CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT IN ADVERTISING
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CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT IN ADVERTISING
Master Student Vlad Roşca
Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest
Abstract:
Being an individual sport, tennis often deals with a specific category of
sponsoring: the endorsement. Tennis players and business organizations
seek each other in order to sign partnerships from which both parties hope to
win. Endorsements are among the most profitable income sources for
professional athletes. By acting as ambassadors for their sponsors and by
cedeing them the image usage rights, tennis players earn a lot. But, through
the image association with the athlete, the sponsor also wins, by adding
value to his image capital. This papers researches the particularities of tennis
endorsements using the case of Roger Federer, one of the best tennis
players in history and one of the best business partners in the world of sports
for sponsoring companies. Thanks to his succes, Federer reached a level
where not less than ten partners sponsor him yearly. The most interesting of
these partnerships are presented in this paper.
Keywors: celebrity endorsement, sponsoring, sports marketing, tennis
Introduction accomodation to different tournaments
Being part of sponsoring, celebrity worldwide. Moreover, not to mention the
endorsement is often used in less performant players, who aren’t in
professional sport, by using the image the top, and who find it more difficult to
of the athlete. In tennis, where athletes earn money and to cover their costs.
are individuals, not teams or clubs, Sponsoring deals and money come with
endorsement is the main sponsoring performance. The more performant an
possibility of a player. One the one hand athlete, the higher his/hers
side, business organizations search attractiveness for sponsors. But also,
athletes with whom to associate their the more financial power the athlete
image, in order to raise their own image has, the easier it will be for him to obtain
and brand awarness, and, finally, the sporting succes. Because, next to
selling of their products or services. On money, endorsements contracts mean
the other hand side, tennis players also also relations in business, entertainment
seak sponsors, in order to grow their and sport, and these are a boosting
income. Next to the prizes offered by factor for the success of the athlete.
organizors for participating in their Fullerton presents endorsement as
competitions, tennis players earn a „payment to a spokesperson who will
money from various endorsement recommend and encourage the
contracts. Many say professional purchase of a marketer’s product”
players earn maybe too much from such (Fullerton, 2007, p. 212).
sponsoring deals, but it has to be known Recomendation occurs spoken or
that the money the athletes receive unspoken. Spoken recomendation
doesn’t remain entirely to them. Even happens, mostly, in advertising spots,
tennis stars such as today’s Roger while the recomendation on the tennis
Federer, Rafel Nadal or Novak Djokovic field is unspoken and it happens
have to pay their trainers and their through wearing the logo of the sponsor
training sessions, or their transport and on the sporting equipment. The use oftennis players as brand endorsers is athlete with the equipment or clothing
favoured by the fact that these athletes he needs in order to perform. For
are celebrities who, throughout others, example, Nike provides the T-shirt, the
have a large presence in mass-media. short pants and the sneakers Roger
By wearing and promoting the brand of Federer uses on the court.
the sponsor, tennis players contribute to Endorsement means:
the mass publicum recognition of the • that an organization buys
latter one. advertising space on these products
Born August 8, 1981, in Basel, and uses it with the aim of raising its
Roger Federer is one of the best tennis brand awarness and sellings or
players in history. After turning pro in • that the technical sponsor uses
1998, the Swiss won sixteen Grand the sponsored athlete for non-marking
Slam titles, more than fifty tournaments sponsorships, which are a type of
and an Olympic gold medal in Beijing endorsement.
