By Marianna Kazazi, The Sports Financial Literacy Academy
There is no doubt that high-performance athletes become naturally recognizable as they catch the interest of spectators, finding themselves in the spotlight due to their athletic accomplishments.
Great field performance draws the attention of sports fans as they admire star athletes and are keen on discovering more about them. As a result, fans may closely follow their favourite athlete on social media to keep up with their daily lives. This certainly plays an important role and contributes to the development of the athlete’s personal brand.
Phenomenal Athletic Performance
Phenomenal athletic performance plays a major role in attracting fans’ attention and creating a positive image for athletes. At the start of an athlete’s career, public perception heavily relies on their performance and achievements. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks, is a prime example of this phenomenon. He has become a basketball legend by winning multiple prestigious awards and earning global recognition and support from fans. Giannis’ impact extends beyond his performance; he has brought Milwaukee to the world stage and made it known to billions. His success has not only elevated his career but also helped promote his team and the city globally.
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is another significant performance-related factor that can affect public perception. It is linked to the athlete’s behaviour towards their opponents, the respect they show on the field, and graciousness in winning or losing. Being respectful, supportive, playing fair, and practicing self-control are considerable traits that positively impact the public’s perception of athletes. A known example of an athlete showing poor sportsmanship is that of tennis player, Nick Kyrgios, who made headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons at the Montreal Masters, where during a game with Stan Wawrinka, he expressed his anger of losing the first set by saying disrespectful things about his opponent’s girlfriend. This caused great social media backlash and negative buzz around his name. Therefore, having strong values and morals is crucial for athletes in maintaining a good public image.
Off-Pitch Actions
Regardless of their professional career success, athletes are admired or scrutinized for their off-pitch actions as well. An example indicating this, is Gerard Piqué. Piqué used to play as a defender for one of the greatest football clubs worldwide, Barcelona, when a cheating scandal came to the surface, revealing his affair with another woman while being in a marital relationship with music artist Shakira. After that, the footballer not only lost one million followers. They also announced his withdrawal from his soccer team through his social media platforms.
Attractive Manners and Appearance
Performance is clearly not the only component contributing to the commercialization of the athlete’s brand name, image, and likeness. Attractive manners and appearance and marketable lifestyle, are vital contributors to the influence athletes have on people. In fact, it is common for athletes who may not be the best in their respective fields to attract an impressive amount of audience. This is due to their attractiveness and engaging personal style which transforms them into symbols, or due to their off-field marketing features.
Even though the perceived success of athletes is originally measured by their personal accomplishments on the field, athletes must understand that public perception goes beyond sport. Thus, they need to be constantly working on their personal brand strategies to build and maintain a strong public image.
The Money Smart Athlete® Blog is established and run by the Sports Financial Literacy Academy® (SFLA). Through its education programs, the SFLA has the vision to financially educate and empower athletes of all ages to become better people, not just better athletes. For more information on our courses, our SFLA Approved Trainer Program®, and how they can benefit you and your clients, please get in touch with us at [email protected].