Why Brands Work With Athletes as Influencers – and Why It Works
Look around and you’ll notice that professional athletes have become the new celebrity endorsement. Whether it’s Aaron Rogers and State Farm, or Lebron James for Nike, athletes act as spokesmen for companies and help sell products and services. Sports brands have used professional athlete endorsements for ages, but now brands in other niches are beginning to realize the power they wield over consumers.
Few topics can prove as incendiary as sports. Whether it’s the Crimson Tide versus the Tigers, Michigan versus Ohio State, or answering the age-old question of whether defense can actually win championships, sports fans react to everything with passion. When you can tap into that same passion to fuel your marketing efforts, good things result.
Leveraging athletes as influencers rather than celebrity endorsers brings a sense of humanity to lifestyle and athletic brands. An athlete posting a picture on Instagram donning Under Armour before a training session, for example, motivates us to do the same. Put on the same gear and maybe some of that same exceptionalism – that same grit – will rub off on us as well. That’s the power of athletes as influencers.
Athletes and Social Media
Social media also provides athletes to connect with individual fans and create opportunities for unique and personal contact. Channels like Instagram and Facebook have long been accepted as the official voice of a brand, and marketers are beginning to leverage athletes to provide engaging and authentic experiences. Brands like Coca-Cola and Panasonic did it by pairing with athletes and Instagram at the 2018 Winter Games in Sochi.
When businesses pair with athletes as social influencers, they get the benefit of that athlete’s following and a target audience that’s already interested in what they have to say. Creating engaging content with the help of athlete influencers can help sports, leisure, and lifestyle brands garner a wider audience and sell products. Athletes ignite passion and dedication in their fans, two things that businesses can use to their advantage through influencer marketing. Businesses in all industries are beginning to use athletes as influencers in their marketing for the simple reason that it works.
Sources: Forbes, Racked, and Media Post.
Download my free guide on 5 Things to Do Before Hiring an Influencer.
About Susana Yee
Susana Yee is a marketing expert and a pioneer in the field of social media and influencer marketing. Her Guess “Color Me Inspired” campaign went viral and Mashable named it one of “5 Interesting Pinterest Marketing Campaigns.” Susana was featured as a social media pioneer for 2011 as part of eHow 100 on Shift Showcases Real Women Moving from Information to Influence, Driving Change in Their Lives and the World, Influencing and Educating Other Women which was also featured on Bloomberg andBusiness Wire. Recently Susana was featured on Thinkific sharing her knowledge about working with influencers in the guide How To Create An Influencer Marketing Strategy to Sell Online Courses by Elise Asanias.