How Does PR Shape the Image of Celebrity Athletes and Teams?

Nowadays, the increasing role of public relations in competitive sports is fast moving from being facilitative to necessary. With the mushrooming growth of social media and other online communication channels, the role of PR in contributing to the image of a sportsperson has become perhaps even more extensive.

In these times of hyperactive social media where the public lives of celebrities are continually under the microscopic observation of common netizens, the public image of a renowned sports person may seem equally if not more important than her/his performance. And here comes the professional public relations agencies who can play a pivotal role in managing the public image of celebrity sportspersons.

A PR and marketing agency based in Worcester states that in the sports world, athletes are viewed as role models and celebrities by their fans, which makes it essential for them to manage their public image with the assistance of professional PR agents.The fact someone is a star athlete doesn’t necessarily make him or her a good speaker, and this is where PR comes in. Nevertheless, With the right PR strategy in place, teams and athletes can effectively share their stories with the guidance of an experienced professional.

PR professionals engaged in managing sportspersons’ accounts need to work closely with the media to facilitate that their client sportspersons get the desired coverage. For that they may disseminate press releases to media houses or organise shows, events, etc. at the appropriate juncture to impart the right information or message.

No wonder, these days there are an array of renowned sportspersons who hire PR firms to build and maintain their image and also to handle image crisis, in case there are any.

Brand Endorsement and Scandals

A PR agency can help teams and athletes to cement or strengthen relationships with their fanbase through creative campaigns and events which foster engagement and interaction. By providing a platform to the fans to directly interact with sportspersons and disseminating relatable content for fans also the PR players can contribute towards building athletes’ and teams’ image.

The carefully developed public image of a celebrity often influences her or his brand endorsement/s and thus the cultivated image of a sportsperson through well-oiled PR machinery can also be very much linked to her or his economic affluence.

In fact, PR and brand endorsements, though different works, often work hand in glove. It is not uncommon for PR agents helping athletes secure sponsorships and endorsements. According to the above-mentioned PR and marketing agency, PR agents work on developing relationships with companies and negotiating contracts that are favourable for both the athlete or team and the sponsor.

Especially when celebrity sportspersons get involved in a scandal or a lawsuit or when they require to markedly change their public image, the role of the PR agency handling their account needs to involve sophisticated operations of the various arms of the media.

Here it deserves a mention that the globally renowned golf player Tiger Woods faced a significant public image crisis following personal scandal. Through a carefully managed PR strategy, he made a public apology, expressing remorse and a commitment to change. Of course, his return to professional golf and subsequent victories helped to shift the focus back to his athletic achievements.

Playing a Bigger Role

However, PR can not only help to maintain or restore or revive the image of an established sportsperson or give it a new dimension before the media, but also helps in giving the necessary limelight to the latent or unrecognised talent of many lesser known sportspersons.

Moreover, PR in sports can also play a much broader role. For example, in a cricket crazy country like India, where other sports generally suffer from public neglect, public relations agency can play a significant role towards popularising other sports(such as football, hockey, badminton, wrestling, etc.) and sportspersons other than cricketers through creative image building measures, through the right media channel at the right time.

For example, WordsWork Communications Consulting’s role in distributing personalised hockey jerseys to all media travelling from India to Rio during the 2016 Rio Olympics was a nice act of PR for the national men and women’s hockey teams participating at the Rio Olympics.