2008. His succes on the court made him In november 2001, Roger Federer
one of the most demanded athletes for – ranked thirteenth in the world at that
endorsement partnerships. In may time - entered the court for the final of
2010, Federer had ten sponsoring or the Basel tournament against Tim
endorsement contracts, with the Henman carying a Wilson termobag on
following companies: Credit Suisse, his right shoulder, a Nike sports bag on
Gillette, Jura, Lindt, Mercedes-Benz, his left shoulder and wearing a full Nike
Nationale Suisse, Netjets, Nike, Rolex, sports gear, including a bandana. Eight
and Wilson. years later, in the Wimbledon
tournament, tennis fans saw Federer
Possible endorsement wearing a white gear with golden strips
contracts in tennis and with an „RF” logo on it. The „RF”
Augustine-Schlossinger identifies were the initials of Roger Federer and
three categories of endorsement were a result of Federer’s sponsoring
contracts (Augustine-Schlossinger, partnership with Nike. Identifiying a
2003): headgear and clothing market opportunity, Nike and Federer
endorsement, hard goods endorsement took the decision to launch an own,
and non-marking sponsorships. Often, branded, gear collection. The sporting
in tennis, endorsement deals are a evolution Federer has made in eight
combination of two or of all these years, from the thirteenth rank in the
categories. Also, it frequently happens ATP tour to number one in the world,
that two or more sponsors of a tennis has raised the image awarness of the
player unite their forces in the swiss, making him attractrive for
endorsement or in advertising sponsors and endorsers and, more
campaigns in which the athlete acts. In importnat, has transformed him into a
the following, „technical sponsoring” will business partner who promises a win-
be introduced into the paper, in order to win situation, with gains both for the
facilitate the presentation of Federer’s sponsor and for Federer.
case study. So, next to the three Endorsement in tennis can be
endorsement types, the paper will also analyzed from two points of view. One
analyse the technical sponsoring as of them belongs to the sponsor, who
being an option for the tennis player to does marketing through sport, the other
attract new business partners. one to the professional player, who
A differentiation must be made does marketing for sport. Many authors
between headger, clothing and hard differentiate between marketing through
goods endorsements and technical sport and marketing for sport
sponsoring. In a technical sponsoring, a (Constantinescu, 2009; Oprişan, 2002).
sports goods manufacturer helps the In marketing through sport,
366organizations use the image of the
tennis player with the aim to benefit 2) Endorsement derived from
from a positive image transfer, and the technical sponsoring. When
increase their brand awarness and wearing clothes and accesories with the
product sellings. In marketing for sport, Nike logo on them on the court in
the athletes use marketing in order to tournaments all around the world, Roger
raise their incomes, as well as their Federer helps the American sport goods
sporting succes chances, thanks to a producer by presenting its products to
better use of the market opportunities. the public. Not only tennis or sport fans
In the following lines, the technical can see Federer wearing the Nike gear,
sponsoring and the three types of but also people not so interested in
endorsement will be theoretically sports, because the swiss tennis player
presented: is an icon that extends way over the
1) Technical sponsoring. As boundaries of athletics and he attracts
previously seen, a technical sponsoring the interest of other consumer
deal means that a sports goods categories as well. But, next to the
manufacturer helps the athlete with the technical sponsoring deal, Nike also has
equipment or clothing the latter one endorsement deals with Federer. While
needs in order to perform. For example, sponsoring occurs „on the court”
Nike sponsors Roger Federer with the through the wearing of the sponsor’s
clothing and accessories. The products, endorsement happens „off the
advantage for Nike is that the public and court”, with the athlete being involved in
the clients perceive the company as marketing promotion activities for his
being the official provider of a world technical sponsor. Not only does Roger
star, rising the notoriety of the sponsor. Federer wear Nike clothing when
If a low-ranked player still has to look for performing in tennis tournaments, but
sponsors, a good placed player as he also advertises for his sponsor, in
Federer hasn’t got to deal with this what Augustine-Schlossinger calls a
search, because the sponsors are the „non-marking sponsorship” (Augustine-
ones who wish to associate their image Schlossinger, 2003): The differentiation
and products with the athlete, because, between technical sponsoring and
thanks to his achievements, he brings endorsement can be seen in Table 1.
them added value.
Table 1
The differentiation between technical sponsoring and endorsement
Technical sponsoring Endorsement
- on the court - off the court
- brand awarness is risen through - brand awarness is risen through
simply wearing the sponsor’s products marketing promotion instruments such
as advertising or public relations
3) Headgear and clothing shirt. In such an endorsement, a
endorsement. Headgear endorsement sponsor buys the right to place his logo
is defined by Augustine-Schlossinger as on the headgear or on the clothing of
„advertising on an athlete’s helmet, the tennis player, with the aims to obtain
headband or hat” (Augustine- more visibility and to raise the brand
Schlossinger, 2003, p. 2). The same awarness.
principle applies to clothing Delimitations to the other forms of
endorsement, just that there isn’t any endorsement must be made. First of all,
headgear included, but just the clothing headgear and clothing endorsement is
down the neck, like for example the t- different to the endorsement derived
367from technical sponsoring, because a 4) Non-marking sponsorships.
