Loughborough University London partners with The Collective

The Collective, Wasserman’s women-focused division, has partnered with Loughborough University to aid in creating a positive and tangible impact on the current inequalities women in sport constantly face.

The Collective Think Tank is a global consortium of some of today’s greatest academic minds and industry leaders focused on gender parity and improving diversity. A first of its kind, this group will share data, insights and information to promote more opportunity for women to succeed in sports. The Collective Think Tank’s focus will be on cultivating partnerships between universities and researchers, as well as brands, properties, and media companies to educate and create solution-based strategies for industry-changing activations, campaigns and platforms.

This ‘first-of-its-kind initiative’ brings together researchers at academic institutions and sports organisations to gather and disseminate information to promote more opportunity for women to succeed in sports. Loughborough University London will be able to provide in depth research and discuss topics such as female fandom, including consumption and purchasing power, and how women who work in the business of sport are represented.

When talking about this initiative, Shelley Pirassa, Executive Vice-President of Wasserman Global Insights and Strategies, said:

“Women in sports – as participants, fans and consumers – currently face inequities ranging from a lack of exposure, to limited access and pay, and everything in between. Our goal with the Think Tank is to uncover the underlying basis for these inequities and address them head-on to set women on a clearer path to parity. We want to look at all angles of the industry and, by tapping into an incredible group of academic experts, we feel confident we can make a tangible, positive change.”

Dr Andrea Geurin, Institute Director for the Institute for Sports Business and internal representative for the group has spoken about this partnership and said:

“There are many sport scholars around the globe conducting research and attempting to tackle issues of inequity within women’s sport, including several of our faculty within the Institute for Sport Business. The Collective Think Tank provides an amazing opportunity for ISB to collaborate with faculty from multiple universities and one of the most successful sport marketing agencies in the world to hopefully amplify our impact on the women’s sport industry.”

This division is dedicated to boosting the visibility of women in sport and entertainment, by focussing on creating solution-based strategies for industry-changing activations, campaigns and platforms. To achieve its mission, The Collective Think Tank will work alongside brand partners such as AT&T, Nationwide and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), as well as the likes of ESPNW and Concacaf, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, as well as Loughborough University London.

As global trail blazers, Loughborough University London aim to historically alter the eco-system for the many women in sport, whether as participants, consumers or those passionate about the sporting industry. The aim is to systematically abolish stigma towards women in sport by leading by example within our institution and making viable contributions with partnering groups, such as The Collective, and carrying out quantitative research. By just participating in athletics, women are taking on a status quo and empowering themselves and other women around the world. Women have not only been setting records in sport in the last decade, but they’re often dominating the sporting news cycle.  The amazing feats that women have achieved in sport continue to push us forward through that glass ceiling we aim to one day break through, creating endless equal opportunities for women in sport.

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.

Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.

The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.