Welcome to the blog of Dr. Lisa Burns' Media Studies senior capstone class (2 pm section) at Quinnipiac University. If you're looking for the latest on media industry trends and insightful media analysis, you've come to the right place!
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Sports Media & Marketing Blog 8, Question 1 (April 5)
Why is branding so important in sports? How is
it similar to, and different from, celebrity branding?What are some of the ways that successful athletes
and franchises leverage their brands in the marketplace?Limit:
15 responses
Branding is essential in sports for a variety of reasons. For starters, good branding resonates with trust and loyalty. As a sports team, having a brand that gives your team a personality that fans can build a connection with is critical. If an athlete or team has had success in the past, their brand will be able to remain strong even if they are in the midst of a couple of down years. Look at the Los Angeles Lakers. Currently, they are one of the biggest disappointments from the NBA this season. However, they had the most nationally televised games this season. One reason is that they have one of the biggest names in the game in LeBron James, but another reason is because of the team's history. In the brief period after Kobe Bryant, the lakers were abysmal, yet still either led or were near the top of the list regarding nationally televised games. As a franchise that has won 17 Championships, its successful history will keep its brand strong, no matter how bad they may be. Then again, it also helps to be in a major city like Los Angeles. The Cowboys have remained the most valued franchise in all sports, not just the NFL. In Mike Ozanian's article about the world's most valuable sports teams in 2021, he says, "He (Jerry Jones) bought the franchise in 1989 for $150 million and has since added a number of big-ticket amenities… The team delivered operating profits of $425 million on revenue of $980 million in the 2019 season, record results for the franchise." (Ozanian 2021). While the Cowboys have had some bad seasons in recent years, their value has continued to rise, and a big part of that is due to their success and the way they promote their team. I would argue that sports branding and celebrity branding is more similar than people may think. LeBron James's brand can be attached to basketball just like Tom Brady's brand is attached to football.
Some ways that successful franchises and athletes leverage their brands in the marketplace include visuals. Think of Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Everyone thinks of Michael Jordan when they see the Jordan logo, just like they think of LeBron whenever they see LeBron's logo. One successful way that athletes market their brands is through endorsements. Take Conor McGregor, for example. According to Brett Knight, McGregor made $22 Million in-ring but $158 million out of the ring. Knight says, "The real moneymaker was his sale of whisky brand Proper No. Twelve, buttressing an endorsement portfolio that includes DraftKings, the video game Dystopia: Contest of Heroes and the lifestyle brand Roots of Fight." (Knight 2021). McGregor can lose a fight, and his brand will not take a hit because of how well he promotes it. Athletes are not professionals when it comes to influencing. In his article about how athletes' brands and partnerships can deliver more value, Neil Horowitz says, "Instead of pre-written social media posts that read like ads, the athletes need to connect with their audience. They can post unique photos and videos, and write in the own voice… The athlete and brand can work together to create content for each of their social media channels—as a partnership." (Horowitz 2021). While how athletes and franchises promote their brands are different, they are all still promoting them. Athletes and franchises can improve how they promote their brands by looking at other successful athletes and franchises.
Horowitz January 5th, N. (2022, January 20). How a modern approach to athlete partnerships can deliver massively more value. Greenfly. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.greenfly.com/blog/activate-athlete-partnerships/
Knight, B. (2022, February 4). The world's 10 highest-paid athletes: Conor McGregor leads a group of sports stars unfazed by the pandemic. Forbes. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=48d7643526f4
Ozanian, M. (2021, May 14). World's most valuable sports teams 2021. Forbes. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=235650253e9e
Branding is extremely important in sports, maybe more so than in any other industry. In sports, it’s hard to feel as connected to your favorite players in comparison to your favorite musicians or actors. With musicians and actors, you’re constantly getting glimpses into their lives and interests, but in sports, you rarely get that element. Branding and sharing those other projects as a sports player is crucial in building those relationships with your fans. Celebrities need to have another interest that inspires their fanbase to keep them loyal. People in my generation are less likely to be sports fans and I think a large part of that is that we don’t get to see into their lives and rationalize them as real people as much as we can with other celebrities. People my age follow athletes because they “want that one-to-one connection” that they can't get otherwise (Silverman). People look up to celebrities because there is a part of them that admires what they do and their success. We want to be able to relate to them on a more personal level as well. This makes branding super important because it’s another way to build those fan relationships. Branding in sports is much different than other types of celebrity branding though. Very rarely do athletes branch out of their industry and pursue brands that aren’t related to sports. In other industries, celebrities will become a jack of all trades and pursue many different industries outside of their main hustle. Within the sports industry, a lot of the buzz is around marketing their athletes as “authentic.” Of course, this is important in all industries, but I think the main reason many athletes don’t step too far out of sports is to keep that strong, authentic brand (Gregory). On top of authenticity, a growing aspect of a good brand is social awareness and activism, which I see a lot in athlete branding. Having a social cause that they’re passionate about is super important in making athletes appear more personable as well (Fromm). In the society we are in, having social awareness is a necessity, athletes are no exception. Many successful athletes leverage their brands by doing partnerships with other athletic companies, such as Under Armour. Ex-WWE wrestler, Dwanye Johnson is a prime example of this. He is a branding genius and has leveraged his past athletic career in the marketplace by still promoting athletic-based brands. I think it’s important that athletes stay true to their brand, but I think in the future athletes should expand out of their industry into other trades, similar to other celebrities. I think exploring other industries will help to show the different aspects of their personalities and further build their brand with their fans.
Works Cited Fromm, Jeff. “The Evolving Use Of Athletes In Brands.” Forbes, 26 February 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2019/02/26/the-evolving-use-of-athletes-in-brands/?sh=4679f0530e7a. Gregory, Frank. “Analysing the 2021 SportsPro 50 Most Marketable Athletes list.” Most Marketable, 23 August 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/. Accessed 31 March 2022. Silverman, Alex. “The Sports Industry's Gen Z Problem: Fewer Fans, Lower Viewership.” Morning Consult, 28 September 2020, https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/. Accessed 31 March 2022.
Sports is part of our daily lives even if we don’t really notice or pay attention to sports. It seems that every day there is some sport event that is happening in the world that is drawing in so many fans in. There are so many different types of sports out there that people love watching on TV and attending in person. The three major sports in America are football, basketball, and baseball but that doesn’t mean other sports are played in American like soccer and hockey. The reason why football, basketball and baseball are the most popular sports in America is because of the branding of the sports. The NFL, NBA, and MLB have done an incredible job in marketing their sports and the athletes playing those sports. According to The Hollywood Reporter.com, the NFL reaches over 200 million people a year through television. The NFL has a huge market and a lot of fans who are die-hard fans of their favorite team. A lot of professional teams’ brand are worth a lot of money because of how they market their team and because of the popularity of the sport. According to Forbes. Com, the Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable team as of 2021. The Dallas Cowboys are worth about 5.7 billion dollars and that the five year change in value went up 43% which is crazy. The next top teams are the Yankees that are worth 5.25 billion and New York Knicks which are worth 5 billion. Sports branding is different from celebrity branding because the athlete is already being marketed by the league, they are playing in. Lebron James who plays in the NBA, is being marketed by the NBA because he has so many fans.
Also, Lebron James was a high school phenom and Nike help grow his image and branding. According the Andyedge.com, “Basketball players like other public figures, are brands in themselves.” One of the ways that sports branding and celebrity branding are similar is that they need a fan base or reach out to a certain audience. If Kim Kardashian doesn’t have any fans than she wouldn’t have a brand to build off. Athletes must be good in their sport to be able to create a brand of their own and reach an audience. One of the ways athletes leverage their brands is by being good at the sport they are playing. If they aren’t playing well than that means their brand won’t do as well and not that many people will be fans of them. They also must win games and championships to help grow their brand.
Andyedge. “Lebron James' Personal Brand and the Battle of the 23s.” Andyedge, https://www.andyedge.com/personal-brand-stories-lebron-james-basketball-branding.html. Ozanian, Mike. “World's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2021.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 May 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=33cefeb3e9e4. Weprin, Alex. “With $100B NFL Deal, TV Networks Keep One Foot in the Bundle and Another in Streaming.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2021, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/nfl-tv-streaming-analysis-4153564/.
Kylie Jenkins part 1 For famous people, branding is everything. While athletes are not technically traditional celebrities, like an actor or musician, they still have a lot of influence over the public and businesses. For athletes, it is almost more important for them to become their own “personal brand” than it is for more traditional celebrities. Celebrities share their lives for the public interest, whether that is through social media or through interviews, whereas athletes, unless they are a very popular “brand”, are typically only known for the sport they play. That being said, when an athlete branches out into other industries, they are able to become known for something outside of their sport. According to an article from Behindsport, “The usual, simple brand building process applies. Who are they? What do they do? Why do they matter? It’s their marketable story. It’s their on-field traits. It’s their personality. It is what they stand for. Their values. Their selling points as a person. It is what they are known for. The perceptions people have. Then it is about challenging those perceptions and accentuating the positives. It can launch a young talent. It can turn around damaged narratives and relaunch careers. It is about the regularity and consistency of messaging. A strong visual identity”(Russell). Branding is important if an athlete wants to make connections with fans on a deeper level, as well as to become a more recognizable name. It is similar to celebrity branding in the way that they try to branch out into other industries in order to strengthen their brand. One thing that is different in athlete branding versus celebrity branding is that no matter what industry an athlete expands into, they will always be known as an athlete first and foremost, at least in my opinion. For example, when I hear Tom Brady, I immediately think of football, and not his clothing brand or his diet.
Kylie Jenkins part 2 The most successful athletes leverage their brands in the marketplace by doing endorsements. According to an article from Front End Sports, “The world’s highest-paid female athletes have made a name for themselves in their respective sports, but most of the women make more money from endorsements than they do competing. The top 10 accounted for a combined $167 million in pretax earnings according to Forbes, a 23% increase compared to 2020. Tennis star Naomi Osaka topped the list at $57.3 million, with just $2.3 million of that coming from prize money.”(Gentrup). People always think that athletes make a lot of money, which is true, but what most people don’t realize is that it usually isn’t from the actual sport, but from brand deals the athlete does. When athletes collaborate with brands, they may also gain fans who will then tune in and watch them play. Over the summer, Athleta did a collaboration with Simone Biles, and I had never really been interested in gymnastics, but because I liked her clothing collection, I followed her Olympic journey. Conor McGregor has proven to be one of the most successful athletes in and out of the ring. According to an article from Forbes, “McGregor lands the winning punch, having leveraged his unmatched popularity in mixed martial arts to build a lucrative hustle outside UFC’s Octagon. The brash McGregor collected a total of $180 million over the last 12 months; most of that comes from his recent sale of his majority stake in whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million.”(Knight). Because McGregor was so popular in the boxing world, he used his fanbase to his advantage to make a hefty profit. If I had to make an educated guess, most people buy his whiskey because of the brand name, not because of the liquor itself. Gentrup, Abigail. “Highest-Paid Female Athletes Earned $167M in 2021.” Front Office Sports, 14 Jan. 2022, https://frontofficesports.com/highest-paid-female-athletes-earned-167m-in-2021/. Knight, Brett. “The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes: Conor McGregor Leads a Group of Sports Stars Unfazed by the Pandemic.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=2b43e96f26f4. Russell, Grant. “Athlete Brand Building and the Importance of It.” Behind Sport, 27 Sept. 2021, https://behindsport.com/athlete-brand-building-and-the-importance-of-it/.
