Follow her lead: Invisalign's four-step framework for impactful partnerships

🤿 Below the Surface

Here's what's on deck this week:

• Signal Strength:  The 4-step playbook Invisalign used to create powerful women’s sports partnerships

• In the Current: UEFA Women’s Euros is breaking records

• Blue Zone: Deep Blue is heading to Indy!

• Wave Watch: What’s your go-to strategy for women’s sports partnerships?

⚡️ Signal Strength  

How Invisalign Created Women's Sports Partnerships That Matter 

The future of women's sports partnerships isn't about logo placement. It's about meaningful connection. Invisalign has developed a 4-step framework that transforms traditional sponsorships into purpose-driven collaborations that deliver both business impact and social change.

Why it matters: The confidence crisis in girls' sports is severe—45% drop out before age 14 not because of skill issues, but due to confidence challenges. Even before sports participation, the gap is evident, with girls 20% less likely than boys to raise their hands in class by age 6. For brands entering women's sports, this presents both a responsibility to address this crisis and an opportunity to create meaningful connections.

The insight: Invisalign recognized this confidence crisis and built a partnerships methodology that reaches beyond logo placement, centering on authenticity to deliver important messaging.

The framework: Invisalign SVP of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing Kamal Bhandal's four-step guide to building authentic partnerships:

1. Discover talent through community immersion – Participate in sports communities to identify authentic partnership opportunities

2. Identify purpose alignment – Ensure partners have genuine connection to the product

3. Co-create athlete-centered activations – Develop experiences aligned with athletes' personal passions

4. Build meaningful community experiences – Structure partnerships around authentic storytelling, media opportunities, and live events

How it scored: This smart approach delivers both commercial impact and social value, with content consistently outperforming traditional advertising while addressing the confidence crisis affecting young women. For one, their award-winning "Swimming with Butterflies" documentary featuring Paralympic swimmer Lizzi Smith garnered over 5K views on YouTube, while related content with Lizzi on Invisalign's Instagram generated more than 350,000 views. The powerful storytelling resonated deeply with teen consumers and created a community-driven feedback loop that informs future partnerships.

The bottom line: For brands looking to make meaningful investments in women's sports, the lesson is clear: meet her where she is, focus on shared purpose, and build partnerships that deliver both business results and social impact.

Want to build women's sports partnerships that work? Read our full playbook to learn about Invisalign's complete framework.

📰 In the Current  

We monitor the current so you can ride the wave. Here's what you need to know this week:

• Day 1 of the 2025 Women’s Euros set a Swiss record for the most-attended women’s football match with 34,063 fans in attendance. 

• From Gotham FC’s Midge Purce to Manchester United’s Ella Toone, an increasing number of female football players are turning to media as they build their personal businesses.

• Cleveland’s newly announced WNBA team recorded 2,500 ticket deposits in the first 24 hours after the WNBA’s expansion announcement.

🦈 Blue Zone  

Deep Blue is heading to Indy. Join us July 18th for fireside chats, featuring a LIVE Good Game with Sarah Spain taping.

Register here to join us.

🌊 Wave Watch