Annika Sörenstam – a hybrid personal sports brand

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this article is to investigate sports branding at the personal level by focusing on the evolvement, growth and sustainability of the ANNIKA BRAND -an extension of Annika Sörenstam's success on golf courses worldwide. Design/methodology/approach -A qualitative case study method inspired by "symbolic interactionist" aspects and focusing on Annika Sörenstam's commercial success with personal sports branding and its interdependence with sports branding at the product and corporate levels. Data collection was conducted in accordance with interpretative research traditions and hence based on qualitative semi-structured research interviews. Findings -The "hybrid" nature of sports brands draws highly on "emotional capital" and "social currency". Personal sports branding acts as a "hybrid", which facilitates "hybrid" branding relationships between personal sports brands and sports brands at the product and corporate levelsoften underlining good ROIs for all involved parties if the sports branding process is executed well strategically. This article presents personal sports branding as a hybrid phenomenon, which is dynamic by heart and part of a well-coordinated process engaging several partners. Practical implications -The practices and activities of the ANNIKA BRAND is a showcase for sports branding practitioners thinking about sustainable business models. Originality/value -This paper is unique in offering a roadmap for how personal sport stars may approach brand development and growth while discussing key points of the interdependence between sports brands at the personal, product and corporate levels.

Establishing Athlete Brand Among Female Pakistani Fans

“…Therefore, an athlete brand is an example of a branded person or human brand like other celebrity brands. As with other celebrity brands, an athlete brand is related to the personality and image of a particular athlete as perceived by the public (Arai et al, 2014;Cortsen, 2013). Arai et al (2014) explain that an athlete brand is related to the personality of the athlete.…”

“…Unlike products or services, human beings act on multiple motives. That is why Cortsen (2013) called them a hybrid brand because the actions taken by individuals (i.e., athletes) make them more or less successful as person brands. In this sense Carter (2010) stated that a personal brand is a brand that consists of peoples' opinions about a particular individual.…”

“…In recent studies of athlete brands, Carlson and Donavan (2013) suggested that the personal appeal and success of athletes on the pitch plays a major role in fan identification with the athlete. Cortsen (2013) presented the idea of a hybrid athlete brand -when something positive or negative happens to an athlete, the same effect is extended to the athlete's brand. Arai, Ko and Kaplanidou ( 2013) and Arai et al (2014) developed and tested the model of athlete brand image (MABI) including the dimensions of athletic performance, attractive appearance and marketable lifestyle.…”

“…Arai et al (2014) explain that an athlete brand is related to the personality of the athlete. In this regard, athletes themselves have a crucial role in contributing to building their personal brands (Cortsen, 2013).…”

“…When Beckham moved to Los Angeles Galaxy from Real Madrid FC, within one year of his arrival in MLS (Los Angeles Galaxy), the club obtained 11,000 more season ticket holders, inked a shirt sponsorship deal worth an estimated USD $20 million with Herbalife, and increased merchandise sales by 700% (Vincent, Hill, & Lee, 2009). Muhammad Ali Clay, famous heavy weight boxer who retired decades ago, still represents an example of a superstar athlete to his fans worldwide (Cortsen, 2013). He not only won the hearts of boxing lovers but also became a role model for minorities in America and became a people's champion through raising his voice against what he thought wrong (i.e.…”