Athlete brand construction: A perspective based on fans' perceptions

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for understanding the antecedents and components of athlete brand. Based on a set of 21 interviews conducted in three different countries, a detailed framework is proposed including five antecedents and two components of athlete brand. The antecedents are media (social media, mass media, video games and major sport events), oral communications (word of mouth, and rumors and narratives), impression management, social agents (parents, family members, friends and community), and teams and sport (sport interest, team interest and team geographical location). In turn, the components of athlete brand are related with on-field attributes (behavior, team, achievements, style of play and skills) and off-field attributes (physical attraction, lifestyle, personal appeal, ethnicity and entertainment). Complementarily, these components of athlete brand are proposed to have an impact on fans' loyalty towards the athlete. Implications of these findings for building and managing athlete brand are discussed, and directions for future studies are provided.

Consumer-Athlete Brand Relationship: A Qualitative Exploration of Sport Fans’ Experiences

“…As evidenced by the existing literature, high-profile athletes epitomize a desired athletic ability, personal experience, and glamorous lifestyle, elements that often influence the economic decisions of their fans and society at large (Arai et al, 2014;Biskup & Pfister, 1999;Feezell, 2005;Gilchrist, 2005;Guest & Cox, 2009;Hasaan et al, 2016). Unique athletic talent and memorable sporting performances produce consumer sentiments and a lasting impression on their audiences (Arai et al, 2014).…”

“…Much of the existing research suggests that superstar athletes should be perceived as stand-alone brands (e.g., Arai et al, 2014;Hasaan et al, 2016;Parmentier & Fischer, 2012). With respect to the meaning embedded in an athlete brand, previous scholars have recognized two different ways athletes resonate with their fans.…”

“…Specifically, sport consumers relate to athletes and their images based on on-court performances and style of play (Mullin, Hardy, & Sutton, 2014). In addition to memorable athletic triumphs, sport marketers can leverage their clients" lives off the playing field (Arai et al, 2014;Hasaan et al, 2016). While signature athletic moves characteristic of an athlete influence consumers" initial impression, the off-the-field dimension of an athlete brand further solidifies a spectrum of associations placed in fans" minds.…”

“…Arai and colleagues (2014) defined an athlete brand as a "public persona of an individual athlete who has established their own symbolic meaning and value using their name, face or other brand elements in the market" (p. 98). Further, their social status establishes athletes as cultural icons and valuable commodities (Feezell, 2005;Gilchrist, 2005;Hasaan et al, 2016). To illustrate, the "Be like Mike" mononym created a unique object of imitation, which transcended the sport and extended to the everyday life realm (Feezell, 2005).…”

Challenges That Make/Break the Athlete’s Quest to Become an Entrepreneur: A Qualitative Study About Fans’ Perceptions

“…The participants of the study mentioned the same phenomenon; however, in this study the hybrid nature of the brand mainly depends upon the athlete's performance. Hasaan et al (2016) mentioned that the athlete's brand is built around the athlete's on-field performance. Furthermore, the study categorizes the athlete's on-field activities by behavior, team, achievements, style of play, and skills.…”