third party sponsor buys advertising Non-marking sponsorships are
space on the equipment, whereas at the partnerships between sponsors and
technical sponsoring the logo of the athletes in which „the sponsor uses the
sponsor appears on the clothing athlete’s name, likeness, or
because it is his own product. In other appearance” (Augustine-Schlossinger,
words, a sponsor buys space on 2003, p. 2) to promote its brand, mainly
clothing pieces which already have the through advertising and public relations
logo of the producer. Secondly, the activities, such as the employment of
difference to non-marking sponsorships the athlete as a speaker in conferences
is that, in the case of headgear and or the organisation of autograph
clothing advertising, the tennis player sessions with him. It is important to co-
doesn’t have to act outside the field, like brand these non-marking activities, in
for example in advertising or in PR other words to use both the image of
activities, but only wears the piece of the sponsor and of the athlete.
clothing which has the logo of the Federer’s sponsors can be classified as
sponsor on it. shown in Table 2.
Table 2
Categories of endorsement used by Roger Federer in 2010
Category of endorsement Sponsors
Technical sponsoring Nike, Wilson, Rolex
Endorsement derived from technical sponsoring Nike, Wilson, Rolex
Headgear and clothing endorsement -
Non-marking sponsorship Credit Suisse, Gillette, Jura,
Lindt, Mercedes-Benz,
Nationale Suisse, NetJets
As can be seen in Table 2, Roger Roger Federer’s non-marking
Federer didn’t endorse on headgear sponsorship and technical
and clothing in 2010. No sponsor, sponsoring. The case studies of
excepting the technical sponsor, placed Credit Suisse, Gillette and Wilson
its logo on headgear or clothing
accesories used by Federer on the 1) Credit Suisse
court. On the other hand side, the Swiss In November 2009, Credit Suisse
tennis star appeared in many non- – the most valuable Swiss bank on the
marking sponsorship campaigns, market – and Roger Federer signed a
shooting advertising spots or prints for ten year non-marking partnership. The
Credit Suisse, Gillette, Jura or NetJets. bank bought the right to use Federer’s
Already in the introduction of this image, promising to pay him around 20
paper, Nike’s example was used in million US Dollars during the ten years
order to present the technical of partnership (www.telegraph.co.uk).
sponsoring and the endorsement The attributes on which the
derived from technical sponsoring. Next, endorsement is based are excellence
the cases of Credit Suisse, Gillette and and the Swiss roots of the partners.
Wilson will be used to exemplify the Coming from the same country, Federer
non-marking sponsorship and a further and Credit Suisse share common
technical sponsoring. national values to the clients, such as
quality and seriosity. Moreover, both the
tennis player and the bank stand for
excellence. Clients perceive them as
368pursuers of excellence: Credit Suisse product, facilitating the image transfer
because its outstanding financial results between sponsor and endorser and
and its long banking tradition, and guaranteeing quality: the Gillette razor
Federer for his numerous sporting is for a man what Roger Federer is on
achievements, including the more than the tennis court, a champion. Through
15 Grand Slams won. this advertising campaign, Gillette does
The Credit Suisse endorsement is marketing through sport, by using tennis
based on a global advertising campaign as „promotion tool for the
the bank launched under the slogan products/services of the company [..]
„One Credit Suisse”. Federer acts as a which isn’t active on the sports market”
worldwide ambassador and takes part (Constantinescu, 2009, p. 79). As seen
in promotional events the partner in the example of Gillette Fusion Power
organises. Next to that, in order to mark Phenom, companies mostly use
the partnership, a TV advert was marketing through sport for a better
launched. The spot ends with the positioning of their newly launched
announcement: „One Roger Federer. products on the market and for selling
Welcome to our team”. newer or older products.
