Professional athletes and huge ad campaigns go hand-in-hand. From sneakers to sports drinks to credit cards to cars, sports stars with fans often become advertising stars with a following. Although the U.S. soccer team lost to Japan in the World Cup Finals, some of the players — Hope Solo, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan — could be breakout stars with sponsorship potential.
As Karl Greenberg writes for MediaPost, even though one marketing firm finds that only 21% of consumers know who Solo is, most of that 21% are Solo fans. (She is one of only three women’s soccer players ever to make the cover of Sports Illustrated.)
…The firm says her consumer appeal puts her on par with Drew Brees, Bill Gates, Matthew Broderick, and Emmitt Smith. And her endorsement rating puts her at the level of Michael J. Fox, Julia Roberts, Beyonce, and Ron Howard. As far as “influence” she is, according to the firm, at the same position as Bono, Heidi Klum, Bill Cosby and Ashton Kutcher.
Unlike Brees, Broderick and Bill Cosby, however, Hope Solo and her teammates boast a unique privilege: Thousands of little soccer-playing girls dream of being them. And with this in mind, instead of thinking about which deals are most likely (breakfast cereal, watches) let’s dream up the products we wish the ladies of the soccer team would promote. For instance:
- Tampons (Serena Williams remains one of the few celebs to admit she gets her period)
- Ice cream (Forget Wheaties, what about Häagen-Dazs, the dessert and PMS medication of champions?)
- Voting (If a better country is your GOAL, get yourself to the POLL)
That’s all I’ve got. Any suggestions? Remember, all Solo and Morgan have lined up right now is an appearance on Entourage.
Women’s Soccer Stars Have Brand Potential [MediaPost]