WNBA star Lexie Hull explains power of word-of-mouth recommendations among women consumers

The GIST: On March 31st, WNBA star Lexie Hull co-launched Forta, a skincare brand designed for athletes. She’s amplifying her brand on Faves, a new platform that allows athletes to recommend products they actually use — no paid partnerships here.

• We chatted with Hull yesterday about what makes Forta and Faves special and why putting her skincare line on the platform makes sense, especially considering how women consumers interact and perceive brand recommendations. Sign us up.

The background: Hull initially got involved with Forta’s ownership group, tried out the products, and genuinely recommended them to family and friends, before expanding her recommendation to the Faves platform.

• Faves allows athletes to endorse their must-have products — for Hull, that’s “tall girl clothes” and her Theragun. What makes these recs so powerful is that these are not paid partnerships, meaning these are products that athletes genuinely love (though it’s worth noting that as a co-founder in Forta, Hull stands to profit from its success).

The why: Athlete recommendations are powerful because they are typically perceived as trustworthy by the general public. That’s even truer for women athletes, who are more engaging than other types of influencers because of their authenticity and personality.

• Brands should pay attention, Hull notes, because women are powerful (and curious) consumers, and word-of-mouth recs power purchasing consideration. “Women are buying more, trying new things, so I also think that’s so much of our mindset,” she said. Hull is right — women’s discretionary spending has been growing faster than men’s in recent years.

The takeaway: Paid partnerships are a no-go on Faves, and that’s a signal for brands to build genuine relationships with influential athletes so they’ll want to recommend those brands naturally. If athletes actually like a product, it’s going to show in their social media content — and it’s going to make broader, unsolicited co-signs possible.

• That’s what happened with Cameron Brink, who we spoke with yesterday (more on that soon). Brink said she actually drank Optimum Energy in her training, recommending it to all her teammates. Now, she and the brand have an extensive partnership, which matters as Brink said she’s becoming “more intentional” with her brand deals. Get in while you can.