Sports stars as social media marketing products

The world's leading brands have benefited from the rise of social networks for several years, with the aim of identifying and targeting potential consumers through a professional sportsman.

Social networks have evolved a lot and the way we connect with the world seems completely different. The speed of the information, like Twitter, made it possible to keep informed throughout the day but also to follow the daily life of a star. Today we are on our smartphone more often than the newspapers. Do you know how many times a day you look at your smartphone? Obviously not.

This quick transition to the digital world has affected several sectors but more particularly the marketing and communication sectors.

Professional athletes have long been one of the most effective marketing tools to target and reach consumers. Sport has a great place in our society today, it stimulates passions, is a source of sacrifice, health and positivism.

The Babolat brand signed a partnership with Rafael Nadal, one of the best players in the history of world tennis, but it was a significant investment for the brand. The partnership with a sportsman or a famous sportswoman is a very effective way to face the competition. But obviously, this is no longer enough, it is then important to adopt the right strategy on social networks. The power of a message on social networks is judged by the relevance and credibility of the message.

The athlete as a social media marketing product

Advertising engagements with well-known athletes allow brands to considerably increase their revenues because these athletes have a much higher notoriety and visibility than others.

Social networks have also been substituted for expensive market research in some markets. They appear to be a much more effective, direct and faster tool to reach consumers.

 The athlete thus allows the brand to enjoy an audience of more than 1 million consumers and each day they share with the world what they do, what they consume.

If you want Lionel Messi's latest football shoes, no need to go to an Adidas store, he sells them directly through a Tweet. The amount of a tweet can reach more than 200 000 euros, a lower price than an advertising. This also saves time for the athlete and the brand.

The 10 highest paid athletes per sponsored tweet in the world receive significant amounts of money. 7 of the 10 are footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo who have more than 39 million followers on twitter, 35 million on instagram and more than 100 million on Facebook. He earns about 215,000 euros per sponsported tweet.  The second most searched is Lebron James, the star of NBA who earns nearly 130000 euros per tweet sponsored. The rising football star Neymar, PSG player just started his entry into the TOP 10, we also find tennis players like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic.