Why Travis Kelce is ‘beloved’ by many, even non-KC fans: Chiefs marketing head
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kelce’s authentic, relatable presence boosts fan engagement beyond Chiefs base.
- Chiefs marketing emphasizes Midwestern humility and team’s approachable brand.
- Krug is exploring women’s initiatives and kid-focused sports content.
The power of Travis Kelce is not lost on the folks in the Chiefs head offices, as heard in what the team’s chief marketing officer told Fortune ahead of the Super Bowl.
“I think what makes Travis Kelce so beloved by so many fans, casual fans, new fans, non-fans, non-Chiefs fans, is really how human he is and how much you really feel like he interacts authentically with his fans and who he is,” Lara Krug, Chiefs CMO, said in comments Fortune released on Super Bowl Sunday.
“You imagine that those conversations that you’re hearing him and his brother having (are) probably the conversations that they’re having off-camera.”
The comments come as Chiefs Kingdom awaits Kelce’s decision on whether to play another season. He and superstar singer Taylor Swift, Kelce’s fiancee, are expected to get married this year.
Signs that he could return have become more prevalent recently.
“I think there’s a lot of content that we see lately where (Kelce) talks about Kansas City and what the city and what the Chiefs mean to him. It doesn’t feel scripted,” said Krug. “And I think that’s what people want to see from their favorite players, in many cases their favorite celebrities, favorite superstars.
“He’s bigger than life in his personality, and yet I think many people feel like they could actually be his friend just given his experience and feeling on social media.
“And I think that’s what makes him really successful and really loved by so many around the world and especially within the Kansas City Chiefs Kingdom.”
The Chiefs hired Krug in 2021 as executive vice president and chief media and marketing officer, the team’s first CMO. She’s focused, in part, on making the Chiefs the “World’s Team” and bringing female fans to football.
In December, she told Variety that she’s interested in developing a project about women’s football teams and is exploring ways to produce kid-focused sports content in the vein of “The Sandlot” and “The Mighty Ducks” — maybe with players and their significant others involved.
“For me, it really starts with the heart and humble nature of the Midwest,” Krug told Variety. “The Chiefs brand feels unassuming and approachable, yet it’s paired with excellence on the field and a championship mindset. People everywhere are drawn to that combination: ambition without ego.
“It’s also genuinely fun. Our players look like they’re having as much fun with each other on the field as they do off of it, and that joy translates no matter where you live or whether you’re a football fan.”
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