Next to advertising, as part of his
2) Gillette deal with Gillette, Federer also took part
Among with soccer player Thierry in marketing events, like for example
Henry and golf-pro Tiger Woods, Roger the „Boys To Men Event”, staged in
Federer is the official endorser of Shanghai in 2008. Federer was
Gillette, the safety razors producer participating in the Shanghai Masters
established in 1895 in Boston, and, while having free hours with no
Massachutes. Federer, Henry and scheduled matches or trainings, he took
Woods were chosen to be Gillette’s part in a TV show. One thousand
endorsers because of their positive students attended the show live, in the
image as well on as off the sports field. backstage, other hundreds of thousand
Next to their sporting quality, Gillette of people watching the event on TV.
also insists on the three athlete’s good- After answering an interview, Federer
looking. Because the Gillette razors are had to take part in a shaving contest
used by men who want to have a soft with two guests. Winner was declared
skin, the company entered a partnership the fastest person to shave his beard.
with three celebrities that address to the
target audience: they are successful, 3) Wilson
good-looking and promote a strong In March 2006, Federer and the
image of masculinity. sporting goods manufacturer Wilson
Under the slogan „The best a man signed a lifetime agreement
can get”, Federer is part of the Gillette (www.tenniswire.com). Already using
Champions campaign, consisting of TV, Wilson since he was 10 years young,
print and out-of-home advertising, as Federer became a client and partner of
well as of various marketing events. For Wilson in 1998, when he turned pro,
example, the weekly TV-show „Gillette and the Chicago-based company
World Sports” starts and ends with insisted to become the official hard
spots starring the three athletes. In the goods provider. The common brand
spot for the newly launched Gillette management of Wilson and Roger
Fusion Power Phenom razor, Federer is Federer had such a great success –
presented as a „Tennis Phenom”. The thanks to the sporting victories of the
sporting quality of Federer, presented Swiss athlete -, that Wilson identified
throgh the word „Phenom”, used to the opportunity of a lifelong partnership.
characterise a person of phenomenal Even after stoping playing, Federer will
ability, is linked with the name of the remain an icon in the world of sports.
369His performances guarantee him a manufacturing is guaranteed. The
positive brand for the rest of his life, so distribution and the promotion of the
he will continue to be a valuable new article is helped by the image of
endorser for companies, even after Federer, while the tennis star also
stopping playing. Just as Ilie Năstase improves his brand capital.
endorses Adidas after more than twenty Another advantage of being
years he has left professional tennis, Federer’s official provider is that Wilson
Federer will promote Wilson for the rest equipment has the chance to appear in
of his life. the advertisings of the tennis star, like
Until retirement, Federer is for example in some Gillette TV-ads,
provided by Wilson with rackets, tennis where the Swiss is using his Wilson
balls, termobags and other tennis racket.
accessories. By using these sporting
goods in tennis tournaments organized Conclusions
and broadcasted all over the world, the Endorsement deals are an
Swiss promotes the image of Wilson important income source for
worldwide. More than that, Federer is professional tennis players. In 2009,
nothing else than an expert in tennis. By Roger Federer earned about thirty
choosing Wilson, he communicates his million US-Dollars from tournament
trust in the quality of those products. prizes and endorsements
Thanks to his authority and knowledge (www.sportspromedia.com).
in tennis, Federer sends the message to Endorsements help the athletes gain
the clients that they too can have more money and mostly build them a
confidence in Wilson an buy the positive brand image. These two factors
company’s products. Through Federer, have a word to say in pursuing sporting
Wilson easyer approaches its clients. success.
On the other hand side, the Not only the sporting talent, but
advantage for the tennis player is that also the earnings from endorsement
he hasn’t got to worry about buying the contracts helped Federer to be number
sporting goods he needs to perform, one tennis player in the world. The more
because Wilson provides them free-of- money a tennis player wins, the better
charge. In fact, the price Federer pays can be his training and practice
in order to be a client of Wilson is the conditions, if he or his agent know how
right of image use. He cedes his image to correctly manage the finances. The
to Wilson, who has the right to use it in sponsor also wins, because – assuming
promotional activities. For example, the sponsor identifies a tennis player
Wilson asked Federer for information with whom he has common values - the
about the quality of the rackets and their athlete offers him visibility to the clients.
handling on the court. Based on theses Not acting as a team, but as
pieces of knowledge, the company individuals, the most used sponsoring
developed a line of rackets for children. forms by tennis players are technical
The rackets were promoted by using sponsoring and endorsements.
Federer’s image. This example shows Endorsements will continue to exist in
how valuable such a technical the world of tennis, being a
sponsoring partnership can be: new, development factor of the „white sport”.
high-quality products are launched, and
innovation in sports goods
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