USA Fencing’s scrappy plan to make fencing a hit before the 2028 Olympics

CEO Phil Andrews is cold-calling CMOs, teaming up with overlooked Olympic sports, and enlisting everyone from Snoop Dogg to Hollywood sword fighters to bring fencing into the mainstream.

Fencing is one of the oldest sports in Olympic history. It’s also one of the least watched domestically. Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, is on a mission to change that, and with the 2028 Los Angeles Games on the horizon, he’s running out of time. In a masterclass in scrappy brand building, he shares how he’s building a sports brand with almost no budget and no marketing playbook, cold-calling CMOs, crashing Comic-Con, and convincing Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav to pick up a sword.