Frank Gregory speaks heavily about the importance of marketing an authentic identity as an athlete in his "Sports Pro Media" article. He says that athletes who are capable of showcasing their authentic selves through social media have done well with marketing their image. He also insists that showing a human element to their marketing image helps their fans and followers relate to them. I personally believe Suni Lee uses her TikTok account to create a sense of relatability with her audience. Because Suni Lee is a college student at Auburn Univerisity and competes in both national and worldwide tournaments she holds a type of relevance factor to Gen Z audiences without overshadowing the fact that she is an Olympic Gold Medalist. She also posts videos that aren’t relevant to gymnastics which shows that she has a social life like any other young adult her age. Therefore, I believe this is why her following is so large on social media which not only helps her recognition and fan base as an athlete but as an influencer.
I would also argue that some athletes can target a fan base based simply on other work they do outside of sports. Speaking from someone who does not watch many sports other than tennis, I know and follow Colin Kaepernick on social media based on his new Netflix series he released last year and for his activism on his platforms. His Netflix series "Colin in Black and White" not only attracted viewers who recognize him as an athlete but also people who are invested in watching content that talks about social justice issues regarding race. His new children’s book "I Color Myself Different" discusses the topic of what it was like for him to grow up in a transracial household (Balaban). This book and his show align with the persona he has built for himself through activism. He is considered the most vocal protester within the NFL when it comes to police brutality and racial inequality and his extended works build off his identity as a leader for change (Balaban). Furthermore, I believe that by maintaining an authentic identity, Kaepernick is capable of staying relevant to his fan base regardless of his performance as an athlete.
Alex Silverman describes a new phenomenon in the sports industry’s Gen Z problem. Silverman describes a smaller percentage of people who consider them sports fans amongst Gen Z audiences compared to Millennial and Boomer generations. He says the main reasoning for this observation links to Gen Z’s viewing habits. According to the research in the article, only 1 in 4 individuals ages 13-23 said they watch live sports (Silverman). This puts into question if broadcasted sports events are a realistic model to attract younger audiences to sports media. I also would argue that a way of getting Gen Z audiences to watch live sports events on broadcast television would include marketing an athlete enough to make Gen Z audiences want to stay intrigued and watch them on TV. I personally believe that TikTok drew younger audiences to care more about the Olympics because athletes were displayed so frequently on social media this past summer.
Sources:
Balaban, Samantha. “Colin Kaepernick Says 'I Color Myself Different' in His First Children's Book.” NPR, NPR, 2 Apr. 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/04/02/1089986114/colin-kaepernick-i-color-myself-different-book.
Gregory, Frank. “Analysing the 2021 SportsPro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/.
Silverman, Alex. “The Sports Industry's Gen z Problem.” Morning Consult, 29 Sept. 2020, https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/.
Paul Logue Blog 8 Part 1 In sports, branding is everything. It is so important for not just athletes, but also for teams. Branding is what makes fans like certain players over others. Its why some athletes become the face of a franchise, and some don’t. It’s just like a business. Teams aren’t made by accident. They are very calculated. It’s all about how players fit into the city and team culture. This is why branding is so essential. Its why fans are so obsessed with sports. Conor McGregor took in 180 million dollars in the last year, while the top ten highest paid athletes took in a collective 1.05 billion dollars, (Knight). Athletes aren’t just making money off their contracts anymore. They are making a bunch of money off endorsement deals and their own personal brand. These athletes are brands on their own. This is very similar to celebrities. I know we had a debate over what a celebrity truly is, but to sports fans, athletes are very much celebrities. Most people would recognize Tom Brady or Michael Jordan if they saw them in public. They both have brands in their own names, with the Jordan brand and TB12. We have generations of people looking up to these players and teams. They become a part of our lives. If athletes want to reach that level of success off the field, they need to do more than just play their sports. This is when they reach celebrity status in my opinion. They have so much power to influence us. 96 percent of the top 50 most marketable athletes have posted about a sponsor in the past six months, (Gregory). These sports stars have multiple sources of income now, just as celebrities do.
Paul Logue Part 2 A lot of what these athletes and teams do is to set them apart from others. Teams may do this by free agency or making trades for players they know will get the fans excited. Sports are all around us, in the ads we see, and on our social media feeds. It has become a part of society. Take a team like the Dallas Cowboys. They are the most valuable franchise in all of sports with an estimated value of 5.7 billion dollars. Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys for 150 million dollars back in 1989. Since then, he has built an empire and has ties to so many different industries, (Ozanian). He did this by building a new stadium, new practice facility, investing in youth sports, esports, etc. It’s not enough to just own a team. You have to constantly be trying new things to leverage yourselves against others. This is what makes teams more successful over others. They don’t grow successful overnight. It takes very calculated risks to get there, while trying to keep every move “on brand”. I also think of a team like the Patriots. Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick have engraved the “Patriot Way” into the head of every player in that locker room. Every move fits in to the brand culture.
References Gregory, Frank. “Analysing the 2021 Sportspro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/.
Knight, Brett. “The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes: Conor McGregor Leads a Group of Sports Stars Unfazed by the Pandemic.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=7999046726f4. Ozanian, Mike. “World's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2021.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 May 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=54ad40a63e9e.
Many of the world’s biggest athletes make the bulk of their money from brand deals and branding themselves online. In the same way that a celebrity would create mutually beneficial partnerships, both athletes and celebrities do this to enhance their brand along with helping to give the brand they work for a more notable name. However, there are many athletes in the sports world who stray away from public branding efforts and stick to playing their game. After all, athletes make more than a livable wage just by playing their sport. This is where celebrities differ as celebrities rely more heavily on their branding and brand deals to remain relevant. Branding becomes important to athletes when it comes to creating a large fanbase and therefore becoming a more desirable player. According to an article released by Behind Sport, branding is crucial for athletes because it “generates interest, hype, and profile” which, the author says, “increases value for resale” (Russell, 2021). This provides an interesting take on why branding for an athlete is important because it alludes to the fact that an athlete becomes more valuable based on how well-known or liked they are in the industry. This makes sense considering how many athletes with huge fan bases are also some of the most sought after.
When it comes to other ways that branding is important for athletes, an article from Sports Pro Media touches upon three criteria for the benefits of branding. One that stood out as being particularly important is the discussion about authenticity. For many athletes, fans watch them on television play their respective sport and support them based on how well they do or who they play for. This article suggests that “the most marketable athletes are showing their personalities and speaking out” (Gregory, 2021) beyond what they do on the court, field, or ice. This brings forward the conversation about how much an athlete should be sharing about themselves online on social media. It is definitely important for an athlete to be transparent about who they are to their fans so they can maintain a positive image, but is it required? This article says that social media should be used as “a window into the human being” (Gregory, 2021). I believe this is one way that successful athletes leverage their brands in the marketplace. When there is a distinct personality associated with an athlete, they are more likely to be desired as a company spokesperson or brand partner. This article speaks in the same way when saying that those athletes who are choosing to share their lives outside of sports are “becoming the most marketable, since brands are able to clearly see a personality and can potentially align themselves with” (Gregory, 2021).
Additionally, athletes have been known to leverage their brands in the market in a way that makes them remain relevant after their sports careers end. A prime example given by Variety talks about the Manning brothers. Not only has Peyton and Eli Manning gained some leverage during their Monday Night Football telecast, but they have also sparked interest in other companies such as ESPN Disney who just recently signed a deal with them to create further productions. According to an article from Variety, “the Manning’s have captured, on average, 13% of the total audience for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” during the regular season” (Steinberg, 2022). The truth of the matter when it comes to the manning brothers, is their personal brands have made them both marketable and desirable even after their football careers ended.
Works Cited Gregory, B. F. (2021, August 23). Analysing the 2021 sportspro 50 most marketable athletes list. SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/ Russell, G. (2021, September 27). Athlete brand building and the importance of it. Behind Sport. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://behindsport.com/athlete-brand-building-and-the-importance-of-it/ Steinberg, B. (2022, February 10). Inside the manningcast: How ESPN and two Football Brothers Are Transforming Sports TV. Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://variety.com/2022/sports/features/espn-manningcast-superbowl-sports-tv-ratings-1235175580/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7
Abigail Rica Branding in sports is a key component to success. Sports are something that everyone likes to watch as any age can enjoy. A sport that is very successful is soccer. Many people like to stream soccer. According to Bloomberg, “Soccer is also a big deal for streaming because of what sports are not available. For the most part. Media companies are still making the biggest sports leagues, like football,basketball and baseball, exclusive to cable-TV subscribers”(Shaw, L). Through this many companies can take advantage and use soccer stars to promote their products. Sport branding is very similar in celebrity branding, as you want a persuader to promote your products. Or create a clothing line, so people feel like that athlete. If you are a basketball fan, and buy something from Steph Curry you will feel empowered and like a better athlete. According to the NYPost, “ NBA star Stephen Curry is set to launch a new line of sports apparel on Tuesday called “Curry Brand” with longtime retail partner Under Armour. Curry Brand will include footwear, apparel and accessories and extends the hoopster’s relationship with Under Armour beyond his original 2013 basketball sneaker deal to include golf, other sports and a women’s line, the company said Monday(Fickenscher, L). Sports branding is also different because you can have streaming platforms just for sports. Unlike celebrity branding where they have a TV Show or movie, but a whole streaming service is different. Apple TV+ has jumped on this idea. In this source it states, “The MLB deal is the first foray into live sports for Apple TV+. It’s Friday Night Baseball package will feature two weekly matchups along with pre- and postgame shows, with no local blackouts. Apple will also produce MLB Big Inning, a live show featuring highlights and look-ins to games on every weeknight of the regular season”(Porter, R). This is a huge deal for Apple TV+ and will generate more users to sign up to use their subscription service. I feel that when athletes have a great season, everyone wants to sign a deal with them. I think if I was a girl who loved sports and idolized an athlete, and they come up with a clothing, or a shoe line. I would want everything from that collection. Isn’t that the beauty of being a great athlete, you can inspire the youth. As a society, we desperately need that. Sports branding is definitely different from celebrity branding. But its very similar in the sense that you need a personable persuader to promote a brand, or products or even services. That person needs to also make sense to promote. You aren’t going to have Tom Brady promoting a men's suit company but instead a sports drink that gives your body electrolytes.
Work cited Fickenscher, L. (2020, December 1). NBA's Steph Curry to create new brand with under armour. New York Post. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://nypost.com/2020/11/30/nbas-steph-curry-to-create-new-brand-with-under-armour/
Porter, R. (2022, March 8). Apple enters sports arena with Major League Baseball Streaming deal. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/apple-major-league-baseball-streaming-1235106716/
Shaw, L. (n.d.). Bloomberg.com. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-12/mls-playoffs-set-up-the-league-for-a-big-payday-from-streaming-services?utm_medium=email&%3Butm_source=newsletter&%3Butm_term=211219&%3Butm_campaign=screentime
For any celebrity, branding is vital to curating a successful image. When it comes to sports, an athlete's brand doesn't just affect the individual's reputation, but the sports organization they are a part of as a whole. Focusing on creating a strong brand image in sports creates a competitive advantage against other sports teams and athletes from other organizations in the same industry (BrandStartSports & Entertainment, 2021).
Similar to celebrity branding, a person needs to get their name out there for popularity and ultimately create loyal fan recognition. Sports branding is different because athletes don’t come to fame the way traditional performing celebrities do, even though fans look at them as being on the same playing field (Glover, Morse, 2019). It's noticeable that on social media, Hollywood and music industry celebrities post often and engage their audience. Famous athletes tend to remain more reserved on social media and the only element we know about them is their metrics and stats. The personal lives of our favorite sports players spark curiosity in fans making them exceptionally successful when they have influencer deals. The top 50 valuable sports franchises this past year drastically increased to $3.4 billion this year (Ozanian, 2021). Out of 26 teams being football, 9 basketball, 9 soccer, and 6 baseball, two notable teams in the marketplace are the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees (Ozanian, 2021). These two teams prioritize the fan experience and come up with other equitable ways to generate an impressive net worth. This is done through improving stadium amenities, merchandising business, and owning stakes/investments in different industries.
