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Most high-pedigree branding agencies in professional sports come from ritzy locations.
But if Avalon Sports loses any pedigree from its Buffalo roots, it makes it up in the scope of its service, attention to detail and long-term ambition, founders say.
One of the company’s co-founders is Deiver Montes, a Colombian native and former professional soccer player who relocated to Buffalo, his wife’s hometown, a few years ago. The other is Pat Matthews, a native of Niagara Falls who worked for the Buffalo Bills for 16 years. Matthews has a master’s degree in sports administration from Canisius College, where he is an adjunct professor, and participates on numerous local boards.
Their client list already includes Buffalo Bills running back Zach Moss, Houston Texans defensive end Shaq Lawson and a professional soccer player from Colombia. Lorenzo Alexander, a former Bills linebacker who now lives in Phoenix, came aboard recently as vice president of player engagement.
And the company’s bottleneck has nothing to do right now with demand, as numerous players from different leagues seek out the high-touch service that connects them with opportunities to connect with the communities in which they’re playing. It’s more about growing carefully, keeping that boutique feel even as the organization expands.
“The difference between working with Avalon Sports is that we truly put the client first,” Matthews said. “Whatever’s going on, we’re going to be the ones that help you take care of it.”
Matthews was assistant director of customer service at the Bills before he resigned to become an entrepreneur (his wife still works there). Through that role and his stature as one of the few African-American staffers for the team, Matthews became close with many players, and he had a chance to witness the barriers to them making connections with their communities, getting involved in meaningful causes and building their brands in the process.
He watched them pay money to marketing firms with limited scopes and skillsets. He decided they would pay for an evangelist who was truly in their corner.
It’s a marked difference from competitors who exist as cursory go-betweens for groups that want to reach the players, or that pass work off to the teams’ internal marketing departments.
"There was no one who was helping athletes maximize and build their brand while they still had relevant years left with their careers,” Matthews said. “Most marketing groups only work with the upper 10%. Avalon specializes in working with the person who believes in their brand and would like to grow their brand."
He became a professional athlete at age 14 and traveled from city to city throughout the world. Montes was ready for some stability, so after a ligament injury to his knee, he decided with his wife to test out Buffalo. He co-founded Avalon Media Group, a marketing agency that serves corporations, but watched with interest as professional athletes in Buffalo failed to earn recognition for their efforts. He and Matthews met through a mutual acquaintance, William Berard, who is Montes’ father-in-law. They discussed their complementary skillsets and formally co-founded Avalon Sports in October 2020.
Avalon Sports has a support team in Colombia, but it's looking to grow in Buffalo. The co-founders believe it is rare to find a high-touch agency that works in day-to-day management, public relations, sponsorships and endorsements and media. That's a niche they believe will appeal to athletes around the world. “We’re a Buffalo-based company with a national reach,” he said. “Our goal is to bring in people from Buffalo who have experience working with professional athletes and want to make not only locally but nationally.”
By Dan Miner – Reporter, Buffalo Business First
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