James became an investor in Blaze in '12 and then an official commercial brand ambassador in '15blaze pizza
LeBron James' "massive fanbase" is a big part of why Blaze Pizza has been able to go from three to 300 restaurants in the U.S. in six years, and co-Founders Rick and Elise Wetzel "credit James with putting their brand awareness into hyperdrive," according to Jeff Beer of FAST COMPANY. James said that his relationship with Blaze "represents the future," compared to a time when athletes would just sign any available endorsement deal. Beer noted James "became an investor" in Blaze Pizza in '12. Then in '15, he left about $15M of McDonald's endorsement money on the table to "become an official commercial brand ambassador for Blaze." James said social media has "totally changed how athletes should think about the companies or products they get behind." James: "You have to really think about the company. What do they stand for? What's their marketing strategy? If I'm going to partner with someone, I need to be comfortable with taking you directly to my fans through my channels. It's a totally different perspective from when I started." Rick Wetzel said of James' involvement, "That was a big way to make us stand out. It legitimizes a brand when you have a credible spokesperson." He also said of James, "We don't use him on cups and billboards, but he talks about the brand. It adds authenticity to us, because he's a very authentic person" (FASTCOMPANY.com, 10/16).
