If you’re looking for a way to increase sales and improve overall brand awareness, prominent sports figures are attractive options. Their athletic prowess gives them instant credibility to any product, particularly anything related to those geared towards athletes. With that being said, their celebrity alone will influence fans to want to be like them and be associated with the same products or services. Your business would most likely benefit from this association, and this is true whether it’s a big name or not and for pretty much any type of product, service, or business.
Increased Sales
While the actual influence celebrity athletes have regarding advertising is a matter of debate, a Harvard University professor and Barclays Capital conducted a study that indicated sales growth compared to their previous numbers and overall placement in the market as well. The study showed an average increase of around 4%, with more considerable gains from those with higher status. Fans of a particular team or specific athlete will be more inclined to purchase a product or use a service endorsed by them.
Increased Awareness
One key aspect of growing your brand is making people aware of your brand. Attaching a local or national athlete quickly raises awareness for anyone who’s a fan of that individual or the team for which they play. Once people are aware of your brand’s products or services, they would be more likely to purchase from you. A potential customer’s favorable feelings towards the celebrity athlete can and often will translate to your company. Aaron Rodger's State Farm commercials and Brett Favre's Wrangler commercials are just a couple of examples.
Social media promotion by an athlete can increase that awareness even more. According to Opendorse, athletes on social media drive 4.8 times the engagement of media accounts, 3.6 times the engagement of league accounts, 2.4 times the engagement of team accounts, and 2.1 times the engagement of influencer accounts. It just goes to show how associating your brand with an athlete can push awareness and engagement through the roof.
Utilize Local Celebrity Athletes
Keep it local, and consider using a celebrity athlete from your home team. A small business that uses a local athlete of any profile brings much-wanted attention and awareness to your brand and business. For example, in Green Bay or anywhere in the state of Wisconsin, having any member of the Green Bay Packers at your event or endorsing your product will generate interest and get more eyes on you. Sticking to someone who is known and admired or associated with a known and admired team, locally and with your target market, pays huge dividends.
Ways to Include Celebrity Athletes
Once you’ve decided to utilize a celebrity athlete to help market your product or service, you need to know how to utilize a celebrity athlete. There are various ways to do so, and whichever way you choose will depend on what’s the best fit for your business and your products or services. The first way would be to have them endorse your brand. An endorsement could be digital, radio, print, television, etc., advertising depending on where you’re most likely to find your target market.
If you have an event coming up, having a celebrity appearance will bring more attention and most likely increase attendance. You can add an autograph signing session as part of your event or even have the signing be the event that you’re hosting. Either way, associating the celebrity athlete with your brand is the key. You can also sponsor a celebrity athlete to do a motivational speech for a local school or organization. Approaching your relationship this way gives the double whammy of giving back to the community as well as associating you with the athlete.
Mayfield Sports Marketing is a leading sports marketing agency and speaker bureau. Whether your company is small or large, our team can search our network of current and retired celebrity athletes available based on appearance fees, team, location, or sport. With access to hundreds of athletes available for corporate appearances, keynote or motivational speeches, and product endorsements, we work within your budget to match your goals with an athlete’s appearance.
By working with the player directly, player agent, marketing agency, and more, Mayfield Sports Marketing has negotiated deals for numerous current and retired sports figures for speaking engagements, VIP Meet & Greets, autograph signings, product endorsement deals, and media opportunities.
Disclaimer:
Mayfield Sports Marketing acts only as an athlete broker for corporate events, private events, and speaking engagements. Mayfield Sports Marketing does not claim or represent itself as the athlete’s agent, speakers bureau, manager, publicist, assistant, PR firm, or management company. Mayfield Sports Marketing is a full-service player and athlete booking agency representing organizations and groups seeking to hire athletes for motivational speakers, athletes for private corporate events, athlete endorsements, personal athlete appearances, spokesperson campaigns, and autograph sessions.
