By Demetris Constantinou, Contributor
In 2020, the world was caught by surprise as the Coronavirus pandemic emerged, changing everyone’s daily life and routines. Athletes were not spared, as they lost playing time and their ability to engage with fans. However, these challenges shouldn’t stop athletes from maintaining their brands and finding ways to stay connected with fans. In previous articles, we discussed the importance of an athlete’s brand, allowing them to reach beyond their sport. A brand represents who you are and how people will remember you in ten or twenty years. It’s crucial for athletes to stay focused on their branding strategy and adapt to the “new normal” during the pandemic.
Covid-19 Effect on Brands
Before discussing how athletes should control their brand narrative, we need to examine how the pandemic impacted their brands. The Coronavirus pandemic has generally harmed most brands due to reduced on-court visibility and limited fan engagement. Many athletes had their endorsement contracts renegotiated or lost, severing ties with major athletic apparel brands. However, an athlete’s brand extends beyond their performance, and few endorsements rely solely on performance. This creates a unique opportunity for athletes to enhance their brand during the pandemic, with social media engagement at its peak.
Increase in Online Engagement
The key pillar in an athlete’s revised strategy is increased engagement through virtual platforms like YouTube, live Q&As, and podcasts. These platforms provide athletes an opportunity to expand their fanbase to anyone with internet access. While expanding their reach, athletes should maintain engagement with their core fanbase by sharing sports-focused content and career insights. During this time of global hardship, athletes must show their human side by helping communities in need. Athletes can connect with ordinary people, demonstrating shared experiences during this period of uncertainty and hardship. By showing vulnerability, athletes can create empathy with their fanbase, giving their brand a more relatable, humane touch. It’s important for athletes to avoid promoting lavish lifestyles that alienate them from the average person’s reality. Such actions can harm an athlete’s brand and lead to backlash, especially from cancel culture.
The increase in Exposure due to Covid-19
While the pandemic has harmed athletes’ brands in the short term, it has also created opportunities for greater exposure. Athletes now have a unique chance to reach markets they couldn’t access in the pre-pandemic era. Through virtual platforms, athletes can strengthen their brands and connect with communities that were previously unreachable. Athletes must take advantage of this opportunity to create relatable content and engage with the vast virtual audience now available. This virtual reality will persist even in the post-pandemic world, offering ongoing opportunities for brand growth.
For more information on how athletes should strategize their branding approach during the pandemic, you can get in touch with us at [email protected].