As for the athletes, MMA fighter Connor McGregor raked in a cumulative $180 million this past year (Knight, 2021). Despite his legendary fight in the Octagon against Mayweather, most of his income was from his recent majority stake sale in Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million (Knight, 2021) and is not considering buying Manchester United.
Forbes' top 10 highest-paid athletes were all men. Although, I found it interesting that it is women athletes who have been the most successful in leveraging their brand in the social media sphere. Women’s college basketball is exceeding the marketers' dream of social media reach (Copeland, 2022). These women have obtained impressive partnerships, curated their brands, and have taken their title as an athlete to the next level through investing in different markets. Panthers Chief Strategy Officer Sam Doerr mentions how these female athletes reach a different demographic than men's athletics, successfully capitalizing on the media environment (Copeland, 2022). The best part about this is that some athletes do not necessarily have to have a large following. The lower following can lead to more personal engagement strategies that are successful for brand deals and partnerships. As marketing tactics begin to focus more on the digital side, it should be interesting to see how male and female athletes use their social profiles as a personal brand to connect with their audience.
Works Cited:
BrandStartSports & Entertainment (2021, December). Why Is Branding So Important in Sports? Vocal Media Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://vocal.media/journal/why-is-branding-so-important-in-sports
Copeland, Kareem (2022, March 30). Who’s making the most from NIL? Women’s basketball is near the top. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/03/30/womens-college-basketball-endorsements-nil/
Glover, Darren & Morse, Mark (2019, February 5). Athletes Are Often Lagging Compared to Celebs in Creating a Stand-Out Brand on Social Media. AdWeek. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/athletes-are-often-lagging-compared-to-celebs-in-creating-a-stand-out-brand-on-social-media/
Knight, Brett (2021, May 12). The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes. Forbes. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=335bec1626f4
Ozanian, Mike (2021, May 7). World’s Most Valuable Sports Teams 2021. Forbes. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=6abbfb913e9e
Branding in sports is important for not only the specific athlete, but also heavily affects the team as a whole. An athlete’s brand and presence in the media may be the reason certain fans even follow a particular team in the first place. Having a successful brand will make it clear to fans where a sports athlete stands within the industry and humanize them on and off the field. A successful brand affiliated with an athlete will also make them more noteworthy and recognizable to not only their fans, but also their competitors. According to the article ‘Exploration and conceptualization of Athlete Brand Image’, “Previous branding studies have documented results of successful branding such as: influencing the probability of brand choice, willingness to pay premium price, marketing communication effectiveness, and promotion of positive word of mouth” (Arai, Ko, Ross). This is similar to celebrity branding because brand image and identity is everything when it comes to creating a successful personal brand. In my previous blog, I discussed how Rhianna has created a strong brand by remaining authentic and creating a beauty brand to represent women that often feel overlooked through her beauty brand, Fenty. Rhianna is an icon in the eyes of many from her long music career and beauty brand, just as an athlete may be a hero to fans. Heidi Browning, Chief marketing officer for the NHL stated, “You see this shift in sports where kids are following athletes first, then they’re following clubs and then they’re following leagues because they want that one-to-one connection with the athletes, or athletes that they admire'' (Silverman). However, celebrity branding does slightly differ from branding athletes because an athlete’s positive reputation must stay intact because it reflects the integrity of the team as well. A PR crisis will not only fall on the athlete, but also the team and will put their values in question.
To be a marketable athlete, they must be authentic to their personal image and the brand they are affiliated with. Without authenticity, it will be very hard to connect with the public off the field and make a name for themselves. In Frank Gregory’s article,“Analyzing the 2021 SportsPro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List”, he discusses this, “athletes who show their authentic personalities and speak out about their passions away from the field of play are often more marketable than athletes who stick to posting on social media about their sport” (Gregory). He highlights the US women's national soccer team in his article and refers to them as having the “perfect storm” of marketability, especially because they hold 9 out of 50 spots on the most marketable athlete list. This was accomplished from many factors including that they are outspoken about social causes, clearly play in unison with many household names, and they utilize social platforms as a window into their personal lives to display their values to the public (Gregory). Moreover, Celebrity brands versus athlete brands have many similarities and differences, however, authenticity remains the key factor to success when it comes to any brand. Arai, Akiko, et al. “(PDF) Branding Athletes: Exploration and Conceptualization ...” Research Gate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259160325_Branding_athletes_Exploration_and_conceptualization_of_athlete_brand_image. Silverman, Alex. “The Sports Industry's Gen z Problem.” Morning Consult, 29 Sept. 2020, https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/. Gregory, By: Frank. “Analysing the 2021 Sportspro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/.
As we have talked about in the past few weeks, branding and marketing is something very important to celebrities and influencers, but it is also important for sports teams and athletes. Having the right brand as a sports team can impact many things, “The right brand for sports professionals is a way to show what you stand for within the industry” (Zcolman). It also allows fans to have something to identify with and makes it easier for the team to be recognized. A sports team that is well branded will be able to be recognized instantly, whether that is the logo or the team’s colors. This will also help continue to grow the team’s fanbase and build trust with the fans (Zcolman).
The 2021 world’s most valued sports teams came from football, basketball, soccer, and baseball. They are all propelled by escalating media rights deals. The Premier Soccer League has domestic media rights deal worth $2.18 billion, the NFL licensed a decade of TV rights for $10.3 billion a year starting in 2023, The MLB will get an average of $1.84 billion a year from its national media deals starting next season, and the NBA will get an average of $2.6 billion a year through 2024-2025 (Ozanian). This kind of funding for media coverage helps team’s brands a lot. More viewers will create more fans to watch and follow these athletes.
Athletes aside from the team also have important brands of their own. They have authentic personalities and speak out about passions away from the game. This can be more impactful than athletes who stick to posting on social media about their sport (Gregory). However, social media is now a very important aspect of an athlete’s brand. Before social media fans only knew about their favorite players on the field but knew nothing about them off the field. Social media allows for athletes to post about their lives off the field so fans can get to know them better. This overall helps an athlete’s brand if fans know more about them (Gregory). Being open and honest about things you care about is also important. When Simone Biles withdrew from the Olympics because of her mental struggles, she received a great reaction from the community. Many sided with her, knowing that it is okay to prioritize your own mental health (Gregory). These types of athletes that are open and show their personalities are the ones who are the most marketable. These athletes are also more likely to get brand deals and sponsorships (Gregory).
Today athletes using social media in order to brand and market themselves is very similar to how we have seen celebrities’ market themselves. For both athletes and celebrities to brand their selves well to the public they must utilize their social medias to their advantage. The difference is that athletes can brand themselves through their team and promote that brand and their own brand. Celebrities just have themselves to market and brand to the public.
Works Cited: Gregory, By: Frank. “Analysing the 2021 Sportspro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, SportsPro , 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/. Ozanian, Mike. “World's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2021.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 May 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=1af1763b3e9e. Zcolman. “Why Is Branding so Important in Sports?” Creatitive, Creatitive , 11 Aug. 2021, https://creatitive.com/why-branding-is-important-sports/.
Branding is so important for anybody that is well-known, whether that be athletes or an A-list celebrity. In today’s day in age, where we see everything on social media, an athlete’s brand must be up to par. We live in a world where anyone who is well-known must be socially responsible. So to have this support and following, athletes must cater to their brand. An athlete with a strong brand that comes to mind, and is also mentioned on SportsPro’s Most Marketable Athletes at number one, is Simone Biles. Not only is Simone Biles one of the greatest athletes and gymnasts of my lifetime, and all time, but her brand shines just as bright as that talent of hers. Through her young age, her social advocacy, her leadership skills, it is no question why she is number one on that list. One exemplary mention of good branding is her decision to partner with Athleta after being unhappy with Nike’s brand after hearing about their maternity leave policies (Masunaga, 2021). She didn’t like what was happening at Nike, so she switched partners, creating her own narrative, which many athletes have not had this same power to do. Probably the most well-known step for brand success was her decision to drop out of the Tokyo Olympics for mental health reasons. While she faced all sorts of backlash from angry, lazy men sitting at their computers tweeting all sorts of slurs and hateful speech towards her, she set the narrative for her fans and for the general public. So even though lazy men are not on her side, she has all the girls and the respectable men on her side. Simone Biles is the GOAT, and we know that she cares about her well-being and therefore other’s. Not many athletes have as good of a brand as she does.
Part 2 Now, I am not a sports fan- I have never considered myself one. And according to the Morning Consult, this is a common trend amongst gen z. According to the study, gen zers were twice as likely to say they never watch sports (Silverman, 2020). With the rise of social media popularity and the decrease of attention spans, Esports are taking over. “‘You see this shift in sports where kids are following athletes first, then they’re following clubs and then they’re following leagues because they want that one-to-one connection with the athletes, or athletes that they admire,’ said Heidi Browning, chief marketing officer for the NHL” (Silverman, 2020). It’s the same thing for musicians and actors- we want to feel like we connect to these athletes. There has been a huge shift, not just in sports but in Hollywood too, where the space and mystery between star and fan is closing. We live in a world now where it’s connection first, then we can choose to follow if we want. What I mean by this, and what the Silverman article touches upon, is that now for athletes to become widely liked, their social responsibility and social brand must be held to a standard if athletes want to generate more fans. I feel like it’s the way of the world now. Obviously, there are well known athletes that I know like Lebron James, and Steph Curry, but that is solely because I heard about them when I was young and live sports were the thing to watch and follow. But now, the only new athletes I’ve ever heard of are solely because they come up on my “for you page” on Tik Tok, and then I follow them from there if I want.
So in conclusion, sports branding is as important as ever.
Works Cited: Masunaga, S. (2021, July 26). Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast alive, could be the next marketing goat too. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-07-26/simone-biles-and-endorsements Silverman, A. (2020, September 29). The sports industry's Gen z problem. Morning Consult. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/ SportsPro 50 MM Athletes. SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable. (2021, October 18). Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/athletes/
Branding is just as important in the sports industry as it is in any other. Just as celebrities and television benefit from branding, so do sports and the athletes that play them. Branding for a sports team can open the door to many opportunities to grow their audience and engage with their fanbases. One example of branding benefitting sports and reaching a larger target audience is the Superbowl. Because the Superbowl has made a name for itself and is branded as the biggest football game of the year with a performance from the biggest stars. By making a name for itself, the Superbowl has gained viewers of all different demographics. Sports branding is also a chance to create a loyal fanbase and give fans an insight to their favorite athletes’ lives. Branding through team colors and mascots are especially beneficial as it creates a community among the fans. Sports branding is similar to celebrity branding in the way that social media has elevated the interaction between the celebrity and the fans. Women’s basketball, specifically, has done a great job at keeping up with their social media presence. For example, “Twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who announced they are entering the NCAA transfer portal from Fresno State, have 4 million followers on TikTok, have been on a Times Square billboard and recently co-funded a streetwear company with a 25 percent ownership share, according to Forbes,” (Copeland). Sports branding is also similar to celebrity branding because they have both partnered with brands to endorse a product or line. One example of a sports brand partnership is “UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin signed NIL deals with Shell, Degree deodorant, advertising agency UniWorld, grocery delivery service Duffl, Boost Mobile, Discord and Clearcover car insurance,” (Canton). Brand partnerships are a great way to get athletes’ faces in the media, as well, as some athletes may not be as active on social media and we typically don’t get to see them out of uniform on television. In addition to this, as media continues to evolve, so does the branding strategies of sports teams and agencies. After recognizing the success of multiple streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV, and more, “the NFL is developing a subscription streaming service that would include games, radio, podcasts and team content,” (Kaplan). This is a great opportunity for the NFL to profit off of their viewership as well as gain even more of a loyal audience than they already have. If other affiliates decided to follow in their footsteps, this would create competition for other streaming services as there would now just be one place to watch their favorite sports instead of having to subscribe to package deals such as Hulu and ESPN. While there are some differences between celebrity and sports branding, overall, they both benefit greatly from doing so and will continue to see this pattern in the future.
