The Rise of an Athlete Brand: Factors Influencing the Social Media Following of Athletes

Abstract

Athlete brands exist within a network of brand relationships. Thus, considering the joint influences of related brands at different levels (league, team, and athlete) is essential for understanding how athlete brands are built. We focus on growth factors impacting athletes’ social media followings (Twitter and Instagram) around the critical juncture of team transfer periods. We use data from the NFL Draft, because this moment in time provides a key opportunity to capture combined influences from league-, team-, athlete-, and platform-related factors on athlete brand development. Through comparing a large sample of athlete social media followings before and after the draft, we identify immediate changes as athletes start their professional careers. Results indicate examining multiple factors in the same model is essential for understanding the role each plays in building athlete brands. The league and team represent master brands into which an athlete brand is integrated, and consequently athlete brands are provided with benefits from these new brand relationships. Results further demonstrate network effects, highlighting the importance of possessing a strong brand before a high-profile event.

An extended source attractiveness model: the advertising effectiveness of distinct athlete endorser attractiveness types and its contextual variation

“…The commercialization and media coverage of sports have transformed successful athletes into major brands (Arai et al, 2013(Arai et al, , 2014Carlson & Donavan, 2013;Chang et al, 2018;Su et al, 2020). Since many consumers know, admire, trust, and identify with these athletes (Carlson & Donavan, 2013), firms seek to benefit from such favorable attitudes in order to market their products to consumers more successfully (Arai et al, 2013(Arai et al, , 2014Frank & Enkawa, 2009;Knoll & Matthes, 2017).…”

“…In sports marketing, firms use sponsorship deals and athlete endorsements of advertising products and services in order to influence these customer equity drivers. Many athletes and sports events are popular brands with a large fan base and a favorable image in society (Arai et al, 2013(Arai et al, , 2014Carlson & Donavan, 2013;Chang et al, 2018;Su et al, 2020). Through athlete endorsements and sponsorship, firms aim to benefit from public attention and to transfer the favorable image of an athlete or sports event to their advertised products and brands (Alexandris et al, 2012;Arai et al, 2013;Braunstein-Minkove et al, 2011;Carlson & Donavan, 2008;Cheong et al, 2019).…”

Fan Engagement in 15 Seconds: Athletes’ Relationship Marketing During a Pandemic via TikTok

“…Human brand theory (Thomson, 2006) suggests that consumers form strong attachments to well-known personas that are attractive, accessible, and authentic, yielding positive marketing results. Athletes' personal brands are among their most valuable assets (Su, Baker, Doyle, & Kunkel, 2020) and positive brand associations continue even after athletic performance declines (Pegoraro & Jinnah, 2012) or ceases, as evidenced by the persistent marketability of retired athletes, such as Michael Jordan, David Beckham, and Mia Hamm. Thus, athletes are presented with incentives to establish a strong brand presence in the mind of consumers.…”

An Analysis of Broadcasting Media Using Social Media Engagement in the WNBA

“…This allows athletes and teams to directly communicate with their fans, rather than rely on broadcast media to facilitate their opportunities. Consequently, social media empowers athletes and allows them to develop and monetize their personal brands (Su et al, 2020), challenging the existing power structure that favored broadcasters and leagues. Similarly, new media options have forced sport teams to progress into their own media entities and provide innovative viewing experiences for fans that are more personalized and interactive (Evens and Lefever, 2011).…”