KT Health, the leader in kinesiology tape and sports medicine taping products announced they are now partnering with pro basketball star center DeMarcus Cousins, who competed for Team USA in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Cousins joins James Harden as the second pro basketball athlete to be sponsored by the brand.
“Basketball, on both an amateur and professional level, is a sport that attracts millions of participants and fans around the world,” said Greg Venner, Chief Executive Officer of KT Health. “DeMarcus is an extraordinary athlete that we are proud to have join our family of athlete ambassadors and work with him to engage basketball enthusiasts for our products both domestically and abroad.”
KT Tape makes athletic tape designed to relieve pain and provide muscle support. Known as kinesiology tape, it’s a category still in its infancy on the consumer market. KT Tape has been at the forefront of bringing the product to athletes and other potential customers, quickly becoming a recognizable brand on store shelves. KT Tape, looking to keep the momentum going, has emerged as one of the most active Olympic sponsors.
Cousins has had nothing short of an impressive career. He was drafted fifth overall by Sacramento in 2010. He is a two-time NBA All-star and 2nd Team All-NBA during both the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He is the latest athletes to join KT Tapes family of athlete ambassadors, many of who competed in this year’s summer games.
“The length of a basketball season and the countless hours of training and practice can take a grueling toll on the body,” said Cousins. “KT Tape’s line of products provides me with the perfect tools to support my body on the floor and to also recover on my days off.”
The many brand athletes include:
Tony Azevedo (water polo), Haley Anderson (open water swimming), Joe Berenyi (Paralympian, cycling), Boris Berian (track and field), Tucker Dupree (Paralympian, swimming), Adeline Gray (wrestling), Sarah Hammer (track cycling), Olympic gold medalist James Harden (basketball), Molly Huddle (track and field), three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings (beach volleyball), three-time Olympian Meb Keflezighi (marathon), Brenda Martinez (track and field), Oksana Masters (Paralympian, cycling) and Melissa Stockwell (Paralympian, triathlon).
For the 2016 Olympics, KT Tape took a more deliberate approach to generate demand. True to its roots, KT Tape has formalized its ties to the Olympics with new partnership agreements that executives believe will further increase awareness of the product. With Olympic sponsorships in place, “we can marry the brand with the event that brought it to life,” Venner said. The company has signed five-year partnerships with seven national governing bodies, including USA Gymnastics, USA Track & Field and USA Wrestling. Early this year, KT Tape formed a partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee. Just in time for the in 2016 Olympics in Brazil, the deal made KT Tape the official kinesiology tape of Team USA, allowing the brand to include the Olympic logo on product packaging. KT Tape products will also be provided to Team USA athletes at training centers.
KT Tape sought out particular sports based on which athletes are using its products. According to Venner, the company did consumer research last year to determine which sports their customers play and how they use KT Tape. Potential television air time during the Olympics was another factor in choosing partnerships.
About KT Tape
KT Health (dba KT Tape), based in American Fork, Utah, is the category leader in sports medicine taping products — providing pain relief solutions and support for hundreds of common sports-related injuries. Used by professional athletes, Olympians and every day athletes, KT Tape products have been adopted in nearly every sport. Following the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, KT Tape experienced accelerated growth as its products became widely available in retail channels.
Currently, KT Tape products are sold in over 35,000 retail locations in the U.S. and 40 countries worldwide. KT Tape’s broad distribution covers sporting goods, food, drug and mass retail channels, as well as clinicians, online retailers and the company’s own e-commerce site, KTTape.com. KT Tape empowers consumers with a wealth of educational resources, including a vast library of online videos and on-site demonstrations at more than 150 athletic events each year. For more information, visit KTTape.com.