When asked, “who would you be most excited to
meet?” people usually rattle off an educated list of historical figures or
powerful inventors. But, in reality most of us would really be most excited to
meet a favorite celebrity. Of this celebrity list I’m sure most have a few
sports figures on it. Why do you think this is? Is it because they live the
life we have always dreamed of since we were little and played on a town league
team? Or is it that they simply are all good people who are perfect role
models? Well, I can tell you it is definitely not the latter, so what makes us
look up to sports figures more than meaningful members of society?
The
reason for this is I believe is television, hype, humanistic characteristics,
physical greatness, and most of all, advertising. When we see athletes on
television we see media created role models. But unlike a political figure,
say, the President, we see them portrayed as humans, with superhero
capabilities. This is strange because those two things are complete opposites.
Sports celebrities make mistakes, and therefore are relatable. This
relatability is perfect for ads, which is why sports endorsements are seen so
often and come out with the highest ratings.
Many
new pros are taking full advantage of the endless opportunities for
endorsements. In an article by Michael Ventre in Variety, he talks about these
pros riding the “endorsement wave.” Anna Kournikova is the 70th
ranking among Women’s Tennis Assn.’s singles rankings and she has never even
won a singles title. However, she is on track to make $14 million in
endorsements from Companies like Adidas, Berlei, and Yonex. She is among the
highest-profile celebrities in the sports world with her own video game and “E!
True Hollywood Story.” Number 1 ranked Serena Williams has a Wimbleton title
under her belt and her endorsement deal with Puma is nearing an end. She will
most likely get bid on for a new deal, but she has to raise her profile to obtain
her endorsement work. She has enrolled in things such as acting classes, and
has agreed to take on a gang member role on a Showtime series.
So why does the 70th ranked player and
the number 1 ranked player have such differences in ad endorsements? Apparently
it is because most sports stars do not appeal to the total market and are
judged by something called a Q score, explains Steve Levitt of Marketing
Evaluations Inc. This Q score is used by ad agencies and casting departments to
determine who gets endorsements. Is this a nice way of saying that the Williams
Sisters are not sexy enough? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.
Unfortunately
it is not always about who is the best or most deserving athlete who gets the
most endorsement deals. In this case, Tiger Woods may be the best in golf at
the moment, but he is certainly not the most deserving. After losing 5 major
deals (AT&T, Accenture, Tag Heuer, Gatorade and Gillette) in two years
after his adultery scandal, he obtained a new deal with Rolex, and has racked
up an extra $10 million in oversees appearances this year alone according to
Doug Ferguson in an article in the Huffington Post. A very undeserving
candidate is Alex Rodriguez. While he was in the spotlight, his PR agents did
things like put him on “The Tonight Show” to have more people see who he was
and therefore boost his Q score. Everyone knew he took steroids and was the
highest paid athlete a few years back, not to mention was a complete jerk, but
still was endorsed because of his playing time.
So
why do big brands spend so much money on these athlete deals? Well it’s to
build brand awareness like Maria Sharapova with Canon, validate product
features with Troy Polamalu and Head & Shoulders, and Dwayne Wade and Gatorade.
Additionally the deals boost brand equity. In 2012 Lebron James earned $15
million from Nike and they sold over $100 million worth of his signature shoes
in the US alone, in an article by Opendorse. Nike has profited an exorbitant
amount from athletes such as James, so much so that they even have enough money
to give $833.57 hair cuts to bald men for commercial shoots according to TMZ. Sorry
Kobe, but that is absurd. Gatorade is the most recognized out of them all when
it comes to athletes and building a solid brand complete with powerful
messages. These athletes that endorse Gatorade are very smart as they are building
their own brand and making themselves “heroes” for the world. And Brands like
Gatorade do an impeccable job at tricking us into it. So are we dumb, or are
big brands just geniuses? You decide. See if you remember this commercial.
"Guess How Much Nike Pays For Kobe Bryant's
Haircut In Prep For Commercial," The Post Game (Yahoo Blog) 13 Jan. 2014.
Web.