Sources: Canton, Rafael. “Adweek Article: Student-Athlete and Brand Partnerships Increase Following New Nil Policy.” LEARFIELD, 11 Jan. 2022, https://www.learfield.com/2022/01/student-athlete-and-brand-partnerships-increase-following-new-nil-policy/.
Copeland, Kareem. “Who's Making the Most from Nil? Women's Basketball Is near the Top.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 30 Mar. 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/03/30/womens-college-basketball-endorsements-nil/.
Kaplan, Daniel. “NFL Considers Creating a Streaming Service of Its Own.” The Athletic, The Athletic, 28 Mar. 2022, https://theathletic.com/3213873/2022/03/28/nfl-considers-creating-a-streaming-service-of-its-own/.
My family never watches sports and therefore I dont either. I never felt that it wasn’t normal to not watch sports. Most of my friends didn’t care for sports either. Today, Gen Zers are “twice as likely as millennials to say they “never” watch live sports” (Silverman, 2020). Because no one close to me was a big sports fan, I simply never pay attention to the sports world. When I came to Quinnipiac I was completely shocked by the amount of hard core sports fans I encountered. The more I learned about the life of die-hard sports fans, the more interesting I found the world of sports. Branding within sports is everything. Sports teams use their unique name, colors, logo and mascot to create a brand image that is recognizable. When sports teams are branded effectively, they help to create a sense of belonging within the audience. Fans of sports feel like they can identify and fit in with other fans. Branding a sports team gives the team a personality that fans build a connection with (Schäferhoff, 2016). Sporting brands in particular are very recognizable due to the fact that their branding is so consistent. Celebrities and influencers work to brand themselves. They often brand themselves through their personality, looks, sayings and values. However, as an individual celebrities change often which can effect their brand image. Sporting teams lose and gain players without changing the overall brand image of the team. Consistent and constant messaging is one of the best ways to develop a brand image and sporting teams excel in doing so. Another reason sports teams are so recognizable is because fans often wearing merchandise with the logo or colors of a sports team. This allows fans to be walking advertisements for that team or league (Retadmin, 2021).
Kyra Moos Part 2 The importance of branding for sports team can also be proved when looking at the world’s most valuable teams. The top teams on this list consist of the Dallas Cowboys at number one and the New York Yankees at number two (Ozanian, 2021). I find this to be interesting because these teams are the most valuable but are not the most talented in terms of playing the sport. Branding is the reason these teams hold these positions. For example, the New York Yankee logo has been around for centuries and is a key image tourists recognize when visiting the city. The Yankees have leverage over other baseball teams due to the fact that they are from New York, arguably America’s most popular city. I think that understanding the world of sports was a pivital moment in my understading of branding. I think that the ways in which public relations professionals brand and manage celebrities is drastically different than sports teams. Works Cited Ozanian, M. (2021, May 14). World's most valuable sports teams 2021. Forbes. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=721aab63e9e4 Rctadmin. (2021, February 15). Merchandising for sport and why it is important: The Rockland County Times. The Rockland County Times | Rockland County's Source for Real News Since 1888. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.rocklandtimes.com/2021/02/15/merchandising-for-sport-and-why-it-is-important/#:~:text=Merchandising%20is%20key%20to%20any,to%20get%20their%20money's%20worth. Schäferhoff, N. (2019, July 2). Sports team branding and how to do it right. ThemeBoy. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.themeboy.com/blog/sports-team-branding/#:~:text=Sports%20Team%20Branding%20Increases%20Trust%20and%20Loyalty&text=Same%20works%20for%20sports%20teams,build%20an%20emotional%20connection%20with. Silverman, A. (2020, September 29). The sports industry's Gen z problem. Morning Consult. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/
Almost everyone loves sports. Sports are part of our life and culture. Branding is extremely important in sports. It is important for the athlete, but also for the team or brand he is playing for. Honestly, the most important reason for branding is for trying to make more money. It is kind of similar to celebrity branding because athletes are also famous people. However, athletes are particularly known for what they are good at, whereas a celebrity’s personality plays a bigger role. However, nowadays good athletes also want to become celebrities, they want to be both. A good example is Michael Jordan. He was probably the best basketball player ever, but he also wanted to have an impact outside of basketball. He has his show “the last dance”, and of course his own Jordan shoe collection. I think a lot of people do not even know Michael Jordan because of his basketball skills, but because of his shoe collection. According to an article from Forbes, “the brash McGregor collected a total of $180 million over the last 12 months; most of that comes from his recent sale of his majority stake in whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million”(Knight). Furthermore, Lionel Messi, the best soccer player ever earns a lot of money outside of soccer. “As well as his PSG salary, Forbes reports that Messi makes more than $30 million in endorsements including lucrative deals with Adidas, Gatorade and Pepsi” (Insider). Messi transferring from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain was also a smart PR stunt for PSG. This is because every Messi fan, and trust me there are a lot of them, wants a new t-shirt with Messi on it because they are not going to walk with an old shirt because he doesn’t play at FC Barcelona anymore. Another interesting statistic that I found is that according to goal “PSG's online presence has grown exponentially with Messi on their books, with 20 million subscribers gained across all of their social media platforms in the first week after his signing alone” (Goal). So, branding is important for athletes to let the world know who they are outside of their sport. Furthermore, branding is important for teams/clubs because they want to have a good reputation, so they attract good athletes, and they will get more deals and sponsorships. A Bloomberg article I read said that “soccer has become the go-to sports property of the streaming era. Viacom CBS’s Paramount+ has a wide array of matches, including the UEFA Champions League and Italy's Serie A. Peacock has the English Premier League, which NBC just renewed for more than $2.5 billion. ESPN+ has MLS, Spain’s La Liga and others” (Bloomberg). This just clarifies how important it is for clubs or even leagues to have a good reputation, so they can sell rights to broadcast them to other countries.
Cooper, Sam. “Lionel Messi Has Made over $1.2 Billion in His Career so Far. Here Are the Endorsement Deals That Make Him One of Sport's Richest Men.” Insider, Insider, 12 Aug. 2021, https://www.insider.com/lionel-messi-endorsements-sponsorships-paris-saint-germain-billionaire-2021-8.
Knight, Brett. “The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes: Conor McGregor Leads a Group of Sports Stars Unfazed by the Pandemic.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=4fe7751126f4.
“Messi Financial Boost to PSG Revealed: Shirt Sales, Sponsorship and Social Media Breakdown.” Messi Financial Boost to PSG Revealed: Shirt Sales, Sponsorship and Social Media Breakdown | Goal.com, https://www.goal.com/en/news/messi-psg-shirt-sales-sponsorship-social-media/blt58386af5f29fed5b.
Building a brand whether an individual is an athlete or any other form of celebrity, is paramount to the overall success of that person’s career. Branding is what helps set a reputation and image in the eyes of the public. However, brand building also leads to partnerships with various companies, endorsements and other lucrative business ventures that can help reap large rewards. As for athletes in particular, branding is vital to their overall success in both their careers as athletes and even off the field as well. In today’s day in age, a large portion of professional athletes earn much of their money through endorsements, brand deals and through marketing themselves on social media. An athlete’s ability to build a brand/following for his or herself, also factors into their overall stock/desirability as a player. This can and does often affect the teams that are interested in certain players, and subsequently how much their contract offers are worth. An excerpt from an article in FrontOfficeSports does a great job at explaining the importance of an athlete’s branding. The line reads “With respect to athletes, how they brand themselves is imperative to the individual’s overall success; it helps them convince their current — and future — employer(s) that they are a good fit for the organization.” (Yagman). Similarly to one another, both athletes and their celebrity counterparts both utilize branding. However, brand building serves different levels of importance for each party. Athletes earn large salaries from their respective teams, but utilize branding to earn additional money through endorsement deals and other business ventures such as clothing/fragrances/beverages/etc. Celebrities count on branding for many of the same reasons, but professions such as acting or music may be different. Celebrities who are either actors or musicians have large periods of time in between the release of their next films or albums, so it is necessary for these celebrities to keep their names in the public eye and ensure that they stay relevant in their respective field of work. This again can be achieved through making their own products/companies, endorsement deals with clothing lines/fitness gear/beverages/etc. This is how the concept of building a personal brand for one’s self differs in terms of importance between athletes and celebrities. Athletes utilize branding to acquire endorsements and create their own personal brands/companies as a means of added revenue outside of their playing careers, while celebrities depend on their brand identity to remain relevant in their area of work.
Brand building is something that has grown rampant in the world of sports, so much so that if you aren't actively seeking endorsements and business ventures outside of the sport, you will almost surely struggle to stay relevant amongst the fans. One aspect of an athlete’s brand that has come across as the most important to garnering new fans is the idea of personality. It has been shown that fans will be more likely to gravitate towards an athlete/player who expresses emotion and shows off their personality. (Gregory). There is no better example of this than UFC superstar Conor McGregor. The former UFC Lightweight Champion, has made a career for himself by not only dominating the sport of MMA with his outstanding fighting skills, but also his loud persona. Fans have flocked in droves to see this man fight and hear his outrageous trash talk. His personality is electrifying and bold, something that few athletes in UFC or any other sport can offer. His monumental success in the ring and his popularity amongst fans, has helped him launch several business ventures. The most popular being his famous Proper No. Twelve whiskey, which he recently sold majority ownership for upwards of $150 million. He also is the face of a new mobile game in the app store, as well as his own fitness brand and an Irish pub in Dublin that he opened just over a year ago. Mcgregor earned roughly 180 million last year and was the top earner on the Forbes list. (Knight). Another athlete who is at the pinnacle of branding is none other than soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo has cemented himself over the years as arguably the best to ever play the sport of soccer, but he has managed to leverage his brand for some insanely profitable business ventures that will extend even past his retirement, whenever that day comes. He has north of 500 million social media followers, which has led to a trove of brands giving him massive endorsement deals to post their products on social media. (Corzo). When Roanldo signed for Serie A’s Juventus in summer of 2018, the club saw an incredible 60 million dollars worth of jersey sales in the first 24 hours alone. Not to mention, Cristiano also has secured a lifetime deal with Nike for his cleats that they produce.
In conclusion, branding has become an essential tool for both athletes and celebrities in today's day in age. Without it these high profile individuals risk losing out on both money and sustained relevance amongst their respective fans and landscape. We have seen how athletes like Conor Mcgregor and Cristiano Ronaldo have set the stage for branding and building personal brands, and how this idea can lead to long-term success both currently and beyond their careers.
Matthew Miller
ReplyDeleteBranding is essential in sports for a variety of reasons. For starters, good branding resonates with trust and loyalty. As a sports team, having a brand that gives your team a personality that fans can build a connection with is critical. If an athlete or team has had success in the past, their brand will be able to remain strong even if they are in the midst of a couple of down years. Look at the Los Angeles Lakers. Currently, they are one of the biggest disappointments from the NBA this season. However, they had the most nationally televised games this season. One reason is that they have one of the biggest names in the game in LeBron James, but another reason is because of the team's history. In the brief period after Kobe Bryant, the lakers were abysmal, yet still either led or were near the top of the list regarding nationally televised games. As a franchise that has won 17 Championships, its successful history will keep its brand strong, no matter how bad they may be. Then again, it also helps to be in a major city like Los Angeles. The Cowboys have remained the most valued franchise in all sports, not just the NFL. In Mike Ozanian's article about the world's most valuable sports teams in 2021, he says, "He (Jerry Jones) bought the franchise in 1989 for $150 million and has since added a number of big-ticket amenities… The team delivered operating profits of $425 million on revenue of $980 million in the 2019 season, record results for the franchise." (Ozanian 2021). While the Cowboys have had some bad seasons in recent years, their value has continued to rise, and a big part of that is due to their success and the way they promote their team. I would argue that sports branding and celebrity branding is more similar than people may think. LeBron James's brand can be attached to basketball just like Tom Brady's brand is attached to football.
