Publicity is an essential part in building a brand image for an athlete. When marketing and promoting a product or an athlete, the amount and type of publicity they receive determines how much market share will be acquired. In their study, Yu, Liu, Lee and Soutar (2018) note that negative publicity does have an impact on public perception of a brand. It is safe to say that publicity can make or break an athlete’s career and brand.
In this day and age we live in, it is essential for athletes to be involved in or have a social media manager in their management team. Having a social media manager and a fitness trainer should go hand in hand for an athlete, both for maintaining their brand health and physical health. Ho Lee and Jung (2018) note that it is essential for a business or an athlete to be involved and manage their publicity in order to safeguard and nourish fans, thus reiterating the importance of an involvement in maintaining a good brand image amongst fans. This supports the fact that negative publicity or positive publicity does have an effect on a brand and the need to manage it.
Applying the Ansoff Matrix to aid in determining a growth strategy for an athlete, I would recommend a penetration strategy that aims at increasing the athletes’ market share within the same market. Other than being a low-risk option to apply, it is also a cheaper and less risky option than developing a new product or launching in a new market. In conclusion, maintaining positive publicity is as essential as being fit and healthy in the career and success of any athlete.
References
Ho Lee, S., & Jung, K. S. (2018). Loyal customer behaviors: Identifying brand fans. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 46(8), 1285–1303. Web.
Yu, M., Liu, F., Lee, J., & Soutar, G. (2018). The influence of negative publicity on brand equity: Attribution, image, attitude and purchase intention. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 27(4), 440–451. Web.