You Risk it All When You Have Athletes as the Face of Your Brand
Sponsored athletes and endorsements are commonplace in our fitness and supplement industry. They can help get your brand out in front of a target audience by using an athlete’s name, face, and celebrity status. While it might make sense to use that athlete as the face of your brand, you’re ultimately playing with fire and the life of your brand could be put in jeopardy.
Never Use People as the Face of Your Brand
When brands sign athletes, they think all of their prayers have been answered. You have it made. You are able to use their celebrity status as the face of your brand and because they are associated with your brand, your sales will explode. While there IS some truth to this, it can go in the opposite direction in the blink of an eye. For this reason, I recommend that brands build their business off of products, not people.
Let’s use some examples to explain my stance on this topic. You have Cam Newton (NFL quarterback) who lost his Oikos yogurt endorsement after making sexist remarks to a female sportswriter. Ryan Lochte (Olympic swimmer) was dropped by Speedo and Ralph Lauren after making false claims that he was robbed at gunpoint during the 2016 Rio Olympics. Maria Sharapova (pro tennis player) lost endorsements from Porsche and Tag Heuer after testing positive for banned substances. Nike dropped eight-time world boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao, after he made some gay comments during an interview. Adrian Peterson (NFL running back) lost deals with Nike and Castrol motor oil after he was indicted on child abuse charges. Ray Rice (NFL player) was shown punching his fiancée in a casino elevator and was released by not only the Baltimore Ravens but he also lost his endorsements with Nike and EA Sports. And who can forget Tiger Woods? Due to the news of his extracurricular activities with various women in the bedroom (other than his wife), he was dropped by Gillette, Accenture, AT&T, GM, and Gatorade – losing an estimated $22 million.
All in all, no one is safe – regardless of who they are when athletes or celebrities make a fool of themselves. As the face of your brand, they need to hold themselves to a higher standard. Musicians, artists, actors, athletes, all of them are in the spotlight and everyone watches what they say and do.
Most recently, our very own 2018 Mr. Olympia winner, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Shawn Rhoden, has found himself front and center of allegations that created a domino effect in the industry. David Pecker, CEO of the Mr. Olympia contest, has made a statement that Rhoden is banned from the Mr. Olympia for 2019 and all future contests until the legal process is completed. Rhoden is accused of raping a female bodybuilder in a Utah hotel room back in October 2018 (weeks after being crowned Mr. Olympia). Bail has been set at $750,000 for Rhoden and is innocent until proven guilty.
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