Michael Jordan and Nike popularized the notion of endorsing an athlete as a marketing tactic in the 80’s with the hugely successful Jordan Brand. It’s still a popular today among basketball players, despite branching out from the Nike name completely. Companies all over the world have been trying to do that ever since, whether its LeBron and Kobe in basketball, Messi and Ronaldo in soccer or Federer and Nadal in tennis.
However recently series of scandles have been occurring with famous athletes, primarily the ones Nike endorsed. Starting with Tiger Woods and his adultery incident in 2010, Lance Armstrong and doping to the recent Oscar “Blade Runner” Pistorius murdering his girlfriend. These incidents have not only ruined the athletes reputations, but also Nike’s. Companies spend millions trying to associate the athlete to the brand, but that’s a double edged sword. Since the athlete’s image is tied so much to the brand, their tarnished images also affect the company greatly.
Sports companies should pick their endorsements more carefully. More comprehensive tests and judgement should be considered before endorsing an athlete. Although it’s hard to judge a person’s character, it’s a lot better than spending millions on a marketing tactic that could potentially damage the company’s reputation.