Some ways that successful franchises and athletes leverage their brands in the marketplace include visuals. Think of Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Everyone thinks of Michael Jordan when they see the Jordan logo, just like they think of LeBron whenever they see LeBron's logo. One successful way that athletes market their brands is through endorsements. Take Conor McGregor, for example. According to Brett Knight, McGregor made $22 Million in-ring but $158 million out of the ring. Knight says, "The real moneymaker was his sale of whisky brand Proper No. Twelve, buttressing an endorsement portfolio that includes DraftKings, the video game Dystopia: Contest of Heroes and the lifestyle brand Roots of Fight." (Knight 2021). McGregor can lose a fight, and his brand will not take a hit because of how well he promotes it. Athletes are not professionals when it comes to influencing. In his article about how athletes' brands and partnerships can deliver more value, Neil Horowitz says, "Instead of pre-written social media posts that read like ads, the athletes need to connect with their audience. They can post unique photos and videos, and write in the own voice… The athlete and brand can work together to create content for each of their social media channels—as a partnership." (Horowitz 2021). While how athletes and franchises promote their brands are different, they are all still promoting them. Athletes and franchises can improve how they promote their brands by looking at other successful athletes and franchises.
Horowitz January 5th, N. (2022, January 20). How a modern approach to athlete partnerships can deliver massively more value. Greenfly. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.greenfly.com/blog/activate-athlete-partnerships/
DeleteKnight, B. (2022, February 4). The world's 10 highest-paid athletes: Conor McGregor leads a group of sports stars unfazed by the pandemic. Forbes. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=48d7643526f4
Ozanian, M. (2021, May 14). World's most valuable sports teams 2021. Forbes. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=235650253e9e
Vera Helein
ReplyDeleteBranding is extremely important in sports, maybe more so than in any other industry. In sports, it’s hard to feel as connected to your favorite players in comparison to your favorite musicians or actors. With musicians and actors, you’re constantly getting glimpses into their lives and interests, but in sports, you rarely get that element. Branding and sharing those other projects as a sports player is crucial in building those relationships with your fans. Celebrities need to have another interest that inspires their fanbase to keep them loyal.
People in my generation are less likely to be sports fans and I think a large part of that is that we don’t get to see into their lives and rationalize them as real people as much as we can with other celebrities. People my age follow athletes because they “want that one-to-one connection” that they can't get otherwise (Silverman). People look up to celebrities because there is a part of them that admires what they do and their success. We want to be able to relate to them on a more personal level as well. This makes branding super important because it’s another way to build those fan relationships.
Branding in sports is much different than other types of celebrity branding though. Very rarely do athletes branch out of their industry and pursue brands that aren’t related to sports. In other industries, celebrities will become a jack of all trades and pursue many different industries outside of their main hustle. Within the sports industry, a lot of the buzz is around marketing their athletes as “authentic.” Of course, this is important in all industries, but I think the main reason many athletes don’t step too far out of sports is to keep that strong, authentic brand (Gregory). On top of authenticity, a growing aspect of a good brand is social awareness and activism, which I see a lot in athlete branding. Having a social cause that they’re passionate about is super important in making athletes appear more personable as well (Fromm). In the society we are in, having social awareness is a necessity, athletes are no exception.
Many successful athletes leverage their brands by doing partnerships with other athletic companies, such as Under Armour. Ex-WWE wrestler, Dwanye Johnson is a prime example of this. He is a branding genius and has leveraged his past athletic career in the marketplace by still promoting athletic-based brands. I think it’s important that athletes stay true to their brand, but I think in the future athletes should expand out of their industry into other trades, similar to other celebrities. I think exploring other industries will help to show the different aspects of their personalities and further build their brand with their fans.
Works Cited
Fromm, Jeff. “The Evolving Use Of Athletes In Brands.” Forbes, 26 February 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2019/02/26/the-evolving-use-of-athletes-in-brands/?sh=4679f0530e7a.
Gregory, Frank. “Analysing the 2021 SportsPro 50 Most Marketable Athletes list.” Most Marketable, 23 August 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/. Accessed 31 March 2022.
Silverman, Alex. “The Sports Industry's Gen Z Problem: Fewer Fans, Lower Viewership.” Morning Consult, 28 September 2020, https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/. Accessed 31 March 2022.
Elias King
ReplyDeleteSports is part of our daily lives even if we don’t really notice or pay attention to sports. It seems that every day there is some sport event that is happening in the world that is drawing in so many fans in. There are so many different types of sports out there that people love watching on TV and attending in person. The three major sports in America are football, basketball, and baseball but that doesn’t mean other sports are played in American like soccer and hockey. The reason why football, basketball and baseball are the most popular sports in America is because of the branding of the sports. The NFL, NBA, and MLB have done an incredible job in marketing their sports and the athletes playing those sports. According to The Hollywood Reporter.com, the NFL reaches over 200 million people a year through television. The NFL has a huge market and a lot of fans who are die-hard fans of their favorite team. A lot of professional teams’ brand are worth a lot of money because of how they market their team and because of the popularity of the sport. According to Forbes. Com, the Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable team as of 2021. The Dallas Cowboys are worth about 5.7 billion dollars and that the five year change in value went up 43% which is crazy. The next top teams are the Yankees that are worth 5.25 billion and New York Knicks which are worth 5 billion. Sports branding is different from celebrity branding because the athlete is already being marketed by the league, they are playing in. Lebron James who plays in the NBA, is being marketed by the NBA because he has so many fans.
Also, Lebron James was a high school phenom and Nike help grow his image and branding. According the Andyedge.com, “Basketball players like other public figures, are brands in themselves.” One of the ways that sports branding and celebrity branding are similar is that they need a fan base or reach out to a certain audience. If Kim Kardashian doesn’t have any fans than she wouldn’t have a brand to build off. Athletes must be good in their sport to be able to create a brand of their own and reach an audience. One of the ways athletes leverage their brands is by being good at the sport they are playing. If they aren’t playing well than that means their brand won’t do as well and not that many people will be fans of them. They also must win games and championships to help grow their brand.
DeleteAndyedge. “Lebron James' Personal Brand and the Battle of the 23s.” Andyedge, https://www.andyedge.com/personal-brand-stories-lebron-james-basketball-branding.html.
Ozanian, Mike. “World's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2021.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 May 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=33cefeb3e9e4.
Weprin, Alex. “With $100B NFL Deal, TV Networks Keep One Foot in the Bundle and Another in Streaming.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2021, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/nfl-tv-streaming-analysis-4153564/.
Kylie Jenkins part 1
ReplyDeleteFor famous people, branding is everything. While athletes are not technically traditional celebrities, like an actor or musician, they still have a lot of influence over the public and businesses. For athletes, it is almost more important for them to become their own “personal brand” than it is for more traditional celebrities. Celebrities share their lives for the public interest, whether that is through social media or through interviews, whereas athletes, unless they are a very popular “brand”, are typically only known for the sport they play. That being said, when an athlete branches out into other industries, they are able to become known for something outside of their sport. According to an article from Behindsport, “The usual, simple brand building process applies. Who are they? What do they do? Why do they matter? It’s their marketable story. It’s their on-field traits. It’s their personality. It is what they stand for. Their values. Their selling points as a person. It is what they are known for. The perceptions people have. Then it is about challenging those perceptions and accentuating the positives. It can launch a young talent. It can turn around damaged narratives and relaunch careers. It is about the regularity and consistency of messaging. A strong visual identity”(Russell). Branding is important if an athlete wants to make connections with fans on a deeper level, as well as to become a more recognizable name. It is similar to celebrity branding in the way that they try to branch out into other industries in order to strengthen their brand. One thing that is different in athlete branding versus celebrity branding is that no matter what industry an athlete expands into, they will always be known as an athlete first and foremost, at least in my opinion. For example, when I hear Tom Brady, I immediately think of football, and not his clothing brand or his diet.
Kylie Jenkins part 2
DeleteThe most successful athletes leverage their brands in the marketplace by doing endorsements. According to an article from Front End Sports, “The world’s highest-paid female athletes have made a name for themselves in their respective sports, but most of the women make more money from endorsements than they do competing. The top 10 accounted for a combined $167 million in pretax earnings according to Forbes, a 23% increase compared to 2020. Tennis star Naomi Osaka topped the list at $57.3 million, with just $2.3 million of that coming from prize money.”(Gentrup). People always think that athletes make a lot of money, which is true, but what most people don’t realize is that it usually isn’t from the actual sport, but from brand deals the athlete does. When athletes collaborate with brands, they may also gain fans who will then tune in and watch them play. Over the summer, Athleta did a collaboration with Simone Biles, and I had never really been interested in gymnastics, but because I liked her clothing collection, I followed her Olympic journey. Conor McGregor has proven to be one of the most successful athletes in and out of the ring. According to an article from Forbes, “McGregor lands the winning punch, having leveraged his unmatched popularity in mixed martial arts to build a lucrative hustle outside UFC’s Octagon. The brash McGregor collected a total of $180 million over the last 12 months; most of that comes from his recent sale of his majority stake in whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million.”(Knight). Because McGregor was so popular in the boxing world, he used his fanbase to his advantage to make a hefty profit. If I had to make an educated guess, most people buy his whiskey because of the brand name, not because of the liquor itself.
Gentrup, Abigail. “Highest-Paid Female Athletes Earned $167M in 2021.” Front Office Sports, 14 Jan. 2022, https://frontofficesports.com/highest-paid-female-athletes-earned-167m-in-2021/.
Knight, Brett. “The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes: Conor McGregor Leads a Group of Sports Stars Unfazed by the Pandemic.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=2b43e96f26f4.
Russell, Grant. “Athlete Brand Building and the Importance of It.” Behind Sport, 27 Sept. 2021, https://behindsport.com/athlete-brand-building-and-the-importance-of-it/.
Glenna Gobeil
ReplyDeleteFrank Gregory speaks heavily about the importance of marketing an authentic identity as an athlete in his "Sports Pro Media" article. He says that athletes who are capable of showcasing their authentic selves through social media have done well with marketing their image. He also insists that showing a human element to their marketing image helps their fans and followers relate to them. I personally believe Suni Lee uses her TikTok account to create a sense of relatability with her audience. Because Suni Lee is a college student at Auburn Univerisity and competes in both national and worldwide tournaments she holds a type of relevance factor to Gen Z audiences without overshadowing the fact that she is an Olympic Gold Medalist. She also posts videos that aren’t relevant to gymnastics which shows that she has a social life like any other young adult her age. Therefore, I believe this is why her following is so large on social media which not only helps her recognition and fan base as an athlete but as an influencer.
I would also argue that some athletes can target a fan base based simply on other work they do outside of sports. Speaking from someone who does not watch many sports other than tennis, I know and follow Colin Kaepernick on social media based on his new Netflix series he released last year and for his activism on his platforms. His Netflix series "Colin in Black and White" not only attracted viewers who recognize him as an athlete but also people who are invested in watching content that talks about social justice issues regarding race. His new children’s book "I Color Myself Different" discusses the topic of what it was like for him to grow up in a transracial household (Balaban). This book and his show align with the persona he has built for himself through activism. He is considered the most vocal protester within the NFL when it comes to police brutality and racial inequality and his extended works build off his identity as a leader for change (Balaban). Furthermore, I believe that by maintaining an authentic identity, Kaepernick is capable of staying relevant to his fan base regardless of his performance as an athlete.
