The Effects of Athlete Endorsements on Sports Students

Abstract

There has been a significant increase in the number of athletes now endorsing sports products and brands; this has led to this study being developed. Due to endorsements being a part of day to day life, this dissertation explores the effects that athlete endorsements have on sport students, what characteristics make an effective athlete endorser, and the effects of the use of athlete’s social media sites. The data was gathered using a mixed methods approach using a questionnaire, which was handed out to 50 sports students at Cardiff Metropolitan University, 25 males and 25 females; the questionnaire comprised of 25 quantitative questions. From the 50 students 4 participants were chosen to take part in an interview, to provide the study with qualitative data in key areas within the study. The results presented significant findings that athlete endorsements are an effective marketing strategy that adds to the perceived quality of the endorsed brand. The results also presented key characteristics of a successful athlete endorser, and how the emergence of social media has become an aspect of an athlete endorsement deal. From this study it was concluded that athlete endorsements are an effective marketing tool and can be beneficial to the brand, as it can influence purchase intention. Additionally, a number of characteristics emerged which should be considered when employing an athlete endorser as a marketing tool, furthermore although athlete endorsers social media sites can be hugely beneficial they also come with potential risks.