Do you want to increase sales and enhance the overall awareness of your brand? Then, established athletes or sports personalities can be lucrative solutions. Their power as sports stars can offer the credibility your product needs and that too, quite rapidly, especially if your product is related to athletes or sports.
There are various ways in which brands can benefit from this kind of partnership with a sports celebrity. But many people think that this is only true for big brands. However, this is not entirely true.
Many small businesses can also get a number of advantages, provided they choose an appropriate sports star who is relevant to their business and has a relatively great appeal among the target audience. Popular celebrities agree to such brand endorsements too because they also garner a lot of attention.
The idea that their favorite sports celebrities use the said brand and are plausible customers further lures them towards the product. Here are a few ways in which a brand collaboration with an athlete can help your small businesses. Check these out now.
Increase Sales
The one thing that is most important to all brands is to get more sales and this can be a little challenging for the smaller brands. But with athlete endorsements, this can be a reality for small-scale businesses too.
A study has suggested that there has been a growth in sales as compared to the past and overall brand identity establishment with considerably greater gains when a particular product is endorsed by a specific athlete or sports star. Consumers feel a close affinity towards the brand if they are used by their favorite sports personalities.
It is the celebrities who have the power to skeptical influence the target audience and turn their doubts about purchasing into a successful sale. Sometimes, people might still agree to try out a product based on their brand name but when it comes to small brands, people are usually. When celebrities give it a go, it adds some instant credibility to the brand and their fans start trying it out, thereby improving the sales.
Aids in Brand Awareness
One major sign of your brand growing is when people become aware of your brand. Usually, small businesses suffer because they do not have such a wider reach. And as a result, their brand suffers. If you attach a local or national-level athlete with your brand, it will be much easier for your brand to create the awareness you are looking for.
Remember that fans always notice everything that their favorite sports stars are using and will start using the same brand. Also, when the esteemed stars say something, usually people spare a moment to listen. So, if they talk about your brand, more people will pay attention and will come to know of the brand name.
Once more and more people come to know about your brand they will purchase the products from you. In this way, a potential buyer's emotions for their favorite sports personality can translate into a sale for your business.
This increase in brand awareness cannot just be a work of the successful commercials but it is also true of the social media promotions that these celebrities can do for you. So, push your brand engagement and awareness through the roof with more celebrity athlete endorsements.
Helps in Brand Establishment
What small-scale businesses lack is exposure. In most cases, it is seen that they cannot place the brand properly in front of their target audience. If you cannot create an identity for your brand, then you will not be able to successfully promote it. Firstly, people should recognize you as a brand. This can be achieved with the help of a celebrity athlete.
Celebrities can place a product in the best possible light in the minds of potential customers. This will give good exposure to the brand. More and more people will start talking about your brand because a sports star is using or endorsing the products you are offering. This will create a niche identity for your brand that will finally drive sales when you effectively promote it.
Revive Failing Brands
Using celebrity athletes to promote your products and services has often been found to promote life into your dying brand value. Small businesses often fade out slowly because of low sales and declining brand value. Sometimes, failing businesses can succeed with the help of celebrity athletes.
The presence of sports stars can stir new interest and excitement in your brand. People might want to know about your brand again when they notice it is being endorsed by a sports star. This kind of brand revival for small businesses is possible only for celebrity athletes.
Attracts New Customers
One of the biggest challenges that small brands face these days is the lack of new customers, which affects their sales. This issue can be solved to a great extent with the help of celebrity athletes. Sports stars can create appeal among both existing customers as well as attract potential customers.
There are people who might have never tried your brand but will want to try your brand when they see a celebrity athlete promote it. A sports star promoting this new brand will attract such customers. Sometimes, even if they are using a rival brand, the endorsement of a sports celebrity can make these customers shift brands too.
And who knows they might become loyalists of your brand as well when they see their favorite sports star promoting a certain product continuously!
Which Celebrity to Hire?
Go for authenticity: Try to align your brand with a celebrity who will believe in your product and patronize your brand.
Check their enthusiasm: Half-hearted promotions will do more harm to your brand than good. That is why you must check their level of enthusiasm and excitement regarding representing your brand.
Focus on good conduct: Remember that the sports star you are hiring for such endorsements will be your brand spokesperson. So, it is important that they are on their best behavior because it will reflect your brand.
Put your brand first: Do not get carried away by the presence of celebrities. Remember that the celebrity is for the brand and not the other way round.
Tips for Hiring Celebrity Athletes for Appearance
Now that you have understood how a celebrity athlete can help in brand promotions for a small business, you need to know the process of hiring athletes for appearance. You can utilize different ways for promoting your small brands.
No matter which idea seems convincing to you, it should fit your business and the industry you are catering to. First of all, you can endorse your brand using print, digital, radio, or television. The type of advertisement will depend on the customers you are targeting.
There could also be different events that you can arrange where a celebrity appearance can draw attention to your brand. Such events have more attendance for creating new customers. You can lure more potential buyers with autograph signing sessions at the event. Basically, the event should have the celebrity engaging everyone. You might also sponsor the celebrity to give a motivational speech that can inspire others. And when more and more people attend the event, it can be a way to turn them into loyal customers.
Hiring athletes for social media marketing, now social media has become a powerful tool to engage celebrity athletes with their fans. And when the fans connect with their favorite stars, they can notice them using your brand and also start connecting with your brand.
The mention of your brand on the social media pages of your favorite celebrities can create a solid appeal for your target market, especially the youth because young girls and boys are always on social media these days.
Channel the power of celebrity athletes is like a double-edged sword. Along with the screaming attention, great traffic, and some good awareness for your business, there will also be certain risks that you may run into.
Your brand could be at the wrong place at the wrong time if your sports star gets involved in something tricky. Like any other collaboration, you need to do your research properly and make sure both parties are aware of each other's expectations.
You should hire one of the renowned athlete marketing agency or even a speaker bureau. Regardless of whether your company is small or big, their teams can look for the right network of today's and yesteryear's celebrity athletes. This categorization and search will depend on the location, type of sport, and appearance fees.
Since they have access to numerous athletes from all across the world, they can easily arrange for these appearances. Right from a keynote or motivational speeches, to corporate appearances for product launches, and endorsement parties, these organizations can help you do everything based on your budget and preferences.
Find a company that will directly work with the athletes and the agents of the sports stars. They must have experience in negotiating such deals with both current and retired sports personalities.