Alex Silverman describes a new phenomenon in the sports industry’s Gen Z problem. Silverman describes a smaller percentage of people who consider them sports fans amongst Gen Z audiences compared to Millennial and Boomer generations. He says the main reasoning for this observation links to Gen Z’s viewing habits. According to the research in the article, only 1 in 4 individuals ages 13-23 said they watch live sports (Silverman). This puts into question if broadcasted sports events are a realistic model to attract younger audiences to sports media. I also would argue that a way of getting Gen Z audiences to watch live sports events on broadcast television would include marketing an athlete enough to make Gen Z audiences want to stay intrigued and watch them on TV. I personally believe that TikTok drew younger audiences to care more about the Olympics because athletes were displayed so frequently on social media this past summer.
ReplyDeleteSources:
Balaban, Samantha. “Colin Kaepernick Says 'I Color Myself Different' in His First Children's Book.” NPR, NPR, 2 Apr. 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/04/02/1089986114/colin-kaepernick-i-color-myself-different-book.
Gregory, Frank. “Analysing the 2021 SportsPro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/.
Silverman, Alex. “The Sports Industry's Gen z Problem.” Morning Consult, 29 Sept. 2020, https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/.
Paul Logue
ReplyDeleteBlog 8
Part 1
In sports, branding is everything. It is so important for not just athletes, but also for teams. Branding is what makes fans like certain players over others. Its why some athletes become the face of a franchise, and some don’t. It’s just like a business. Teams aren’t made by accident. They are very calculated. It’s all about how players fit into the city and team culture. This is why branding is so essential. Its why fans are so obsessed with sports. Conor McGregor took in 180 million dollars in the last year, while the top ten highest paid athletes took in a collective 1.05 billion dollars, (Knight). Athletes aren’t just making money off their contracts anymore. They are making a bunch of money off endorsement deals and their own personal brand. These athletes are brands on their own. This is very similar to celebrities. I know we had a debate over what a celebrity truly is, but to sports fans, athletes are very much celebrities. Most people would recognize Tom Brady or Michael Jordan if they saw them in public. They both have brands in their own names, with the Jordan brand and TB12. We have generations of people looking up to these players and teams. They become a part of our lives. If athletes want to reach that level of success off the field, they need to do more than just play their sports. This is when they reach celebrity status in my opinion. They have so much power to influence us. 96 percent of the top 50 most marketable athletes have posted about a sponsor in the past six months, (Gregory). These sports stars have multiple sources of income now, just as celebrities do.
Paul Logue
ReplyDeletePart 2
A lot of what these athletes and teams do is to set them apart from others. Teams may do this by free agency or making trades for players they know will get the fans excited. Sports are all around us, in the ads we see, and on our social media feeds. It has become a part of society. Take a team like the Dallas Cowboys. They are the most valuable franchise in all of sports with an estimated value of 5.7 billion dollars. Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys for 150 million dollars back in 1989. Since then, he has built an empire and has ties to so many different industries, (Ozanian). He did this by building a new stadium, new practice facility, investing in youth sports, esports, etc. It’s not enough to just own a team. You have to constantly be trying new things to leverage yourselves against others. This is what makes teams more successful over others. They don’t grow successful overnight. It takes very calculated risks to get there, while trying to keep every move “on brand”. I also think of a team like the Patriots. Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick have engraved the “Patriot Way” into the head of every player in that locker room. Every move fits in to the brand culture.
References
Gregory, Frank. “Analysing the 2021 Sportspro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/.
Knight, Brett. “The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes: Conor McGregor Leads a Group of Sports Stars Unfazed by the Pandemic.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=7999046726f4.
Ozanian, Mike. “World's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2021.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 May 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=54ad40a63e9e.
Many of the world’s biggest athletes make the bulk of their money from brand deals and branding themselves online. In the same way that a celebrity would create mutually beneficial partnerships, both athletes and celebrities do this to enhance their brand along with helping to give the brand they work for a more notable name. However, there are many athletes in the sports world who stray away from public branding efforts and stick to playing their game. After all, athletes make more than a livable wage just by playing their sport. This is where celebrities differ as celebrities rely more heavily on their branding and brand deals to remain relevant. Branding becomes important to athletes when it comes to creating a large fanbase and therefore becoming a more desirable player. According to an article released by Behind Sport, branding is crucial for athletes because it “generates interest, hype, and profile” which, the author says, “increases value for resale” (Russell, 2021). This provides an interesting take on why branding for an athlete is important because it alludes to the fact that an athlete becomes more valuable based on how well-known or liked they are in the industry. This makes sense considering how many athletes with huge fan bases are also some of the most sought after.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to other ways that branding is important for athletes, an article from Sports Pro Media touches upon three criteria for the benefits of branding. One that stood out as being particularly important is the discussion about authenticity. For many athletes, fans watch them on television play their respective sport and support them based on how well they do or who they play for. This article suggests that “the most marketable athletes are showing their personalities and speaking out” (Gregory, 2021) beyond what they do on the court, field, or ice. This brings forward the conversation about how much an athlete should be sharing about themselves online on social media. It is definitely important for an athlete to be transparent about who they are to their fans so they can maintain a positive image, but is it required? This article says that social media should be used as “a window into the human being” (Gregory, 2021). I believe this is one way that successful athletes leverage their brands in the marketplace. When there is a distinct personality associated with an athlete, they are more likely to be desired as a company spokesperson or brand partner. This article speaks in the same way when saying that those athletes who are choosing to share their lives outside of sports are “becoming the most marketable, since brands are able to clearly see a personality and can potentially align themselves with” (Gregory, 2021).
Additionally, athletes have been known to leverage their brands in the market in a way that makes them remain relevant after their sports careers end. A prime example given by Variety talks about the Manning brothers. Not only has Peyton and Eli Manning gained some leverage during their Monday Night Football telecast, but they have also sparked interest in other companies such as ESPN Disney who just recently signed a deal with them to create further productions. According to an article from Variety, “the Manning’s have captured, on average, 13% of the total audience for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” during the regular season” (Steinberg, 2022). The truth of the matter when it comes to the manning brothers, is their personal brands have made them both marketable and desirable even after their football careers ended.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Gregory, B. F. (2021, August 23). Analysing the 2021 sportspro 50 most marketable athletes list. SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/
Russell, G. (2021, September 27). Athlete brand building and the importance of it. Behind Sport. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://behindsport.com/athlete-brand-building-and-the-importance-of-it/
Steinberg, B. (2022, February 10). Inside the manningcast: How ESPN and two Football Brothers Are Transforming Sports TV. Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://variety.com/2022/sports/features/espn-manningcast-superbowl-sports-tv-ratings-1235175580/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7
ReplyDeleteAbigail Rica
Branding in sports is a key component to success. Sports are something that everyone likes to watch as any age can enjoy. A sport that is very successful is soccer. Many people like to stream soccer. According to Bloomberg, “Soccer is also a big deal for streaming because of what sports are not available. For the most part. Media companies are still making the biggest sports leagues, like football,basketball and baseball, exclusive to cable-TV subscribers”(Shaw, L). Through this many companies can take advantage and use soccer stars to promote their products. Sport branding is very similar in celebrity branding, as you want a persuader to promote your products. Or create a clothing line, so people feel like that athlete. If you are a basketball fan, and buy something from Steph Curry you will feel empowered and like a better athlete. According to the NYPost, “ NBA star Stephen Curry is set to launch a new line of sports apparel on Tuesday called “Curry Brand” with longtime retail partner Under Armour. Curry Brand will include footwear, apparel and accessories and extends the hoopster’s relationship with Under Armour beyond his original 2013 basketball sneaker deal to include golf, other sports and a women’s line, the company said Monday(Fickenscher, L). Sports branding is also different because you can have streaming platforms just for sports. Unlike celebrity branding where they have a TV Show or movie, but a whole streaming service is different. Apple TV+ has jumped on this idea. In this source it states, “The MLB deal is the first foray into live sports for Apple TV+. It’s Friday Night Baseball package will feature two weekly matchups along with pre- and postgame shows, with no local blackouts. Apple will also produce MLB Big Inning, a live show featuring highlights and look-ins to games on every weeknight of the regular season”(Porter, R). This is a huge deal for Apple TV+ and will generate more users to sign up to use their subscription service. I feel that when athletes have a great season, everyone wants to sign a deal with them. I think if I was a girl who loved sports and idolized an athlete, and they come up with a clothing, or a shoe line. I would want everything from that collection. Isn’t that the beauty of being a great athlete, you can inspire the youth. As a society, we desperately need that. Sports branding is definitely different from celebrity branding. But its very similar in the sense that you need a personable persuader to promote a brand, or products or even services. That person needs to also make sense to promote. You aren’t going to have Tom Brady promoting a men's suit company but instead a sports drink that gives your body electrolytes.
Work cited
Fickenscher, L. (2020, December 1). NBA's Steph Curry to create new brand with under armour. New York Post. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://nypost.com/2020/11/30/nbas-steph-curry-to-create-new-brand-with-under-armour/
Porter, R. (2022, March 8). Apple enters sports arena with Major League Baseball Streaming deal. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/apple-major-league-baseball-streaming-1235106716/
Shaw, L. (n.d.). Bloomberg.com. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-12/mls-playoffs-set-up-the-league-for-a-big-payday-from-streaming-services?utm_medium=email&%3Butm_source=newsletter&%3Butm_term=211219&%3Butm_campaign=screentime
Kaitlyn Reilly
ReplyDeletePart 1
For any celebrity, branding is vital to curating a successful image. When it comes to sports, an athlete's brand doesn't just affect the individual's reputation, but the sports organization they are a part of as a whole. Focusing on creating a strong brand image in sports creates a competitive advantage against other sports teams and athletes from other organizations in the same industry (BrandStartSports & Entertainment, 2021).
Similar to celebrity branding, a person needs to get their name out there for popularity and ultimately create loyal fan recognition. Sports branding is different because athletes don’t come to fame the way traditional performing celebrities do, even though fans look at them as being on the same playing field (Glover, Morse, 2019). It's noticeable that on social media, Hollywood and music industry celebrities post often and engage their audience. Famous athletes tend to remain more reserved on social media and the only element we know about them is their metrics and stats. The personal lives of our favorite sports players spark curiosity in fans making them exceptionally successful when they have influencer deals.
The top 50 valuable sports franchises this past year drastically increased to $3.4 billion this year (Ozanian, 2021). Out of 26 teams being football, 9 basketball, 9 soccer, and 6 baseball, two notable teams in the marketplace are the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees (Ozanian, 2021). These two teams prioritize the fan experience and come up with other equitable ways to generate an impressive net worth. This is done through improving stadium amenities, merchandising business, and owning stakes/investments in different industries.
Kaitlyn Reilly
ReplyDeletePart 2
As for the athletes, MMA fighter Connor McGregor raked in a cumulative $180 million this past year (Knight, 2021). Despite his legendary fight in the Octagon against Mayweather, most of his income was from his recent majority stake sale in Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million (Knight, 2021) and is not considering buying Manchester United.
