In the three years since the landmark 2021 Supreme Court ruling in NCAA v. Alston, the landscape of collegiate athletics has undergone a seismic shift. What began as a "Wild West" of unregulated endorsements and six-figure social media deals has matured into a sophisticated marketing ecosystem. While many brands have focused exclusively on the "Name, Image, and Likeness" (NIL) aspect—treating student-athletes as mere billboards—Texas-based supplement shot brand Ryde is pioneering a more holistic approach. By integrating professional internships into its NIL roster and launching high-octane campaigns with NFL legends like Rob Gronkowski, Ryde is setting a new standard for how brands can engage with athletes at every level of the game.
Main Facts: A Dual-Track Strategy for Growth
Ryde, a wellness brand specializing in functional 2-ounce shots—Energize, Focus, Relax, and Sleep—has successfully navigated the competitive supplement market by employing a two-pronged marketing strategy. The first prong is a localized, education-heavy NIL program that targets student-athletes not just as influencers, but as future professionals. The second is a high-profile celebrity partnership program designed to scale brand awareness on a national level.
The brand’s recent "Drink Ryde: It Works" campaign, featuring former NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski, serves as the cornerstone of its national outreach. Simultaneously, its internship program provides a blueprint for sustainable corporate-academic partnerships. According to Andre Denischuck, Ryde’s General Manager for Wellness and Stimulation USA, the goal is to create a symbiotic relationship where the brand gains authentic grassroots advocacy while the students gain the "extra-credit" of real-world business experience.
Chronology: From Legal Precedent to Campus Integration
The journey to Ryde’s current marketing dominance began with the 2021 Supreme Court ruling, which stripped away the NCAA’s ability to prevent athletes from profiting from their personal brands. In the immediate aftermath, the market saw a flood of deals for "blue-chip" athletes in high-visibility sports like football and basketball. However, Ryde saw an untapped opportunity in the "long tail" of collegiate sports.
Based in Texas, Ryde initially launched a campus ambassador program to build local brand affinity. This grassroots movement caught the attention of Baylor University’s athletic department. After witnessing their athletes engaging with the brand, Baylor officials initiated discussions with Ryde to explore how these informal arrangements could be structured into formal NIL deals.
In Fall 2025, Ryde elevated this partnership by introducing a formal internship program. Recognizing that the vast majority of student-athletes will not transition into professional sports, Denischuck and his team designed a curriculum that matched students’ academic pursuits with corporate needs. By June 2026, the brand scaled its national presence by launching the "Drink Ryde: It Works" campaign with Rob Gronkowski, transitioning from local campus hero to a household name in the functional beverage space.
Supporting Data: Quantifying the "Gronk" Effect
The partnership with Rob Gronkowski was more than a mere celebrity endorsement; it was a data-driven success story. Ryde’s public relations partner, Autumn Communications, facilitated the introduction, identifying Gronkowski as the ideal "brand fit" due to his unique blend of high-performance athleticism and a relatable, fun-loving personality.
The results of the "Drink Ryde: It Works" campaign, which ran from June through August, were staggering:
- Total Impressions: Approximately 661 million impressions generated through public relations efforts.
- Media Placements: Over 1,700 unique media placements across the United States.
- Social Media Impact: 44 million social impressions and 23 million video views.
- Consumer Reach: The campaign successfully reached 20 million individual consumers.
- Media Presence: Gronkowski represented the brand in high-level interviews with Fox Business, Sports Illustrated, and Men’s Journal.
While the brand is currently conducting a formal "brand lift" study to measure long-term awareness—targeting a mid-single-digit to double-digit percentage increase—the immediate financial impact is already visible. Denischuck confirmed a significant uptick in online sales specifically for the Focus and Sleep shots, the two products emphasized in the Gronkowski spots.
Official Responses: Authenticity as a Core Value
The success of Ryde’s marketing lies in its departure from the "scripted" nature of traditional advertising. Andre Denischuck emphasizes that whether they are working with a sophomore track star or a future Hall of Famer like Gronkowski, authenticity is the non-negotiable variable.
"After speaking with athletic directors around the country, it was clear and evident that a lot of these athletes aren’t going to go on to become professional athletes. The percentage is very low," Denischuck remarked regarding the internship program. "We thought it would be a great opportunity for us to help give back to the institution and provide internships to some of the NIL students that we sign on our roster."
This philosophy extended to the Gronkowski campaign. Rather than handing the athlete a rigid script, Ryde’s creative team collaborated with him over a 90-day production period. Gronkowski was encouraged to ad-lib and integrate the products into his genuine lifestyle.
"It’s about giving him the overall strategy of what the product’s looking to deliver and building a partnership as opposed to ‘this is what you need to say,’" Denischuck explained. "It’s important to give the creative flexibility for individuals to express themselves on the communication platform that they use."
Implications: The Future of NIL and Influencer Marketing
Ryde’s innovative model has significant implications for the future of the $1.1 billion NIL market and the broader influencer marketing industry.
1. The Professionalization of the Student-Athlete
By offering internships in activation, operations, and social media, Ryde is addressing a critical gap in the NIL era: the need for career longevity. When a brand matches an athlete’s internship tasks to their degree—such as a marketing major attending strategy meetings on target market communication—they are providing value that outlasts a one-time social media payout. This "work-study" NIL model is likely to be adopted by other mid-sized brands looking to build deeper ties with universities.
2. The Shift Toward "Performance-Plus" Personalities
The selection of Gronkowski highlights a shift in celebrity endorsements. Brands are no longer just looking for fame; they are looking for "credibility-plus." Gronkowski’s reputation for performing at the highest level while maintaining a lighthearted persona mirrors Ryde’s brand identity. This alignment ensures that when he promotes a "Focus" shot, the audience believes it is part of his actual routine, not just a paid script.
3. Functional Beverages and the 24-Hour Cycle
Ryde’s sales lift in Focus and Sleep shots suggests a growing consumer trend toward "occasion-based" wellness. By targeting the 18-to-44 demographic, Ryde is positioning itself as a companion for the entire day—from the morning "Energize" to the workday "Focus" and the nighttime "Sleep." The success of these specific SKUs during the Gronkowski campaign indicates that consumers are increasingly looking for functional solutions to modern stressors like burnout and insomnia.
4. Educational Responsibility in Branding
Perhaps the most forward-thinking aspect of Ryde’s program is its educational modules. By teaching student-athletes how to conduct themselves on social media and how to select brand deals that align with their personal values, Ryde is acting as a corporate mentor. This "socially responsible" approach to NIL helps mitigate the risks of young athletes making reputational mistakes that could haunt their future careers.
Conclusion
As Ryde prepares to relaunch its internship program for the upcoming school year, the brand stands as a testament to the power of thoughtful engagement. In an era where consumers are increasingly cynical about traditional advertising, Ryde has found a way to bridge the gap between corporate growth and community investment. By treating athletes as partners in business rather than just tools for promotion, Ryde is not only lifting its sales—it is lifting the prospects of the next generation of professionals. Whether through a 2-ounce shot or a 15-second "Gronk" ad-lib, Ryde is proving that in the modern market, authenticity is the most functional ingredient of all.
