Sport is increasingly subject to the rules of marketing. This is because consciously building the image of an athlete who, apart from talent and hard work, helps in his career plays an increasingly important role. It became possible with the advent of the Internet, especially social networks. Millions of users gather there, and a large part of them are sports fans. Thanks to them, building a personal brand among athletes has gained a new dimension.
What will you learn from the article?
The phenomenon of sport and athletes cannot be underestimated. In the age of social media and globalisation, athletes have become some of the most powerful influencers in the world. But how has personal branding in sport become more important? Why are some athletes more marketable than others? In this article, we take a look at how personal branding among athletes got started, when it starts to pay off and what athletes should watch out for to ensure their personal branding delivers the expected benefits.
In recent years, a saying has become popular: if you are not online, you do not exist. This principle is especially true in business, which sport seems to have more and more in common with. One of the features that makes the internet a unique medium is its ability to reach a lot of people. And this is both from all over the world and from the immediate neighbourhood. This advantage, which is particularly valuable from a marketing point of view, is being exploited by companies and individuals who are aware of this potential.
The phenomenon of sport and athletes
In the world of professional sport, victory is what counts, and competition is the essence of sport. Every human being, from the dawn of time, has in its nature the need to win. Only the way and purpose of achieving them has changed. In the past, victories were manifested in the acquisition of food, territory, slaves, etc. Today, one of the perfect levels where everyone can fulfill their need to be the best is sport. Its unquestionable advantage is accessibility to everyone.
Although only athletes face the rival directly, millions of fans, identifying with their idols, also experience their successes and failures, which allows them to experience sports emotions. Thanks to the media, fans can participate in sports events during their duration. In turn, social media gives them the opportunity to observe their idols' actions online. Athletes, in turn, have great development opportunities. They allow you to build a personal brand, gain popularity, a larger group of fans and new sponsors.
Building a personal brand in sport - how did it start?
Athletes involved in sport, especially professionally, incur very high costs in doing so. What is more, their career is limited in time and is usually limited by a certain age. Peak form and achieving outstanding results at a championship level is also usually only a matter of a few years.
While today sportsmen and women may have several sources of income, resulting directly or indirectly from their popularity, the situation was quite different some thirty years ago. Building a personal brand? Hardly anyone had heard of it in the world of sport at the time. Professional sportsmen and sportswomen could only count on income from negotiated contractual terms with their clubs. On top of that, there may have been bonuses for winning competitions, provided they were stipulated by the organiser. Some countries also awarded cash prizes for representing the colours of their own country, e.g. at the Olympic Games.
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When building a personal brand starts to pay off
Given the short period of time in which an athlete could maintain a high level of form, these were actually relatively small incomes. The sporting profession was not one of the economically lucrative ones. The situation began to change from about twenty years ago. Thanks to the booming sports marketing, athletes were able to count on the additional benefits of being a professional athlete.
The most popular athletes in their respective sports are recognised and loved by crowds of fans around the world. By betting on personal branding from the start of their careers, today they can count on an additional, powerful source of income. Among other things, in the form of royalties for participation in promotional campaigns, through sponsorship contracts or by launching their own brands.
An athlete attractive in terms of marketing, or what?
The most important factor that determines the marketing attractiveness of a player - not counting his sports successes, which only partially affects it - are fans and viewers, i.e. target group. The more of them the better, because it is to them that promotional messages are directed. As well as the athletes' mastery of a sport, fans also admire them for the kind of people they are outside the sporting arena.
An athlete's charisma, self-confidence, sporting anger, exposed strength, etc. counts. Fierceness, determination, communicativeness or a certain way of speaking are also desirable attributes. These natural predispositions of sportsmen and sportswomen impinge on their marketing appeal in the market. If this is augmented by personal branding based on the right communication strategy - which is successfully done by, for example, Anna Lewandowska - success in the business field is only a matter of time.
Athletes have never had such an impact on the surrounding reality as they do now, thanks to the power of social media. Today, thanks to Facebook, an athlete can be "a medium in himself". The existence in the online space translates into effects in the offline world over time. For this purpose, it is necessary to properly create your own personal brand, i.e. building an image of yourself in the light of the surroundings.
Personal branding in a sporty way
Personal branding, a strategy aimed at building a personal brand, the most positive image of a person in the eyes of the public, is a tool for self-promotion. PR personal data practiced online by athletes enables them not only to share their sports successes on the Internet forum and to promote specific values. It allows for much more - it makes sport and the profession one of the sources of income
Social media offers athletes endless opportunities to promote a unique personal brand and stay connected with fans. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter allow them to share whatever content they want with people who are genuinely interested in what their sports idol has to say. Activity of athletes in social media, online marketingis also a great way to create your own brand and be perceived in a specific way they desire. It is also an excellent platform where fame can be converted into money. This is due to the influence that sports stars have on society today. They are seen as influential not only by their fans, but also by brands that take advantage of their popularity and fame.
Building a personal brand - what to watch out for?
It is worth remembering that users of social profiles only in theory decide for themselves what information will be on their profiles and who will be able to see it. In reality, whatever is „uploaded” to the Internet stays there forever. It can be copied and spread in an uncontrolled manner (e.g. photos uploaded as a customer comment on a transaction made on AliExpress are often used by sellers to advertise their products - without the knowledge and consent of the author of the photos). On the other hand, people using social networks very often treat them as tools for creating their own image, their own brand, presenting themselves not only in a positive light, but also „distorting” reality to their own advantage - for example, by posting previously edited photos on their profile. Some companies do the same. In the long run, however, this is not an effective strategy. Do you want to take an effective one? Please contact usand!
Summary
Building an athlete's image is a process that requires strategy and commitment. It is essential that the athlete consistently promotes his or her achievements, passions and values, which form the foundation of his or her personal brand. The athlete's image should be authentic and consistent across all communication channels, from social media to public appearances. It is also important to establish relationships with fans and work with relevant sponsors and brands that bring value to his or her profession. The professional image of an athlete matters. Building it consistently can bring many benefits, including increased recognition, financial support and new career opportunities.