Ferguson,
Doug. "Tiger Woods Rolex Deal: Golfer Signs First Major Endorsement In 2
Years." Huffington Post. 05 Oct 2011: n. page. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/05/tiger-woods-rolex-endorsement-deal_n_996214.html>.
Ventre,
Michael. "A Pretty Good Racket: New pros are riding the endorsement
wave." Variety. (2003): Jul 14. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
<https://variety.com/2003/film/awards/a-pretty-good-racket-1117889402/>.
Lawrence,
Blake. "Why Big Brands Spend So Much on Athlete Endorsements." OpenDorse.
N.p., 08 Aug 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
<https://opendorse.com/why-big-brands-spend-so-much-on-athlete-endorsements/>.
Nothing sells a product more than having a celebrities face promoting it. As consumers, we often buy things simply because we are a fan of the celebrity. Frosted Mini Wheats are always in my house and there’s always a celebrity on the box. I don’t take note how many sports celebrities are on cereal boxes, but I have a feeling there are a lot. It makes sense, athletes are healthy, active, and eat well. Having an athlete like Eric Decker as the face promoting a product isn’t going to hurt sales. Eric Decker is extremely attractive, a fabulous football player, and has his own show on E! that features his sensitive side. At the same time, you have to be very careful who you choose to endorse a certain product, the celebrity could always act out in negative ways. We were obsessed with Olympic athlete Ryan Lochte for a hot minute. After his show on E! aired everyone realized what a jerk he really was. Speaking of Ryan Lochte, where is he now? Nobody knows because people got sick of his disgusting personality.
ReplyDeleteSome celebrities are such divas it makes me sick. Girls we know are more likely to be divas but after reading “Guess How Much Nike Pays For Kobe Bryant's Haircut In Prep For Commercial” it made me laugh at Kobe Bryant. I understand that commercials are huge and everything needs to look perfect but the man doesn’t even have hair! How does it cost almost $900, there must be something else he was getting too. It’s no surprise that Nike is willing to shell out the cash for his haircut. I will admit that I’m not a huge sports fan, but I even know who he is. Therefore, Nike obviously wants someone who is well known to promote their massive brand. You made some great points in your blog, Anna Kournikova is not a strong tennis player. I would say she’s more known for dating Enrique Iglesias. The fact that Anna Kournikova has more endorsement deals then tennis champ Serena Williams is upsetting. Serena Williams is talented whereas Anna Kournikova is just pretty.
CONTINUED The Q score mentioned in your blog was really eye opening. It’s unfair to judge athletes on such a silly concept. They are athletes at the end of the day they aren’t supposed to be Hollywood’s version of beautiful. Serena Williams in particular has gotten negative comments towards her, calling her physique manly and muscular. She’s an athlete, we can’t expect her to be a slender tiny girl. She is good at what she does and that is playing tennis, being the face of Covergirl would be a bonus but realistically not everyone fits that role. The industry is fueled by having well known people representing a brand. Have the wrong person representing, and your brand will plummet. Tiger Woods absolutely deserved to be dropped by all of his endorsements after his adultery scandal. He is a disgusting slime ball and you automatically think of whatever celebrity is endorsing the product at that time. When you are using your Gillette razor, you don’t want to be thinking of Tiger Woods and his repulsive actions. The fact that a scandal can raise your Q score is upsetting. Making yourself a big deal in the public for unacceptable behavior shouldn’t be a platform to gain endorsements.
ReplyDeleteIt’s humorous when you realize what companies use athletes to endorse the brand. As Nielsen mentioned McDonalds and Miller Lite are the biggest advertisers in sports television. An unhealthy fast food chain and a beer company are the biggest advertisers? That seems odd considering McDonalds and beer are both highly unhealthy. Athletes are known for their healthy lifestyle, promoting one of the most unhealthy food choices is really peculiar. Drinking Miller Lite isn’t going to get you an athlete’s physique, that’s for sure. Consumers think that by buying a certain product makes them more like the person promoting it. All of the Olympic athletes that were featured on the McDonalds bags surely aren’t eating McDonalds on the regular. If anyone saw “Super Size Me”, you learn very quickly that you can’t live off of McDonalds. Who knows maybe half the products celebrities endorse they don’t even like or eat/drink.
