Sports endorsements serve as a popular and effective means of promoting products and services to a sport’s particular fan base. When striking endorsement deals, brands will often have an athlete spokesperson wear their apparel, use their products, and speak about the brand either during in-person appearances or via social media posts. Athletes who portray trustworthy reputations develop clout with their consumer market in endorsing products of equal trustworthiness, to the point that some professional athletes earn more from their endorsement deals than they do from playing their chosen sport. As a result, the endorsement is mutually beneficial for both the company and the athlete.

When assessing the effectiveness of an endorsement deal, consider the image that the athlete conveys. What are the athlete’s accomplishments? Is the endorser a high achiever? How credible and well known is the athlete? Is the athlete likeable, popular, and admired? Is the athlete recognizable? Is the athlete’s image congruent with that of the target market’s demographic?

Outline

For this assignment, choose a professional athlete to research and use the following outline to familiarize yourself with the athlete’s endorsement history.

Name:
Athlete:
Net worth:
Sport and team:
Where is the athlete from?
Where does the athlete live?
General background of the athlete:
What type of public persona does the athlete have?
What endorsement deals has the athlete previously had?
Any public falling out from previous endorsement deals:
Largest deal the athlete has signed:
Current endorsement deal:
Terms (monetary and otherwise) of the endorsement agreement:
Paper

In a paper of 500-750 words, summarize your findings and discuss the athlete’s current endorsement. Include the following in your response:

Why did this company choose this particular athlete to endorse its product? What about the athlete aligns with the overall message of the brand? Why and how does this athlete best reach the brand’s target demographic?
Analyze the marketing strategies of the endorsement campaign. In your opinion, are the strategies successful? Why or why not?
What might be some of the marketing challenges associated with endorsing this athlete? What might be some of the long-term effects of this endorsement deal on the brand?
Present your opinion about a potential endorsement partnership that you believe would be successful for both the athlete and a different brand, and then explain your position. Why would this be a good match, and how would it be mutually beneficial for both parties?
General Requirements

Submit both the outline and written paper.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.