Meet Ben Charles, our new Head of Sports Marketing

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Born and bred in the sports-mad mecca of Melbourne, Ben is the quintessential all-rounder, just like some of the athletes he’s worked with throughout his career. Get to know him here.

Meet-Ben-Charles-925x545-2

Born and bred in the sports-mad mecca of Melbourne, Ben is the quintessential all-rounder, just like some of the athletes he’s worked with throughout his career. He matches his marketing muscle with an unparalleled sport’s knowledge and has over 15 years of experience aligning with the biggest brands, clubs, and global companies in the country.

Ben’s talents include producing creative sponsorship strategies, negotiating deals, and maximising returns for both sides of the boardroom table. Oh, and his secret talent: he can solve a Rubik’s Cube!

Ben’s ‘sports team’ at home comprises of his wife Kristy, his two young children, Oscar (8) and Olivia (6), and the families Border Collie, Max. Ben spends his downtime immersed in his kids’ weekend sports as an off-field manager and a dedicated supporter, being an active part of the sports community.

The motto he runs by: Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making plans. Ben is ready to drive some extraordinary sports sponsorship experiences with the Because family including our roster of teammates and partners.

1. Which campaign or role in your career are you most proud to have worked on?

It’s difficult to pinpoint just one; they all have different levels of engagement. National activations during monumental sporting days on the calendar, such as the ANZAC DAY clash at the MCG and or managing sponsorship rights at the Bathurst 1000, are major highlights. Farewell tours across the country for big AFL names such as Dane Swan, Luke Hodge, and many others are also memorable. If I had to choose one, it would be early in my career where I brought to life the biggest community football tournament ever held for James Boags Draught (Lion). We brought together state-wide premiership teams for a single day carnival; the coordination behind it was massive. It was a privately run, promoted, and managed event that still sits within the memories of people I cross paths with today.

2. Which person, dead or alive, would you love to have dinner with?

Frank Sinatra. He’d be the ultimate dinner guest, and while we are using the hypothetical ‘dead or alive’ scenario, Iet’s step back to the early 1960s and dine in a dimly-lit Vegas bar. That era of politics, supercool stardom, and mobster innuendo intrigues me so much and Frankie headlines the list of icons for me. It’s incredible to think that in a time before instantaneous media and global connection how many from that period remain household names today.

3. What show are you currently bingeing on Netflix? And what makes it so ‘bingeable’?

I’m actually looking for the next page-turner (so to speak). My list of recently watched series include: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, Cobra Kai, Ozark, The Defiant Ones, and this may shock some: The Last Dance. For me, ‘bingeable’ means two things basically: I don’t fall asleep during an episode, and the last 30 seconds convinces me I must do another 45 minutes, immediately!

4. What’s your go-to drink? And why?

Red Bull. Honestly, it gives me wings.

5. Name one thing on your bucket list.

Super Bowl weekend in a sunny state. It’s the blend of American professional athletes with unmatched global marketing, the whole vibe of a city during the week’s leadup is the pinnacle of all sports entertainment. I’m not a fan of any team in particular, but I’m drawn to the build-up and the event itself.

Want to join an award-winning, creative-experiences agency? Check out our latest vacancies and you could be featured here!               

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Author bio

MANAGING PARTNER AU

I’m a media and marketing all-rounder, with 15 years’ experience across a range of channels. I’m fascinated by the shop floor and ‘real world’ and love getting out in the field, experiencing the action first-hand, and gathering and sharing consumer insights and knowledge.