The world of celebrity endorsements is very misleading. Celebrities are paid to love a product so that consumers fall in love with that product. The brand doesn’t always match with the person who is representing it. As we see McDonalds doesn’t exactly match up with the eating habits of Olympic athletes. In the end I think it makes the company look stupid. In the future I think they need to be more careful on how they use endorsement deals. Celebrity and sport endorsements obviously prove to sell a product better. Endorsement deals between famous athletes and big name companies aren’t going to disappear anytime soon.
I think that people usually look up to professional athletes because they see them as heroes. People see sports as an escape from reality. As the stars of these sports that America loves so much, professional athletes take on the leading roles in this escape. When we see athletes, we are reminded of the pedestal we put them on and we aspire to be like them. That being said, it is no wonder why advertisers are so eager to use athletes to promote brands.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that athletes have even more success in advertising than other types of celebrities. I believe this is for two primary reasons. For one, audiences see athletes as more relatable than celebrities. Many people see sports figures as normal people who have been pushed into the spotlight rather than choosing it themselves. On the other hand, people see actors and other celebrities as choosing to be famous and actively strive towards being so. Although the same can be said in sports, as most athletes do strive to make it to a professional level, it can be argued that athletes are doing it for the love of the game and nothing else.
Another reason I believe advertisers choose to work with celebrities is because of the way so many athletes reach out and attempt to connect with their fans. As we talked about in class earlier, it is more practical and more likely for an athlete to have various social media accounts rather than other celebrities such as actors or actresses. People see actors as mysterious and unreachable whereas they are likely to get genuine and even emotional thoughts from sports figures through their Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram accounts.
According to the Neilson Year in Sports Advertising, “National TV sports generated $10.9 billion in advertising expenditure last year, compared to $10.3 billion one year prior.” It is painfully obvious that athletes successfully sell. If these sports ads were not working, companies would choose alternate strategies rather than spending over ten billion dollars annually on athletic advertisements.
Kurt Badenhausen writes in an article for Forbes, “Jordan out-earns almost every member of the world’s highest-paid athletes 10 years after his last NBA game,” (Badenhausen). The longevity of Jordan’s endorsement success further proves that this is a prosperous formula. Now that Jordan is retired, the audiences for these advertisements see him as not only a hero, but as an icon as well.
Overall, people tend to hype up athletes to statuses that are above an average level. We see these figures as having almost superhuman attributes that allow them to perform at such outstanding levels. This could be because so many people wish they were able to do what they do. Another theory is it could be because athletes are able to make people forget their everyday worries and make them believe in something bigger than them for a while. No matter what the reason, it is overwhelmingly evident that the attributes athletes possess sell products efficiently and consistently.
Badenhausen, Kurt. "How Michael Jordan Still Earns $80 Million A Year," Forbes 14 Feb. 2013. Web.
“Year in Sports Advertising.” Nielsen.com. Accessed 15 Dec. 2013. Web.
I think advertising with sports stars is probably one of the best things a company can do. According to Neilson Year in Sports Advertising, “National TV sports generated $10.9 billion in advertising expenditure last year, compared to $10.3 billion one year prior.” I think they are so successful because we look up to them and like you said, they live the life we have always dreamed of since we were little. Sports stars are much more relatable than celebrities, because for the most part, they are famous for an actual talent. Not to say that celebrities aren’t talented, but like we discussed last week, some celebrities are just famous for being famous.
ReplyDeleteMost times, if you know of a sports celebrity, it is because they are one of the best at what they do. I have to admit, I don’t know much about sports because I’m not much of a “traditional” sports fan. I never played soccer, basketball or baseball as a kid, but I am a figure skater and my sports idol has always been Michelle Kwan. When she was competing and especially during her time in the Olympics, her biggest endorsements were Yoplait yogurt and Coca Cola.
When I was little, I remember being in the grocery store with my parents and that was all I wanted to buy, because that was what I thought Michelle Kwan ate and I wanted to be just like her. That being said, I am lactose intolerant and my mom worked for Pepsi, so I didn’t ever buy the products. But kids respond to that kind of thing and will want anything if their favorite celebrity is on it, no matter what the product is.
For me, the Winter Olympics are like the Super Bowl or The World Series and I enjoy seeing the commercials. Like we said last week, should Olympic athletes be appearing in McDonald’s commercials? Probably not, but I like watching them, because I get to see MY favorite sports stars for a change. While they are not as popular as Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, they still have a loyal fan base. For me, seeing skaters compete in and endorse Riedell figure skates is going to make me shell out $250 for brand name skates – just like people are willing to spend the same amount on Michael Jordan’s new Air Jordans (Badenhausen) and Michael Jordan doesn’t even play professional basketball anymore. I think that goes to show you that even after they are no longer playing, athletes will still be relevant to advertisers.
However, I do think sometimes it is taken too far. The whole story about Koby Bryant proves this. The fact that Nike is willing to spend over $800 on a hair cut for BALD MAN is insane. But Nike is a very successful company and they are obviously making money if they can afford to do that. Just doing a Google Search of their ads, I found that the majority are made up of celebrity endorsements. And I think that is the key: to use people that are recognizable all over the world and Nike is probably one of the best examples of this, using stars like LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Serena Williams, so even people like me can recognize them.
Badenhausen, Kurt. "How Michael Jordan Still Earns $80 Million A Year," Forbes 14 Feb. 2013. Web.
"Guess How Much Nike Pays For Kobe Bryant's Haircut In Prep For Commercial," The Post Game (Yahoo Blog) 13 Jan. 2014. Web.
“Year in Sports Advertising.” Nielsen.com. Accessed 15 Dec. 2013. Web.
Sports have been called a field whereupon the struggle and drama of human nature is played out. Every postseason heroes arise out of the struggle, and every year, for every sport, a winner is proven and a champion crowned. Sports have phrases and comparisons with origins from war, cooking, and music. Great athletes have met the President of the United States, been called heroes, and given multi-million dollar contracts and endorsement deals. If only a select few athletes in each sport are chosen by big brand name companies for endorsement deals however, one must ask how big name companies choose these athletes they pay millions of dollars to. The biggest factor would seem to be on field performance. It’s pretty much undeniable that all the athletes that get big endorsement contracts excel at the professional level. Names like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Tiger Woods have all won championships in their respective sports, and most would agree that with their ability it’s only logical that companies would choose them for being the face of their product. Even after some athletes retire they’re able to continue to receive some astoundingly lucrative endorsement deals. Michael Jordan, for example, has been retired from the NBA for over a decade, made an estimated $80 million last year alone (Badenhausen). Not bad for a man who just turned fifty and hasn’t played in an NBA game in over ten years. Personal performance, whether it be past or present, is not always the cause for an endorsement deal however. Anna Kournikova, who is ranked 70th in the world in individuals women’ tennis, earns $14 million in endorsement deals. While the #1 ranked woman’s tennis player, Serena Williams, does stand to make more than that should her contract negotiations with Puma go as expected (Ventre), one has to ask how on earth Kournikova has managed to make so much off accomplishing so little (relatively speaking). This rather confusing occurrence is said to be based on something called a “Q score”, which ad agencies use to measure an athletes recognition and appeal. In a word, their likability (Maglio). This seems to me to be a nicer way of telling people like Serena Williams that while she may be more talented, men like to look at Anna more, and women want to be more like Anna. While this may be construed as a rather crude and shallow factor to base decisions on, it has its roots in reality. If sex appeal didn’t sell, people like the Kardashians wouldn’t exist. Or at least we wouldn’t have to constantly be reminded that they do. Big brand companies are all to aware of the power of appealing to human emotion and desires, hence why they use those tactics to their advantage. The result is ads with talented and/or attractive athletes dominating the endorsement scene because they appeal to consumer’s human desires. We as consumers crave heroes to bring us the wonderful spectacles that often define seasons or careers, and we want as many heroes as possible to be attractive while they do it. It’s not cold or ruthless, it’s business savvy.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Ventre, Michael. "A Pretty Good Racket: New pros are riding the endorsement wave." Variety. (2003): Jul 14. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
Badenhousen, Kurt. “How Michael Jordan Still Earns $80 Million A Year”. Forbes. 2/14/13. Print
Maglio, Tony. “The Most and Least Liked Daytime TV Hosts – From Ellen to Wendy Williams”. The Wrap, 2/20/14. Web.
Nicolette Illiano
ReplyDeleteI’ll start off by saying I’m not a huge sports fan, I watch when other people put it on TV and I typically never turn any sports game on myself. I don’t know a lot of the players, but the ones that I do know are because I’ve seen their faces on TV so much (and like I said, it’s probably not because of the game). Celebrity endorsements have become one of the biggest ways to market products to the public. Companies use this marketing technique to attract new consumers to purchase and test out their products. Its simple: fans see their favorite celebrity wearing/eating/supporting a product and they’ll want to wear/eat/support that product too right? Not quite. See the thing about celebrity endorsements is they usually only work if the company and product make sense together.
A lot of companies that are doing celebrity-endorsing right are companies that sell sports related products. Why? Because they chose famous, major league sports starts to endorse their products, but most importantly, because it’s realistic! Take the Kardashian Sketchers endorsement for example. Absolute fail. We all know none of the Kardashians wear Sketchers, ever. Bad move on the company’s part. But, if we see a commercial of Michael Jordan playing basketball in his Nike sneakers there’s a good chance that he actually owns those sneakers (or ones just like them). In fact, according to Kurt Badenhausen’s article “How Michael Jordan Still Earns $80 Million A Year,” Jordan earned around $80 million in 2012 from partners like Nike, Gatorade, Hanes, Upper Deck, 2K Sports and Five Star Fragrances. Clearly Jordan is making money off of his partners, but I’m sure they’re making just as much off of him. The Jordan Brand, a customized line of sneakers and a division of Nike, is one of the top selling sneaker brands, generating more than $1.7 billion globally (Badenhausen).
Companies like Nike and Gatorade are so successful with their marketing techniques because they target the right players. Nike is signed with NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul as well as NY Yankee’s Derek Jeter and Nascar’s Denny Hamlin. The fans of these players and their teams trust the products that their favorite athletes wear or consume because they’re so successful in their sports careers. The right athletes are motivational and inspirational and are the perfect people for celebrity endorsements.
When an athlete signs to endorse a product or a company they’re given a ton of free products from that company and in return are required to wear or use the products in public, film commercials or make appearances. But how much is too much? The Post Game Yahoo Blog’s post “Guess How Much Nike Pays For Kobe Bryant's Haircut In Prep For Commercial” discusses how Nike paid $833.75 for Kobe Bryant’s haircut before a commercial shoot. To me, and I’m sure to anyone else reading this, that sounds absolutely ridiculous. But hey, if he’s making Nike money I’m sure it’s no sweat off their back.
Badenhausen, Kurt. "How Michael Jordan Still Earns $80 Million A Year," Forbes 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 15 April 2014.
"Guess How Much Nike Pays For Kobe Bryant's Haircut In Prep For Commercial," The Post Game (Yahoo Blog) 13 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 April 2014.
Athletes and endorsements go hand in hand. Companies use celebrities to promote their products in hopes that people will buy their product and increase their sales. Celebrities are paid to be the “face” of a product and they consist of artists, actors, directors, reality stars, and athletes. What separates athletes from other celebrities is that they are portrayed as role models, and the sports industry has a tremendous fan base. The media crafts them in a way that shows them down-to-earth and just like us. Although they have more skills and talent in their specific sport, having them endorse a product is both a benefit for the company and the audience.
ReplyDeleteEndorsements work in a way that are supposed to make people like us (non-celebrities/normal working people in society), feel like the athletes are one of us and want to use the same products as them. Although this sounds like a simple concept, the price is far from cheap. According to the article “Guess How Much Nike Pays for Kobe Bryant’s Haircut in Prep for Commercial” by ThePostGameStaff, “The Lakers superstar apparently received a $750 grooming treatment, which combined with a 15 percent tip, came out to cost Nike $833.75.” Although this number seems ridiculously high, many companies are willing to pay the price in order to have the athlete. They might need to face certain demands and expenses at first, but having the Kobe Bryant Collection at Nike has been nothing but positive for their sales and notoriety.
