Athletes prioritise their game, slow down endorsement deals

Several corporate companies are looking to collaborate with celebrities for their brand endorsements, but most of the famous personalities have no time for advertisements, TV commercials and other campaigns. Leading sportspersons have accepted to be the face of a company if the brand’s aspirations align with their personal beliefs and values.

The sports athletes are endorsing only select brands in their little available time. They have to effectively manage time by giving priority to practice their respective sport and also focus on their fitness. They get very less time to take part in the brand promotional activities after their professional, personal and social commitments.

Hyderabad-based badminton star PV Sindhu stood at twelfth place in the top-25 Forbes’ annual list of highest-paid female athletes in the world in 2022. According to TAM AdEx-Female Sports Celebrity Endorsement Report 2022, she was having nearly half of ad volumes among female sports celebrity endorsers. However, she has slowed down her ambassadorships this year.

When asked the reason behind endorsing lesser brands, she said: “I am focusing more on my practice this year.” After winning five world championship medals, including two Olympic medals, she is working hard to achieve another medal as the 2024 Olympics are less than a year away and the games in Paris, France will be a milestone event in her career.

Sindhu has recently been associated with Hyderabad-based Centuary Mattresses. Advocating for healthier sleep solutions for holistic well-being, she said: “Their dedication to innovative sleep solutions aligns perfectly with my belief in the importance of rest. Just as rigorous training is vital for success, so is the restorative power of a good night's sleep on the right mattress.”

Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, has partnered with global tennis star Rafael Nadal. On endorsing the brand, the tennis legend said: “I love the way Infosys has brought its digital expertise across industries to the global tennis ecosystem. It has transformed the tennis experience for a billion global fans.”

He further said, “Infosys has truly empowered all players on the tour with analytics that they could have only dreamt of a few years ago. Also, the impact that the company is making beyond the court – creating the next opportunity for people, businesses, and communities – deeply inspires me. I believe it’s our shared aspiration to create societal good that makes our handshake truly meaningful.”

Cricketers across the world lead the endorsement deals for a wide range of multinational brands. Among Indian players, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are the most actively representing the prominent brands. The other well-known faces include Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan and Jasprit Bumrah. Young cricketer Suryakumar Yadav made the latest entry.

Platinum Guild International (PGI) India’s Men of Platinum narrates his journey in their latest campaign titled ‘A Minute with Men of Platinum X Suryakumar Yadav’. This unique six-part mini-series pulls back the curtain on his life, tracing the threads of his journey and aligning them with the core values that Men of Platinum symbolise.

Suryakumar Yadav says, “I have always strongly believed in values like self-belief, endurance, courage, resilience, and compassion that Men of Platinum stands for. These values have guided me throughout my professional and personal life. Platinum jewellery also resonates with my personal style sensibilities, allowing me to seamlessly integrate these pieces into my wardrobe.”

'A Minute on Endurance', dwells on a value both Suryakumar and platinum share, the ability to endure. The series concludes with 'A Minute on Staying True,’ just like platinum remains true to its form over time, Suryakumar, too, has stayed authentic to his game and himself, cementing his place not just in cricket, but in the hearts of millions.

Until and unless the brand is close to their personal beliefs, the sportspersons are not coming forward to be its face. The endorsements come as the secondary pursuit of an athlete. In terms of managing time, the sport, training for it and excelling in it is the primary pursuit. According to the brand experts, it is really a tough time for the companies to find a new face for their brand as money doesn’t matter.

Harish Bijoor, a brand and business strategy specialist and founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, said: “The brand endorsement is a residuary benefit despite its monetary attraction, it must always come second. Athletes who do not listen to this diktat do so at the peril of their performance. A great way of devoting time to this is by dipping into the relaxation time as budgeted by the star athlete.”