Andy Murray has added to his social media portfolio by joining LinkedIn, with the two-time Wimbledon champion eager to promote his business interests on the social media platform.
Murray is already prominent on Instagram and Twitter and now the Scot has confirmed his arrival on the business network LinkedIn with a welcome message explaining his thinking behind the move.
“Hi everyone, I’m excited to be joining LinkedIn,” wrote Murray. “Although I spend most of my time on a tennis court, I have a real interest in business. I’ll be using this platform to share updates on the business ventures I’ve invested in, important information from the charities I work with, and news from on and off the court. Stay tuned for more!”
Murray has been making moves in business for several years now and admitted in an interview that he has an interest in investing in projects that he believes can leave a lasting impression.
“When I started out as a tennis player, I don’t think I really understood marketing,” said Murray in an interview with Adweek.
“I just wanted to play tennis, so it didn’t really interest me. But as I’ve gotten older and worked with lots of different brands, I have a better appreciation of marketing and its importance in the business of sport.
“This is particularly the case now I have my own apparel brand, AMC. I get regular sales data updates, so it’s very clear to see when a marketing activity has had an impact and I find that quite motivating.”
When asked how he selects the brands he works with Murray continued: “It’s something I work on closely with my management team. I have some very clear boundaries for brands they know I wouldn’t work with, tobacco, gambling and alcohol companies, for example.
“And then we try to identify brands that share some of the same goals or values or ambitions as I have. American Express has a strong heritage in sport and—as a global brand—they invest in really great campaigns that are always fun to work on. I loved this year’s Wimbledon activation. Head has been a partner for over 20 years—I started playing with Head rackets as a teenager and have stuck with them ever since.
“The process of working with AMC was a really interesting one—I’d wanted to set up my own apparel brand for a long time.
“I felt there was a clear gap in the market for stylish tennis wear and so, with my team, we identified Castore as a brand that could help me deliver something I felt really proud of. I like the fact that they are a British brand, set up by two brothers—and that sustainability is important to them.”
When asked how he selects the brands he works with Murray continued: “It’s something I work on closely with my management team. I have some very clear boundaries for brands they know I wouldn’t work with, tobacco, gambling and alcohol companies, for example.
“Then we try to identify brands that share some of the same goals or values or ambitions as I have. American Express has a strong heritage in sport and—as a global brand—they invest in really great campaigns that are always fun to work on.
“The process of working with AMC (his personalised Castore clothing collection) was a really interesting one—I’d wanted to set up my own apparel brand for a long time.
“I felt there was a clear gap in the market for stylish tennis wear and so, with my team, we identified Castore as a brand that could help me deliver something I felt really proud of. I like the fact that they are a British brand, set up by two brothers—and that sustainability is important to them.
“I think the most important thing is to be true to who you are,” he added. “If a brand partnership doesn’t feel genuine, people can quite quickly see through that and it just doesn’t work. I’d also say there is a balance to be struck with how many partners you work with—too many and you can lose focus on what’s important.”
INSIDE ANDY MURRAY’S BUSINESS PORTFOLIO
Murray has claimed an impressive total of $64,246,026 in his glittering tennis career, placing him in fourth position on the all-time prize money list.
He has also made some successful investments off the court, with the latest accounts just published for his company 77 Management showing that it is valued at £21.4 million, a £900,000 increase on the year before and here are some of his big success stories:
The hugely impressive hotel was the stage for Murray’s marriage to his wife Kim, with the proximity of the estate near his Dunblane home one of the reasons why he bought the property in 2013 for a reported £2 million.
It has been turned into a luxury hotel with fine dining at its heart and, of course, a tennis court has been installed for all guests to say: I played on Andy Murray’s tennis court.
Castore
Murray became an investor in the luxury sports clothing brand when they were setting out on their journey and his endorsement proved to be a huge boost to a company set up by Liverpool-born brothers Phil and Tom Beahon.
Murray was the first high-profile sportsman to wear the brand, but they have agreed deals to provide kit for Premier League clubs, international cricket teams, golf players and a wide range of high-profile teams and star names in what is a booming company.
Game4Padel
Murray’s investment in the padel company gave them a huge boost in profile and he remains active in the promotion of their work.
Padel is a cross between tennis and squash and the installation of courts is an expensive block to the development of the sport in the UK.
Game4Padel installs courts for free at tennis clubs and other locations before recouping ther investment by hiring them out in a business plan that could be vital to the future of padel in the UK.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is another high profile investor in Game4Padel.
Hexagon Cup team
Murray expanded his involvement with padel by launching Team AD/vantage, the fourth franchise team to enter the new Hexagon Cup tournament that will take place in Madrid in February.
The presence of a Murray team will help bring a new fan following to the tournament, which also counts the Rafa Nadal Academy by Richard Mille, RL9 by Barcelona footballer Robert Lewandowski, and a fan-led Hexagon Cup team as confirmed entries.
Tech investments
Murray invested in tech start-up companies Perkbox and WeSwap back in 2016 and has an interest in technology firms.
As part of his “strategic relationship” with equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs, the former Wimbledon champion has invested two undisclosed sums into Manchester-based charity tech start-up GoodBox and ‘doctor on-demand’ platform ZoomDoc.