Another athlete who has been around for a while and has been the face of many ads is Michael Jordan. Companies rely on their advertising, so why not use a well-known and respected athlete to represent them? The athletes help the companies create brand awareness, so most of the time, these endorsements are definitely worth it. According to the article from Forbes by Kurt Badenhausen, “Jordan earned an estimated $80 million last year from corporate partners Nike, Gatorade, Hanes, Upper Deck, 2K Sports, Presbyterian Healthcare and Five Star Fragrances.” By having contracts with these companies, Jordan is making himself a nice chunk of change for basically promoting the product and being in commercials (not too hard right?)
I think the reason that athletes are used to endorse products is because of the industry they are in. Fans mainly focus on their favorite athletes because of how well they play the game. They are always in the spotlight because of their achievements. With the exception of Tiger Woods, I think it is safe to say that we know athletes for that soul purpose – for being athletes. In the movie and music industry, there’s always a new scandal everyday and they compile a majority of the gossip columns. At least with popular athletes, we acknowledge them for their talents and somewhat normal lives otherwise. Since their lives revolve around their team and the sport, companies would be foolish not to partner with athletes who have a very positive image in the public eye.
Works Cited
Badenhausen, Kurt. "How Michael Jordan Still Earns $80 Million A Year," Forbes 14 Feb. 2013. Web.
"Guess How Much Nike Pays For Kobe Bryant's Haircut In Prep For Commercial," The Post Game (Yahoo Blog) 13 Jan. 2014. Web.
I find it fascinating that endorsement deals can contribute immensely to a athletes career. An athlete might have superb athletic ability, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they will receive the proper recognition for it. The reason that they might not receive the recognition is because they are not endorsed by a well-known brand. Ari sheds light on a significant example, Anna Kournikova versus Serena Williams. The figures that Anna rakes in versus Serena is truly baffling. I did not expect that a 70th ranked athlete would be that successful and wealthy, but as stated in the blog, I suppose good looks and some talent can get you farther in terms of your celebrity status.
ReplyDeleteI feel that social media has contributed greatly to the popularity and hype of celebrities. "Jordan still resonates strongly with consumers. His 22 million Facebook fans rank fourth among athletes, behind only soccer icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham" (Badenhausen 2013). What do these celebrity athletes also have in common? They are all attractive and make millions of dollars because of it. The celebrity athletes who are attractive are often the ones who have millions of Facebook friends, followers, etc., and also receive the endorsement deals from the larger, globally recognized name brands. In my opinion, I find it unfair that a more attractive athlete will receive greater praise and/or recognition for their talent, but I'm not surprised that that is the case - our society obsesses over good looking people. We have a "Sexiest man/woman" and "Most beautiful woman" recognition for goodness sake. The celebrities capitalize off of their own looks, and this is evident in the Kobe Bryant example with his absurdly expensive $750 haircut for a mere commercial shoot (The Post Blog 2014). "These athletes that endorse [big name brands] are very smart as they are building their own brand and making themselves 'heroes' for the world" (Paluzzi blog 2014). I believe that they are viewed as these heroic, perfect figures because we allow them to. We as consumers want to see good looking people in advertisements - it peaks our interest, and it generates a positive connotation with not only the brand being marketed, but the athlete, as well as the sport that they play. It's all about the bottom line, right? Well, endorsing good looking athletes is a genius marketing move (and an unfair one) that will continue to generate a steady cash flow for any globally recognized brand.
Badenhausen, Kurt. "How Michael Jordan Still Earns $80 Million A Year," Forbes 14 Feb. 2013. Web.
"Guess How Much Nike Pays For Kobe Bryant's Haircut In Prep For Commercial," The Post Game (Yahoo Blog) 13 Jan. 2014. Web.