From UFC Fight Pass to the Las Vegas Raiders: Building Marketing Teams That Win with Kristen Banks of the Las Vegas Raiders

What does it take to market one of the most iconic franchises in professional sports — and hire the team to do it?We explore that question with Kristen Banks, Senior Vice President of Marketing of the Las Vegas Raiders. Kristen spent nearly eight years at the UFC, rising from Content Marketing Manager to VP of Marketing for Digital Products, before joining the Raiders to scale a brand that relocated from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2019, building for a fan base that now includes 39 million annual Vegas visitors. KEY TAKEAWAYS00:00 Introduction: Kristen Banks, SVP of Marketing, Las Vegas Raiders.04:44 What the UFC looked like from the inside during its years of global expansion — from Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor to launching events in New York, Moscow, Paris, and Singapore.07:07 Why Kristen made the move from UFC to the Raiders, and what it felt like to watch Las Vegas transform into a professional sports city.09:02 The scale shift from Oakland to Las Vegas: a new stadium the Raiders own and a new audience of 39 million annual visitors.15:31 What most people get wrong about marketing: why great ideas are just the start, and why strategy, goals, and measurement are the real job.17:15 Leading as a woman in the UFC and the NFL: advice for women entering the sports industry, and what it means to work for a female president.22:41 Hiring philosophy: why Kristen looks for subject matter experts first, and why being a fan of the brand is never sufficient on its own.26:08 Memorable interview experiences: the personality-question-only disaster, and the candidate who prepared a YouTube research deck before their second interview.30:16 The difference between passion and fit, and how Kristen gives candidates a realistic view of what the job actually involves.40:15 Lightning round: best restaurant, hotel, and off-the-beaten-path spot in Las Vegas. Thank you for listening to “Hire Learning with Oz Rashid.” Don’t forget to leave us a review and subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. Connect with our host, Oz Rashid, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozrashid.  To learn more about MSH, visit https://www.talentmsh.com. RESOURCES MENTIONEDThe Mel Robbins Podcast (episode featuring Evy Pompouras, former Secret Service agent):https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-400/Allegiant Stadium:https://www.allegiantstadium.com/Las Vegas Raiders:https://www.raiders.com/#TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategy #EnterpriseHiring