With less than 150 days remaining, South Africa will be hosting the biggest global brand building exercise in the form of Africa’s first-ever soccer World Cup. Though the local sports endorsement industry still significantly lags behind its global counterparts, there is inevitable good news. The anticipated influx of 450 000 sports fans from abroad and 48-million locals will elevate local sporting heroes to South Africa’s hottest commodities.

Whilst brands are repositioning and up-skilling ahead of the anticipated soccer games, capitalising on the universal fanaticism and hysteria that is associated with sport is key for the year ahead. Commercial brands should be engaging sporting individuals with similiar brand personalities and values, debunking the myth that sports endorsement is merely a ‘big-brand’ initiative. 2009 already saw local sportsmen such as Schalk Burger and Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira take on endorsement deals with OUTsurance and BIC respectively. Graeme Smith also signed with Sahara; Lexus; and Supersport, whilst South African Rugby Captain, John Smit has secured sponsorships with Nashua Mobile; Discovery; and Steinhoff International.

“As the local sports endorsement industry steadily expands, the next phase in both commercial and sports sponsorships is brand-athlete matching and creating synergies between sports personalities and sponsors,” comments sports management agency, Prosport International’s Global Managing Director of Football, Mike Makaab.

Makaab adds: “The partnership will be enormously beneficial to both parties as brands are able to hand-pick athletes with matching core values, and athletes will have the opportunity to align with brands they respect.”

The Brand Matching Model
Personality: As South Africa is home to a surplus of talented sporting individuals across a plethora of disciplines, it is crucial that the personality of the athlete intrinsically matches that of the commercial brand.

Appeal: As the sporting celebrity will be representing and promoting the brand to its consumers, it is important that the individual appeals to the brand’s core target audience. Brands need to consider intellectual capacity; physical appearance; athletic competence; and an athlete’s lifestyle, when selecting a matching brand personality.

Credibility: Who can forget the multiple Olympic gold medal winner, Michael Phelps’ marijuana stint, causing cereal giant Kellogg’s, to withdraw its sponsorship or more recently, Tiger Woods’ alleged 'transgressions'? It is crucial for brands to assess the perceived credibility; expertise; and trustworthiness of the sporting celebrity with their consumers as well as the general public.

Positioning: As the endorsement campaign is used to maximise brand visibility, it is of utmost importance that athletes do not overshadow the brand. Brands must ensure in all communication and marketing activations that athletes are seen as supporting and endorsing the brand, with the brand always being positioned as the hero.

Consistency and longevity: Sports endorsements should be a long term exercise and it is advisable for brands to partner with an athlete that has long lasting appeal. However, brands should also monitor and identify younger, up-and-coming sporting talent to capitalise and boost development in sport.

Makaab concludes: “We should see a huge shift in commercial endorsements, as the majority of athletes provide a welcome ‘wholesome’ alternative to singers and actors. Whether assisting with internal or external communications; marketing activations; team building; or brand strategies, sports endorsement is an effective branding solution in an increasingly cluttered and competitive marketplace.”

With the games upon us, South Africa will be immersed in a sporting frenzy, and as brands increasingly collaborate with leading sporting celebrities, they provide a platform for sport to further unite and inspire South Africans, way beyond 2010.