Forbes' top 10 highest-paid athletes were all men. Although, I found it interesting that it is women athletes who have been the most successful in leveraging their brand in the social media sphere. Women’s college basketball is exceeding the marketers' dream of social media reach (Copeland, 2022). These women have obtained impressive partnerships, curated their brands, and have taken their title as an athlete to the next level through investing in different markets. Panthers Chief Strategy Officer Sam Doerr mentions how these female athletes reach a different demographic than men's athletics, successfully capitalizing on the media environment (Copeland, 2022). The best part about this is that some athletes do not necessarily have to have a large following. The lower following can lead to more personal engagement strategies that are successful for brand deals and partnerships. As marketing tactics begin to focus more on the digital side, it should be interesting to see how male and female athletes use their social profiles as a personal brand to connect with their audience.
Works Cited:
BrandStartSports & Entertainment (2021, December). Why Is Branding So Important in Sports? Vocal Media Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://vocal.media/journal/why-is-branding-so-important-in-sports
Copeland, Kareem (2022, March 30). Who’s making the most from NIL? Women’s basketball is near the top. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/03/30/womens-college-basketball-endorsements-nil/
Glover, Darren & Morse, Mark (2019, February 5). Athletes Are Often Lagging Compared to Celebs in Creating a Stand-Out Brand on Social Media. AdWeek. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/athletes-are-often-lagging-compared-to-celebs-in-creating-a-stand-out-brand-on-social-media/
Knight, Brett (2021, May 12). The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes. Forbes. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=335bec1626f4
Ozanian, Mike (2021, May 7). World’s Most Valuable Sports Teams 2021. Forbes. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=6abbfb913e9e
Branding in sports is important for not only the specific athlete, but also heavily affects the team as a whole. An athlete’s brand and presence in the media may be the reason certain fans even follow a particular team in the first place. Having a successful brand will make it clear to fans where a sports athlete stands within the industry and humanize them on and off the field. A successful brand affiliated with an athlete will also make them more noteworthy and recognizable to not only their fans, but also their competitors. According to the article ‘Exploration and conceptualization of Athlete Brand Image’, “Previous branding studies have documented results of successful branding such as: influencing the probability of brand choice, willingness to pay premium price, marketing communication effectiveness, and promotion of positive word of mouth” (Arai, Ko, Ross). This is similar to celebrity branding because brand image and identity is everything when it comes to creating a successful personal brand. In my previous blog, I discussed how Rhianna has created a strong brand by remaining authentic and creating a beauty brand to represent women that often feel overlooked through her beauty brand, Fenty. Rhianna is an icon in the eyes of many from her long music career and beauty brand, just as an athlete may be a hero to fans. Heidi Browning, Chief marketing officer for the NHL stated, “You see this shift in sports where kids are following athletes first, then they’re following clubs and then they’re following leagues because they want that one-to-one connection with the athletes, or athletes that they admire'' (Silverman). However, celebrity branding does slightly differ from branding athletes because an athlete’s positive reputation must stay intact because it reflects the integrity of the team as well. A PR crisis will not only fall on the athlete, but also the team and will put their values in question.
ReplyDeleteTo be a marketable athlete, they must be authentic to their personal image and the brand they are affiliated with. Without authenticity, it will be very hard to connect with the public off the field and make a name for themselves. In Frank Gregory’s article,“Analyzing the 2021 SportsPro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List”, he discusses this, “athletes who show their authentic personalities and speak out about their passions away from the field of play are often more marketable than athletes who stick to posting on social media about their sport” (Gregory). He highlights the US women's national soccer team in his article and refers to them as having the “perfect storm” of marketability, especially because they hold 9 out of 50 spots on the most marketable athlete list. This was accomplished from many factors including that they are outspoken about social causes, clearly play in unison with many household names, and they utilize social platforms as a window into their personal lives to display their values to the public (Gregory).
DeleteMoreover, Celebrity brands versus athlete brands have many similarities and differences, however, authenticity remains the key factor to success when it comes to any brand.
Arai, Akiko, et al. “(PDF) Branding Athletes: Exploration and Conceptualization ...” Research Gate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259160325_Branding_athletes_Exploration_and_conceptualization_of_athlete_brand_image.
Silverman, Alex. “The Sports Industry's Gen z Problem.” Morning Consult, 29 Sept. 2020, https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/.
Gregory, By: Frank. “Analysing the 2021 Sportspro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/.
Jody Gallinger
ReplyDeleteAs we have talked about in the past few weeks, branding and marketing is something very important to celebrities and influencers, but it is also important for sports teams and athletes. Having the right brand as a sports team can impact many things, “The right brand for sports professionals is a way to show what you stand for within the industry” (Zcolman). It also allows fans to have something to identify with and makes it easier for the team to be recognized. A sports team that is well branded will be able to be recognized instantly, whether that is the logo or the team’s colors. This will also help continue to grow the team’s fanbase and build trust with the fans (Zcolman).
The 2021 world’s most valued sports teams came from football, basketball, soccer, and baseball. They are all propelled by escalating media rights deals. The Premier Soccer League has domestic media rights deal worth $2.18 billion, the NFL licensed a decade of TV rights for $10.3 billion a year starting in 2023, The MLB will get an average of $1.84 billion a year from its national media deals starting next season, and the NBA will get an average of $2.6 billion a year through 2024-2025 (Ozanian). This kind of funding for media coverage helps team’s brands a lot. More viewers will create more fans to watch and follow these athletes.
Athletes aside from the team also have important brands of their own. They have authentic personalities and speak out about passions away from the game. This can be more impactful than athletes who stick to posting on social media about their sport (Gregory). However, social media is now a very important aspect of an athlete’s brand. Before social media fans only knew about their favorite players on the field but knew nothing about them off the field. Social media allows for athletes to post about their lives off the field so fans can get to know them better. This overall helps an athlete’s brand if fans know more about them (Gregory). Being open and honest about things you care about is also important. When Simone Biles withdrew from the Olympics because of her mental struggles, she received a great reaction from the community. Many sided with her, knowing that it is okay to prioritize your own mental health (Gregory). These types of athletes that are open and show their personalities are the ones who are the most marketable. These athletes are also more likely to get brand deals and sponsorships (Gregory).
Today athletes using social media in order to brand and market themselves is very similar to how we have seen celebrities’ market themselves. For both athletes and celebrities to brand their selves well to the public they must utilize their social medias to their advantage. The difference is that athletes can brand themselves through their team and promote that brand and their own brand. Celebrities just have themselves to market and brand to the public.
Works Cited:
Gregory, By: Frank. “Analysing the 2021 Sportspro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, SportsPro , 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/.
Ozanian, Mike. “World's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2021.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 May 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=1af1763b3e9e.
Zcolman. “Why Is Branding so Important in Sports?” Creatitive, Creatitive , 11 Aug. 2021, https://creatitive.com/why-branding-is-important-sports/.
Blog 8
ReplyDeleteJulianna Kessel
Branding is so important for anybody that is well-known, whether that be athletes or an A-list celebrity. In today’s day in age, where we see everything on social media, an athlete’s brand must be up to par. We live in a world where anyone who is well-known must be socially responsible. So to have this support and following, athletes must cater to their brand. An athlete with a strong brand that comes to mind, and is also mentioned on SportsPro’s Most Marketable Athletes at number one, is Simone Biles. Not only is Simone Biles one of the greatest athletes and gymnasts of my lifetime, and all time, but her brand shines just as bright as that talent of hers. Through her young age, her social advocacy, her leadership skills, it is no question why she is number one on that list. One exemplary mention of good branding is her decision to partner with Athleta after being unhappy with Nike’s brand after hearing about their maternity leave policies (Masunaga, 2021). She didn’t like what was happening at Nike, so she switched partners, creating her own narrative, which many athletes have not had this same power to do. Probably the most well-known step for brand success was her decision to drop out of the Tokyo Olympics for mental health reasons. While she faced all sorts of backlash from angry, lazy men sitting at their computers tweeting all sorts of slurs and hateful speech towards her, she set the narrative for her fans and for the general public. So even though lazy men are not on her side, she has all the girls and the respectable men on her side. Simone Biles is the GOAT, and we know that she cares about her well-being and therefore other’s. Not many athletes have as good of a brand as she does.
Part 2
DeleteNow, I am not a sports fan- I have never considered myself one. And according to the Morning Consult, this is a common trend amongst gen z. According to the study, gen zers were twice as likely to say they never watch sports (Silverman, 2020). With the rise of social media popularity and the decrease of attention spans, Esports are taking over. “‘You see this shift in sports where kids are following athletes first, then they’re following clubs and then they’re following leagues because they want that one-to-one connection with the athletes, or athletes that they admire,’ said Heidi Browning, chief marketing officer for the NHL” (Silverman, 2020). It’s the same thing for musicians and actors- we want to feel like we connect to these athletes. There has been a huge shift, not just in sports but in Hollywood too, where the space and mystery between star and fan is closing. We live in a world now where it’s connection first, then we can choose to follow if we want. What I mean by this, and what the Silverman article touches upon, is that now for athletes to become widely liked, their social responsibility and social brand must be held to a standard if athletes want to generate more fans. I feel like it’s the way of the world now. Obviously, there are well known athletes that I know like Lebron James, and Steph Curry, but that is solely because I heard about them when I was young and live sports were the thing to watch and follow. But now, the only new athletes I’ve ever heard of are solely because they come up on my “for you page” on Tik Tok, and then I follow them from there if I want.
So in conclusion, sports branding is as important as ever.
Works Cited:
Masunaga, S. (2021, July 26). Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast alive, could be the next marketing goat too. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-07-26/simone-biles-and-endorsements
Silverman, A. (2020, September 29). The sports industry's Gen z problem. Morning Consult. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/
SportsPro 50 MM Athletes. SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable. (2021, October 18). Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/athletes/
Branding is just as important in the sports industry as it is in any other. Just as celebrities and television benefit from branding, so do sports and the athletes that play them. Branding for a sports team can open the door to many opportunities to grow their audience and engage with their fanbases. One example of branding benefitting sports and reaching a larger target audience is the Superbowl. Because the Superbowl has made a name for itself and is branded as the biggest football game of the year with a performance from the biggest stars. By making a name for itself, the Superbowl has gained viewers of all different demographics. Sports branding is also a chance to create a loyal fanbase and give fans an insight to their favorite athletes’ lives. Branding through team colors and mascots are especially beneficial as it creates a community among the fans. Sports branding is similar to celebrity branding in the way that social media has elevated the interaction between the celebrity and the fans. Women’s basketball, specifically, has done a great job at keeping up with their social media presence. For example, “Twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who announced they are entering the NCAA transfer portal from Fresno State, have 4 million followers on TikTok, have been on a Times Square billboard and recently co-funded a streetwear company with a 25 percent ownership share, according to Forbes,” (Copeland). Sports branding is also similar to celebrity branding because they have both partnered with brands to endorse a product or line. One example of a sports brand partnership is “UCLA quarterback Chase Griffin signed NIL deals with Shell, Degree deodorant, advertising agency UniWorld, grocery delivery service Duffl, Boost Mobile, Discord and Clearcover car insurance,” (Canton). Brand partnerships are a great way to get athletes’ faces in the media, as well, as some athletes may not be as active on social media and we typically don’t get to see them out of uniform on television. In addition to this, as media continues to evolve, so does the branding strategies of sports teams and agencies. After recognizing the success of multiple streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV, and more, “the NFL is developing a subscription streaming service that would include games, radio, podcasts and team content,” (Kaplan). This is a great opportunity for the NFL to profit off of their viewership as well as gain even more of a loyal audience than they already have. If other affiliates decided to follow in their footsteps, this would create competition for other streaming services as there would now just be one place to watch their favorite sports instead of having to subscribe to package deals such as Hulu and ESPN. While there are some differences between celebrity and sports branding, overall, they both benefit greatly from doing so and will continue to see this pattern in the future.
ReplyDeleteSources:
Canton, Rafael. “Adweek Article: Student-Athlete and Brand Partnerships Increase Following New Nil Policy.” LEARFIELD, 11 Jan. 2022, https://www.learfield.com/2022/01/student-athlete-and-brand-partnerships-increase-following-new-nil-policy/.
