When Markley Motors partnered with Colorado State Athletics and Learfield Impact, the goal was to create a meaningful NIL campaign that connected with the Northern Colorado community while supporting Colorado State student-athletes.
The campaign combined authentic storytelling, strategic athlete partnerships, and multi-platform content to deliver measurable business results for the longtime Colorado automotive brand.
The Opportunity
Markley Motors wanted to:
- Drive traffic to its dealership location
- Increase visibility among Colorado State coaches, administrators, and employees
- Build stronger awareness and support for Colorado State student-athletes
- Create authentic connections with the CSU community through NIL
Learfield Impact developed a custom NIL activation designed to align Markley Motors with student-athletes in a way that felt genuine, community-focused, and performance-driven.
The NIL Strategy
The campaign featured:
- 6 Colorado State student-athletes
- Representation across 4 sports
- 23 total media assets across digital and social platforms
Content focused on authentic storytelling and athlete-driven engagement, helping Markley Motors connect directly with fans and consumers through trusted voices within the CSU community.
Results
The NIL activation delivered strong engagement and measurable business impact, including:
- 3.93% engagement rate above industry average
- Significant increases in social engagement compared to traditional branded content
- Multiple vehicle sales attributed to the campaign
- Increased consumer interaction through comments, shares, and direct messages
The partnership demonstrated how NIL campaigns can move beyond awareness and generate real business outcomes for brand partners.
Why It Worked
The success of the campaign came from aligning the right student-athletes with a trusted local brand and building content designed for authentic engagement.
By leveraging Learfield Impact’s NIL expertise, Markley Motors was able to:
- Reach highly engaged Colorado State audiences
- Build credibility through student-athlete storytelling
- Create stronger emotional connections with consumers
- Support the next generation of student-athletes while driving measurable ROI