Latin America, Sky UK, Sky Germany, Sky Italia, CANAL+ of France, among others, to bring them up to speed.

The message: The WTA is a global sports and entertainment brand that will continue to break boundaries.

“For me personally, this is a huge opportunity,” Swanson said. “You don’t get many opportunities like this in a career. But professionally, the WTA is the No. 1 women’s sport by almost every measure.

“It makes me really excited to have a brand with hat positioning. It’s important for our players and our tournaments that we’re giving them the best platform so they can be incredibly successful.”