Copeland, Kareem. “Who's Making the Most from Nil? Women's Basketball Is near the Top.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 30 Mar. 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/03/30/womens-college-basketball-endorsements-nil/.
Kaplan, Daniel. “NFL Considers Creating a Streaming Service of Its Own.” The Athletic, The Athletic, 28 Mar. 2022, https://theathletic.com/3213873/2022/03/28/nfl-considers-creating-a-streaming-service-of-its-own/.
My family never watches sports and therefore I dont either. I never felt that it wasn’t normal to not watch sports. Most of my friends didn’t care for sports either. Today, Gen Zers are “twice as likely as millennials to say they “never” watch live sports” (Silverman, 2020). Because no one close to me was a big sports fan, I simply never pay attention to the sports world. When I came to Quinnipiac I was completely shocked by the amount of hard core sports fans I encountered. The more I learned about the life of die-hard sports fans, the more interesting I found the world of sports. Branding within sports is everything. Sports teams use their unique name, colors, logo and mascot to create a brand image that is recognizable. When sports teams are branded effectively, they help to create a sense of belonging within the audience. Fans of sports feel like they can identify and fit in with other fans. Branding a sports team gives the team a personality that fans build a connection with (Schäferhoff, 2016). Sporting brands in particular are very recognizable due to the fact that their branding is so consistent. Celebrities and influencers work to brand themselves. They often brand themselves through their personality, looks, sayings and values. However, as an individual celebrities change often which can effect their brand image. Sporting teams lose and gain players without changing the overall brand image of the team. Consistent and constant messaging is one of the best ways to develop a brand image and sporting teams excel in doing so. Another reason sports teams are so recognizable is because fans often wearing merchandise with the logo or colors of a sports team. This allows fans to be walking advertisements for that team or league (Retadmin, 2021).
ReplyDeleteKyra Moos
DeletePart 2
The importance of branding for sports team can also be proved when looking at the world’s most valuable teams. The top teams on this list consist of the Dallas Cowboys at number one and the New York Yankees at number two (Ozanian, 2021). I find this to be interesting because these teams are the most valuable but are not the most talented in terms of playing the sport. Branding is the reason these teams hold these positions. For example, the New York Yankee logo has been around for centuries and is a key image tourists recognize when visiting the city. The Yankees have leverage over other baseball teams due to the fact that they are from New York, arguably America’s most popular city. I think that understanding the world of sports was a pivital moment in my understading of branding. I think that the ways in which public relations professionals brand and manage celebrities is drastically different than sports teams.
Works Cited
Ozanian, M. (2021, May 14). World's most valuable sports teams 2021. Forbes. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2021/05/07/worlds-most-valuable-sports-teams-2021/?sh=721aab63e9e4
Rctadmin. (2021, February 15). Merchandising for sport and why it is important: The Rockland County Times. The Rockland County Times | Rockland County's Source for Real News Since 1888. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.rocklandtimes.com/2021/02/15/merchandising-for-sport-and-why-it-is-important/#:~:text=Merchandising%20is%20key%20to%20any,to%20get%20their%20money's%20worth.
Schäferhoff, N. (2019, July 2). Sports team branding and how to do it right. ThemeBoy. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.themeboy.com/blog/sports-team-branding/#:~:text=Sports%20Team%20Branding%20Increases%20Trust%20and%20Loyalty&text=Same%20works%20for%20sports%20teams,build%20an%20emotional%20connection%20with.
Silverman, A. (2020, September 29). The sports industry's Gen z problem. Morning Consult. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/
Fleur Cordier
ReplyDeleteAlmost everyone loves sports. Sports are part of our life and culture. Branding is extremely important in sports. It is important for the athlete, but also for the team or brand he is playing for. Honestly, the most important reason for branding is for trying to make more money. It is kind of similar to celebrity branding because athletes are also famous people. However, athletes are particularly known for what they are good at, whereas a celebrity’s personality plays a bigger role. However, nowadays good athletes also want to become celebrities, they want to be both. A good example is Michael Jordan. He was probably the best basketball player ever, but he also wanted to have an impact outside of basketball. He has his show “the last dance”, and of course his own Jordan shoe collection. I think a lot of people do not even know Michael Jordan because of his basketball skills, but because of his shoe collection. According to an article from Forbes, “the brash McGregor collected a total of $180 million over the last 12 months; most of that comes from his recent sale of his majority stake in whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $150 million”(Knight). Furthermore, Lionel Messi, the best soccer player ever earns a lot of money outside of soccer. “As well as his PSG salary, Forbes reports that Messi makes more than $30 million in endorsements including lucrative deals with Adidas, Gatorade and Pepsi” (Insider). Messi transferring from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain was also a smart PR stunt for PSG. This is because every Messi fan, and trust me there are a lot of them, wants a new t-shirt with Messi on it because they are not going to walk with an old shirt because he doesn’t play at FC Barcelona anymore. Another interesting statistic that I found is that according to goal “PSG's online presence has grown exponentially with Messi on their books, with 20 million subscribers gained across all of their social media platforms in the first week after his signing alone” (Goal). So, branding is important for athletes to let the world know who they are outside of their sport. Furthermore, branding is important for teams/clubs because they want to have a good reputation, so they attract good athletes, and they will get more deals and sponsorships. A Bloomberg article I read said that “soccer has become the go-to sports property of the streaming era. Viacom CBS’s Paramount+ has a wide array of matches, including the UEFA Champions League and Italy's Serie A. Peacock has the English Premier League, which NBC just renewed for more than $2.5 billion. ESPN+ has MLS, Spain’s La Liga and others” (Bloomberg). This just clarifies how important it is for clubs or even leagues to have a good reputation, so they can sell rights to broadcast them to other countries.
Works Cited
Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-12/mls-playoffs-set-up-the-league-for-a-big-payday-from-streaming-services?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=211219&utm_campaign=screentime.
Cooper, Sam. “Lionel Messi Has Made over $1.2 Billion in His Career so Far. Here Are the Endorsement Deals That Make Him One of Sport's Richest Men.” Insider, Insider, 12 Aug. 2021, https://www.insider.com/lionel-messi-endorsements-sponsorships-paris-saint-germain-billionaire-2021-8.
Knight, Brett. “The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes: Conor McGregor Leads a Group of Sports Stars Unfazed by the Pandemic.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=4fe7751126f4.
“Messi Financial Boost to PSG Revealed: Shirt Sales, Sponsorship and Social Media Breakdown.” Messi Financial Boost to PSG Revealed: Shirt Sales, Sponsorship and Social Media Breakdown | Goal.com, https://www.goal.com/en/news/messi-psg-shirt-sales-sponsorship-social-media/blt58386af5f29fed5b.
Building a brand whether an individual is an athlete or any other form of celebrity, is paramount to the overall success of that person’s career. Branding is what helps set a reputation and image in the eyes of the public. However, brand building also leads to partnerships with various companies, endorsements and other lucrative business ventures that can help reap large rewards. As for athletes in particular, branding is vital to their overall success in both their careers as athletes and even off the field as well. In today’s day in age, a large portion of professional athletes earn much of their money through endorsements, brand deals and through marketing themselves on social media. An athlete’s ability to build a brand/following for his or herself, also factors into their overall stock/desirability as a player. This can and does often affect the teams that are interested in certain players, and subsequently how much their contract offers are worth. An excerpt from an article in FrontOfficeSports does a great job at explaining the importance of an athlete’s branding. The line reads “With respect to athletes, how they brand themselves is imperative to the individual’s overall success; it helps them convince their current — and future — employer(s) that they are a good fit for the organization.” (Yagman). Similarly to one another, both athletes and their celebrity counterparts both utilize branding. However, brand building serves different levels of importance for each party. Athletes earn large salaries from their respective teams, but utilize branding to earn additional money through endorsement deals and other business ventures such as clothing/fragrances/beverages/etc. Celebrities count on branding for many of the same reasons, but professions such as acting or music may be different. Celebrities who are either actors or musicians have large periods of time in between the release of their next films or albums, so it is necessary for these celebrities to keep their names in the public eye and ensure that they stay relevant in their respective field of work. This again can be achieved through making their own products/companies, endorsement deals with clothing lines/fitness gear/beverages/etc. This is how the concept of building a personal brand for one’s self differs in terms of importance between athletes and celebrities. Athletes utilize branding to acquire endorsements and create their own personal brands/companies as a means of added revenue outside of their playing careers, while celebrities depend on their brand identity to remain relevant in their area of work.
ReplyDeleteBrand building is something that has grown rampant in the world of sports, so much so that if you aren't actively seeking endorsements and business ventures outside of the sport, you will almost surely struggle to stay relevant amongst the fans. One aspect of an athlete’s brand that has come across as the most important to garnering new fans is the idea of personality. It has been shown that fans will be more likely to gravitate towards an athlete/player who expresses emotion and shows off their personality. (Gregory). There is no better example of this than UFC superstar Conor McGregor. The former UFC Lightweight Champion, has made a career for himself by not only dominating the sport of MMA with his outstanding fighting skills, but also his loud persona. Fans have flocked in droves to see this man fight and hear his outrageous trash talk. His personality is electrifying and bold, something that few athletes in UFC or any other sport can offer. His monumental success in the ring and his popularity amongst fans, has helped him launch several business ventures. The most popular being his famous Proper No. Twelve whiskey, which he recently sold majority ownership for upwards of $150 million. He also is the face of a new mobile game in the app store, as well as his own fitness brand and an Irish pub in Dublin that he opened just over a year ago. Mcgregor earned roughly 180 million last year and was the top earner on the Forbes list. (Knight). Another athlete who is at the pinnacle of branding is none other than soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo has cemented himself over the years as arguably the best to ever play the sport of soccer, but he has managed to leverage his brand for some insanely profitable business ventures that will extend even past his retirement, whenever that day comes. He has north of 500 million social media followers, which has led to a trove of brands giving him massive endorsement deals to post their products on social media. (Corzo). When Roanldo signed for Serie A’s Juventus in summer of 2018, the club saw an incredible 60 million dollars worth of jersey sales in the first 24 hours alone. Not to mention, Cristiano also has secured a lifetime deal with Nike for his cleats that they produce.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, branding has become an essential tool for both athletes and celebrities in today's day in age. Without it these high profile individuals risk losing out on both money and sustained relevance amongst their respective fans and landscape. We have seen how athletes like Conor Mcgregor and Cristiano Ronaldo have set the stage for branding and building personal brands, and how this idea can lead to long-term success both currently and beyond their careers.
Works Cited:
ReplyDeleteYagman, Blake. “Athlete Brand Building and Its Importance.” Front Office Sports, 15 Oct. 2018, https://frontofficesports.com/athlete-brand-building-importance/#:~:text=Your%20brand%20is%20how%20your,good%20fit%20for%20the%20organization.
Corzo, Haley. “How Cristiano Ronaldo's Brand Partnerships Influence Customers.” Newswhip, 4 Nov. 2021, https://www.newswhip.com/2021/11/how-cristiano-ronaldos-brand-partnerships-influence-customers/.
Gregory, Frank. “Analyzing the 2021 Sportspro 50 Most Marketable Athletes List.” SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable, 23 Aug. 2021, https://50mm.sportspromedia.com/analysis/2021/50-most-marketable-athletes-analysis-northstar-osaka-biles/.
Knight, Brett. “The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes: Conor McGregor Leads a Group of Sports Stars Unfazed by the Pandemic.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2021/05/12/the-worlds-10-highest-paid-athletes-conor-mcgregor-leads-a-group-of-sports-stars-unfazed-by-the-pandemic/?sh=7999046726f4.