When it comes to professional athletics in the United States, we as fans primarily follow football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, tennis and soccer. Outside of the NHL, a sport played on skates (and poorly marketed in my opinion), each sport has had players that shoe manufacturers have identified as worthy of a signature shoe or their own line of product. Walter Payton to Calvin Johnson, Michael Jordan to Kyrie Irving, Derek Jeter to Mike Trout, Arnold Palmer to Tiger Woods, Ivan Lendl to Roger Federer, David Beckham to Lionel Messi, these superstars carried a large part of the load for their sport within their brand.
Without question, the NFL is the most popular team sport in the United States. The difference between its players and every other sport we follow (again, outside of the NHL) is player visibility. These guys are so heavily armored — padded head to toe, helmets often with shields and intricate facemasks — that we really don’t know what these guys look like unless we check out the post-game press interviews. Plus, like baseball and soccer, their "work" shoes are often cleated, so going from the street to the field of play doesn’t set up for any kind of smooth transition, like it can in the NBA or in tennis.
Guys like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders had successful lines and marketing campaigns primarily geared around their versatility across both football and baseball. Even today, Nike still retros their product. Remember that guy RGIII? Remember that he has a signature shoe, but has he been of any influence within the culture? This is How Football Players Can Be More Influential in Sneaker Culture.
Use fashion to their advantage.
Choose their endoresements wisely.
Gaining product endorsements isn’t just a way to bulk up your earning portfolio, it’s also a way for the athlete to creatively brand him or herself. Michael Jordan was an expert at endorsing products that worked together in unison to support the Air Jordan brand that he and Nike cultivated. Not quite sure that MJ would have pitched for “Gold Bond” like Shaq did.
We’ve seen Aaron Rodgers do the “Discount Double Check” and Peyton Manning slinging pizzas for Papa John’s. To be a true player within the sneaker world, the NFL superstar needs to focus on products and brands which highlight appearance and public persona. In Jerry Maguire, Rod Tidwell’s wife, Marcee, may have said it best:
Now I don't know what you do for your five-percent, but this man, my husband has a whole plan, an image... we majored in marketing, Jerry, and when you put him in a “Waterbed Warehouse” commercial, excuse me, you are making him common. He is pure gold and you're giving him "Waterbed Warehouse" when he deserves the big four -- shoe, car, clothing-line, soft-drink. The four jewels of the celebrity endorsement dollar.
Because they’re behind all the armor, they’re already look common, the last thing they need is to be more commonplace. While guys like Rodgers and Manning are creating one type of image within their endorsement stable, a guy like Darrelle Revis created another with his endorsements. His Instagram was once heavily filled with fashion brands and footwear, including his own short lived signature shoes. He gained a great following and his sneaker remains one that people still pine for.
Try harder.
Tell a story that people care about.
Brands need to step it up, too.
It's just tough.
