In this conversation, Visa’s CMO Frank Cooper discusses the company’s strategic shift from NFL league-wide partnerships to targeted investments in teams and creators, emphasizing a fan-centric approach and the growing role of AI in enhancing marketing effectiveness. He also shares insights on sports marketing trends, the importance of storytelling in marketing, and his leadership philosophy centered on adaptability, continuous learning, and empowering teams.
In this insightful conversation at the NASDAQ market site, Frank Cooper, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Visa, shares his extensive experience and perspectives on marketing, technology, and sports partnerships. Cooper emphasizes the importance of timing in marketing, noting that being too early can be as ineffective as being too late. Drawing from his diverse career spanning Motown Records, Pepsi, BlackRock, and now Visa, he highlights the significance of investing in everyday-use products and services, such as payments, which maintain consumer habits through economic ups and downs. He also discusses his cautious approach to cryptocurrency investments, reflecting on missed early opportunities with Bitcoin.
Cooper delves into Visa’s strategic pivot away from its longstanding NFL league-wide partnership, which expires in 2026, towards deeper investments in individual teams, players, and creators. He explains that this shift is driven by a fan-centric approach, recognizing that fans connect more intimately with teams and players than with the league as a whole. Additionally, escalating costs of league-wide rights and the desire to explore emerging spaces like video gaming and creator platforms influenced this decision. Despite stepping back from the NFL’s official sponsorship, Visa plans to maintain a strong presence in American football through targeted partnerships and media investments.
The discussion also covers Cooper’s views on the evolving marketing landscape, particularly the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI). He advocates for a mindset shift from merely using AI to working collaboratively with it, enhancing marketing effectiveness across insights, strategy, content creation, and measurement. Cooper reassures that AI will not necessarily reduce headcount but will enable existing teams to deliver exponentially more value. He shares his favorite AI tools, including ChatGPT-5 and Google Notebook, underscoring the importance of continuous learning and adaptability in the face of rapid technological change.
Sports marketing trends and league evaluations form another key part of the conversation. Cooper describes Major League Baseball as experiencing a resurgence, the NHL as having a small but passionate fan base, and the WNBA as undergoing a renaissance fueled by rising stars and growing cultural appreciation. He expresses strong support for women’s sports, including the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), highlighting Visa’s commitment to investing more in these areas due to their cultural momentum and commercial potential. Regarding the NBA, despite recent scandals, Cooper expresses confidence in the league’s leadership and its global growth trajectory, emphasizing the importance of strong governance during challenging times.
Finally, Cooper reflects on his personal journey and leadership philosophy. Growing up in San Francisco and Carson, California, he credits his upbringing for instilling resilience and grit. He shares lessons learned from his early career in entertainment and entrepreneurship, including the importance of embracing change and continuous learning. Cooper stresses that marketing is fundamentally about storytelling that drives profitable consumer behaviors, not just advertising. He advises aspiring CMOs to cultivate curiosity, develop multiple specializations, and focus on building talented teams. His parting wisdom underscores that great marketing leadership is about enabling others and adapting boldly to change, a mindset that has propelled his successful career at Visa and beyond.