NAIA Launches Strategic Marketing Partnership with Crux to Serve and Strengthen Its Membership
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced a partnership naming Crux as the Official Marketing Solution of the association. This multi-year collaboration follows the success of a recent brand advocacy campaign developed by Crux, which has since been adopted as the organization’s new permanent tagline, “The Right Way to Play®.”
What began as a singular campaign has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership across several aspects of NAIA’s membership-led mission. Crux provides integrated marketing, digital strategy, and brand positioning support for the association, which represents nearly 250 colleges and universities.
“This partnership is a natural evolution of the incredible synergy we found working with Crux on our brand advocacy initiative,” said Jim Carr, president and chief executive officer for NAIA. “Crux understands that in today’s world, an athletics association must market itself with the same sophistication as a global brand while equipping its member institutions with the tools they need to amplify their stories and grow their own programs.”
Reshaping the NAIA Higher Ed Ecosystem
This partnership signals a deeper commitment to empowering higher-education brands — from associations to conferences to individual institutions — to rethink their marketing strategies in response to the evolving needs of student-athletes. Crux has experience helping colleges and universities recruit students from all over the country through strategic brand development, targeted omnichannel campaigns, and authentic storytelling.
"We bridge the gap between institutional goals and student aspirations, crafting marketing strategies that blend both,” said Ethan Whitehill, president and chief strategy officer for Crux. "Effective higher education marketing isn't just about filling seats; it's about helping students see their whole selves in a place where they can thrive."
Next up with NAIA is a higher education branding benchmark study based on some key insights that “The Right Way to Play®” campaign revealed alongside membership institution input.
“The landscape of higher education and collegiate athletics is shifting,” said Carr. “Through our work with Crux, the NAIA has gained a clearer vision for how to modernize our marketing — strengthening support for our members and advancing the student-athlete experience. We see an even greater opportunity to extend that strategic foundation across our membership, helping institutions adapt and compete amid complex structural change.”
About NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. NAIA members provide more than 83,000 student-athletes with opportunities to play college sports, earn $1.3 billion in financial aid from NAIA institutions, and compete in 29 national championships. naia.org | @PlayNAIA
About Crux
Crux is the “un-agency,” a radical rethink of what marketing can and should be. Our fractional CMOs, surrounded by a squad of specialists, focus on what truly drives a business forward – a high-performance machine built for branding, messaging, content, communications, digital marketing, and paid media – to elevate brands, amplify missions and fuel growth. Crux delivers everything you need, nothing you don’t. Growth, simplified. Learn more at findyourcrux.com.
