Inside the Huddle: Using Sports to Drive Business Goals with Steven Ziff

In the buildup to Front Office Sports’ Brand Marketing Huddle at the LA Stadium Premiere Center on July 11, we’re introducing you to the huddle leaders who will be lending their expertise to the conversation.

Today, meet Steven Ziff: Chief Marketing Officer with the Los Angeles Chargers. He will be one of the leaders of the huddle “Your Eyes Here: Using Sports to Drive Business Goals”. Ziff graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in marketing. In his current role, he is responsible for all areas of marketing, analytics/strategy, creative, content and production, fan experience, media/broadcasting, merchandising, digital/social and branded entertainment.

Prior to joining the Chargers, Ziff was the Chief Marketing Officer for the Washington Redskins  and the Vice President of Marketing and Digital Media for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ziff also spent time in Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League with the San Diego Padres and the Florida Panthers respectively. It was not Ziff’s original intention to pursue a career in sport.

“My passion was always advertising, but I always had a love for sports ever since I was a kid,” Ziff says. “When the opportunity presented itself to combine two of my passions and work in sports marketing I had to take advantage of it. I don’t think that there is anything more impactful in sports than being able to deliver alongside things that you’re passionate about.”

Ziff transitioned into sports after marketing roles with Office Depot, Inc., AMP Agency, and Student Advantage of college. With experience both in and out of the sport industry, Ziff can attest that there isn’t too much of a difference in marketing between the two worlds.

“Sports is just a vehicle,” he states. “It’s all about being able to tell a compelling story and provide value to your partners. The skills needed to do that as a marketer don’t change very much between industries.”

Learning from those around him has served Ziff well on his way to his current role. He believes this ability to be one of the most important traits for aspiring sports professionals to have.

READ MORE: Inside The Huddle: Group Player Rights with Steve Scebelo

“My advice to aspiring sports professionals would be to out-think and out-work everyone, and be a sponge,” Ziff says. ” In this day and age, there is fierce competition for every single role in our industry and only the most industrious, focused young professionals are the ones that will thrive.  While a lot of the sports industry is learning to develop modern skillsets – find a niche and build a unique point-of-differentiation that helps you standout and fill a gap in a particular organization.  Be open to leadership, guidance and mentorship – look for those that will be transparent with you and beg them for unabashed truth – the faster you accept your weaknesses, the faster you’ll grow beyond them.”

Meet Steven and hear more of his thoughts on the current brand marketing space at the Front Office Sports Brand Marketing Huddle at the LA Stadium Premiere Center in Los Angeles, CA on July 11. For tickets and additional info, click here.