Content Creator Eryn McVerry, Class of 1998 BY JEAN HUNT
Florida native Eryn McVerry (SM ‘98) recently became the senior vice president of brand and content strategy at Vinik Sports Group (VSG), a Tampa-based company whose portfolio includes the Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL) hockey team. McVerry’s marketing prowess has earned her many accolades, including making the 2019 Cynopsis “Top Women in Media” list for her work in esports. In 2014 she received Kinesiology’s Early Career Achievement Award. Movement Magazine: At Vinik, do you work only with TBL?
MM: What differences have you experienced working with esports versus working with more traditional clients? EM: Whether it’s esports or sports, the clients (or brands) are roughly the same. Budweiser creating a global campaign for the FIFA World Cup, or Bud Light creating the Bud Light
Eryn McVerry receives her 2014 alumni achievement award from Dean Ron Zernicke (left) and Kinesiology Alumni Society Chair Robert Haddad (right). Courtesy of Keith Tolman.
All-Stars of esports – both are building a connection to an audience. The rise in esports is due to brands seeing a viable audience for them to reach, an audience that is passionate about gaming, so in truth there are many similarities. Continued on next page.
| MOVEMENT | FALL 2020
Eryn McVerry: My new role encompasses multiple properties under the VSG portfolio. Owner Jeffery Vinik is truly transforming Tampa Bay with investments in revamping downtown and the creation of technology incubators. All of this wouldn’t be possible without the Tampa Bay Lightning. A lot of my focus is on the team as well as building our digital OTT [streaming content] network The Identity Tampa Bay.
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