Gretzky, Tiger, Ali, Jordan, Shaq, Beckham, Sampras, Agassi, and Armstrong. You don't even have to be a sports fan to know these names....or should I say BRANDS? Sports marketing has instilled the ideal athlete in each and everyone of our minds. These athletes embody confidence,charisma, adroitness, and, of course, success. Marketers then take these ideals and embed them in athletic brands and sports equipment brands, through endorsements, to increase brand awareness and, thus, brand equity.
Dwyane Wade, the 25 year-old MVP basketball player for the Miami Heat, and, not to mention, the "soft-spoken family man", however, is "rewriting the rules of sports marketing". Instead of simply endorsing products, "he is partnering with major brands to design items other than sports equipment and apparel." HE'S BUILDING himself into A MEGABRAND to become one of the top 10 brands in sports. Dwyane has worked closely with wireless carrier T-Mobile to design a limited-edition "D WADE SIDEKICK" texting device to be launched on Feb. 17th, the weekend of the NBA All-Star Game.
Now, did you ask yourself, "a texting device?"
Although T-Mobile is a $100 Million sponsor of the NBA, will endorsing products not associated with sports enhance or deteriorate this innocent young man's rise to stardom? Better yet, can endorsing products that aren't even leaders in their field actually help this young leader in basketball? Furthermore, are the consumers really getting anything extra for the extra buck that they spend on one of these products? Will the Wade brand have the same meaning and the same strength in all of its products?
I do not think so! In fact, I think he will lose, not gain,brand equity.
What do you think?
For more information, please read:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_07/b4021082.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily
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