Approaching women’s sports audiences from this baseline of shared values is not only the right move from a moral standpoint, but also the right approach for a generation of consumers who care deeply about the values brands lead with. For many agency leaders, that approach begins with centering individuality, authenticity and representation.

“We call that approach ‘Nothing About Us, Without Us’ and it ensures that no stories are told without intentional representation on the creative and strategy teams,” said Macaela VanderMost, founder and executive creative director at Newfangled Studios. VanderMost points to a recent sponsorship between their client Bank of America and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur golf tournament as exemplifying how brands can celebrate women athletes from a place of empowerment, with the program offering more than 1 million hours of training and mentoring to women.

While the recent surge in interest around women’s sports may be surprising to some, for agency leaders it’s based on a familiar principle.

“Greatness sells, and that is not a gender-specific phenomenon,” said VanderMost. “If you’re still viewing women’s sports through the lens of micro-moments to cash in on, you risk being too narrow to get the most out of tentpole events and generational athletes, because those opportunities are only getting bigger.”

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This article was originally published on AdAge and can be seen here.