Athlete Endorsements
THE PROS AND CONS OF ATHLETE ENDORSEMENTS
Sport Marketing and Promotions
Introduction
What is an athlete endorsement and what significance does it play in the corporate world of advertising? According to dictionary.com an “endorsement” is the act of endorsing something through approval or sanction. Companies regularly use athletes and other high profile individuals to endorse their company and/or specific products as part of a comprehensive marketing strategy. They use the popularity of their talents to entice consumers to look favorably on their brand and to increase sales of their products or services thru their tacit approvals. These approvals or sanctions are done by having the athlete align themselves with the company thru advertisement, commercials, product or service promotions, or sports gear contract arrangements. Many endorsements deals can bring great wealth and exposure to both an athlete and a company. However, in recent years we have seen the negative side of these endorsement deals when the athlete doesn’t behave in a manner that provides a favorable image to the consumer they wish to attract. This can create difficult decisions for the company when considering whether to use sports athletes to promote their brand and image. The subject of this paper is to explore the Pros and Cons of athlete endorsement arrangements and how they can be either beneficial or detrimental to a company choosing this method of brand awareness.
The Origins of Athlete Endorsements In the early 1900’s, Honus Wagner was a well-known professional baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Honus signed a bat contract with Hillerich & Bradsby Co. on September 1st, 1905. He was believed to be the first professional athlete with an equipment endorsement deal. During this time period, he was the first major leaguer to have his signature engraved onto a baseball bat. Following Hillerich & Bradsby Co’s footsteps was a non-sports company known
Sport Marketing and Promotions
Introduction
What is an athlete endorsement and what significance does it play in the corporate world of advertising? According to dictionary.com an “endorsement” is the act of endorsing something through approval or sanction. Companies regularly use athletes and other high profile individuals to endorse their company and/or specific products as part of a comprehensive marketing strategy. They use the popularity of their talents to entice consumers to look favorably on their brand and to increase sales of their products or services thru their tacit approvals. These approvals or sanctions are done by having the athlete align themselves with the company thru advertisement, commercials, product or service promotions, or sports gear contract arrangements. Many endorsements deals can bring great wealth and exposure to both an athlete and a company. However, in recent years we have seen the negative side of these endorsement deals when the athlete doesn’t behave in a manner that provides a favorable image to the consumer they wish to attract. This can create difficult decisions for the company when considering whether to use sports athletes to promote their brand and image. The subject of this paper is to explore the Pros and Cons of athlete endorsement arrangements and how they can be either beneficial or detrimental to a company choosing this method of brand awareness.
The Origins of Athlete Endorsements In the early 1900’s, Honus Wagner was a well-known professional baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Honus signed a bat contract with Hillerich & Bradsby Co. on September 1st, 1905. He was believed to be the first professional athlete with an equipment endorsement deal. During this time period, he was the first major leaguer to have his signature engraved onto a baseball bat. Following Hillerich & Bradsby Co’s footsteps was a non-sports company known
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