Spalding is Driven by Her Love of Marketing and Access for All
Erika Spalding brings 25 years of experience to her role as chief marketing officer for Dill Dinkers, an indoor pickleball franchise. The franchise looks to expand and has hired Spalding as part of a new team to lead the way; others are Chief Technology Officer Rob Pless, Chief Development Officer Dr. Ben Litalien, Chief Financial Officer Roy Tarash and Chief Pickleball Officer Brian Lloyd.
Spalding has wide-ranging duties that include overseeing Dill Dinkers’ reputation management, brand value, and internal, investor and franchisee communications. She looks forward to providing franchisees with all of the tools and information to create an effective program that prioritizes profitability. “Our marketing plans focus on the most impactful activities that are both cost- and time-efficient. Franchisees don’t have time to spend hours on marketing.”
She discovered the indoor pickleball franchise when it became a client at her marketing consultancy, The ECSpalding Group. She previously worked with Dill Dinkers co-founder Will Richards at a nonprofit tasked with creating opportunities for people with disabilities. He reached out after she announced she was leaving the nonprofit to start her own business.
To stay ahead of the curve, Spalding believes Dill Dinkers will have their fingers on the pulse of the pickleball industry by connecting with leaders to gain insight into market trends, challenges and changes. “As a marketing professional, it’s incredibly exciting to be part of a burgeoning industry and to be a part of history as we change the landscape of pickleball and recreation across the nation.”
Spalding is well-versed in the area of accessibility, partly because she has a disability herself. She started playing pickleball in July 2022. While she doesn’t play as often as she would like, Spalding currently participates in a beginner’s league, which ensures that she can be on the court regularly.
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In addition to having a love of pickleball, marketing is in Spalding’s DNA, and she’s a naturally helpful person. In her view, marketing is about connecting people with the right product or service by providing them with easy-to-understand information. Spalding also loves the creativity and collaboration that come with the work.
She feels confident that the Dill Dinkers franchise is on an upward trajectory. Pickleball is booming in popularity, with robust growth expected during the next five to 10 years, Spalding pointed out. Franchise candidates should pay attention to demographics and how they are changing year-to-year, she said. “Many people assume that pickleball is a sport for retirees, yet the average age of a pickleball player is 38, and players 18 to 34 are the second largest percentage of players at 18.5%,” she added.
