In online sports management education, you’ll learn a lot about athlete endorsement deals. A small amount of these deals are given for life, and LeBron James is one of just a few athletes who have signed a lifetime deal with Nike. Nike is a very interesting example of a company that wants to be very clear about what kind of brand they are: a brand that represents elite athletes. So when they signed a lifetime deal with LeBron, it was about more than simply people seeing him wearing their shoes and wanting to emulate him.
It was more about representing the direct connection that exists between LeBron James and Nike. This also represents somewhat of an image transfer, meaning that the positive characteristics that people recognize in LeBron will, in their eyes, be extended to Nike as well. The same things can be said about Michael Jordan and his deal with the company.
So, what do LeBron James and Michael Jordan have in common? For one, they have both been great players in their time. They’re also both champions, and many consider both of them to be the greatest basketball players of all time. In that vein, those very characteristics that people associate with LeBron James and Michael Jordan, because of their endorsement association, are now projected onto Nike as well. To achieve this effect, Nike has made a point to go after elite athletes and sports stars, because they represent what their brand strives to represent: greatness.
To gain more understanding of sports management, global sports, and how companies and athletes utilize endorsement deals to improve their brand, sports management education is an excellent resource, and you can even explore it online, from the comfort of your couch.
