What do you want to be known for as an professional action sports athlete? 

The first session of the Sports Management Mastermind 4-Week Intensive starts with how to build your athlete brand because it is THAT important. 

An athlete brand is NOT just about your image, it is a combination of your values, how you treat people and carry yourself, personal style, even what you are known for in your sport (going big, stylish, fearless).

Your athlete brand is what makes you unique, helps you differentiate yourself from your peers, and makes you recognizable.  What your athlete brand stands for is what sponsors look at when considering if an athlete is a good fit to represent the brand and how people relate/identify with you as an athlete.

So then why do so many athletes lack a strong athlete brand? What do they get wrong? 

1. Chasing Dollars Over Authenticity:  One of the most common mistakes athletes make when building their  athlete brand is accepting a sponsorship that is not in alignment with what they truly stand for. Example: You are a vegan, you promote this on your social media through various posts about healthy recipes and animal rights initiatives and then accept a beef jerky sponsorship.  This partnership would damage your credibility and trust with your fans, audience, as with current and potential partners.  Athletes need to thing long term when building their athlete brand and be sure that short term decisions do not hinder the value of their brand. 

 2. Your Actions Don't Match Your Image:  We hate to admit it but sometimes there is truth to the saying "Don't meet your hero's."  The marketing machines of social media and sports marketing can make athletes out to be super-hero's, positioning them as "darlings" when in real-life these athletes are not all that rad. That is why as an athlete if you want to establish a strong athlete brand you need to understand that your actions and how you treat people is equally if not MORE important than your personal style.  So when you think about what you want to be known for as an athlete, also think about what that means in terms of how do you want people to feel after interacting with you. 

3. Inconsistency = Lack of Brand:  Attracting numerous sponsorships can be exciting no matter what level you are at as an action sports athlete. But the more sponsors you have the more work you need to do to make sure that story they are telling about you, using you name and image is consistent and in line with what you want to be known for.  Every sponsor has their own marketing initiatives each season, the campaigns they are running, the products they are pushing, and how they are choosing to use your image.  To avoid weakening your athlete brand, or worse yet damaging it, athletes want to ensure that their image, name, and likeness is being portrayed consistently through out every sponsors marketing.

Building a strong athlete brand that fans and sponsors connect with and value requires being true to who you really are (authenticity) , understanding the power of how you treat people and make them feel after an interaction with you (reputation), and telling the story of you are and what you want to be known for in a consistent manner through social media and brand partnerships. 

Author: Sue Izzo 

Photo: Roxy