Morgan Davenport: Client Feature


This fall, INFLCR is highlighting our clients across college athletics, and their successes and lessons learned empowering athletes on social the past year. Thanks to these featured clients for not only empowering your athletes, but also being champions of the INFLCR app and platform!

In this Q&A, we’re featuring Morgan Davenport, Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications at Pepperdine University.


What was your career journey to get to this point in your career? 

I played basketball all my life through college, so when I looked at career paths, I knew it had to be something involved in sports. I graduated with a degree in journalism from a small D2 [that was also the first D2 school to sign on with INFLCR ;)] so I was able to work in the sports information department while I played [literally writing up post game recaps in the stands during our men’s games and on buses]. 

Post-grad, I reached out on a whim and applied for an associate position in the Events & Entertainment department within the Oklahoma City Thunder where I was able to learn from the team that produced the top fan environment in the NBA for several years running while freelancing for my alma mater’s sports media department [creating media essentially from the ground up- video, graphics, focusing heavily on Instagram].

After a year and a half working with the Thunder, I applied for grad school [more attempts than I’d like to admit]. I was finally accepted and readied for my first day of class when I received a call about my application to work at Pepperdine. I skipped my first day of grad school, hopped on a plane to Malibu and the rest is history.


What are the top 3 pieces of career advice you have? 

  • No job or title is ever too big for you. Don’t be scared to apply!
  • Kindness goes a long way but sincerity goes even further.
  • In college athletics, you are an advocate for student-athletes and their voice before anything else.

How has COVID-19 impacted your current role? 

Since March, Pepperdine, like many others, instructed all faculty and staff to work remotely.

Luckily most of the things we in the marketing and communications department work on can be completed from a laptop on a couch.


What are some of the changes and how have you adapted to continue executing your responsibilities? 

Not having sports to look forward to in the fall almost made us work harder as a group to keep promoting our student-athletes and coaches, implementing more social media activations and sponsored items as well as coming up with fresh ideas on how to best keep our fans engaged.


Aside from INFLCR, what is one thing that makes your job easier for you?

My student-athletes. When you are able to build a relationship with them that is more than simply “stand here and let me take your picture,” they begin to trust you a little more and realize you’re there to promote them and their journey.


If you could change one thing about the content industry, what would that be?

The pricing of equipment.

JK.

I would change the mindset of hierarchy and entitlement amongst the industry. When you open your mind to what more you could produce for your athletes instead of how high you climb the ladder for yourself, you foster a sense of growth and belief in bettering yourself for the service of others- bringing everyone around you up as well.


Keep up with Morgan:

Twitter: @mo_div

LinkedIn: Morgan Davenport

General

Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL)

CALS Panel Review: Navigating NIL

October 7, 2020

Subscribe to get the latest INFLCR news in your inbox.