Footballers are some of the most idolised people in the entire world.

They’re often the heroes of many children growing up and inspire new generations to grab a ball and get involved in the game. Nowadays, however, they’re more than just a footballer. They’re a role model, an influencer and in some cases, a fundraiser. 

This is all to do with their brand and how they want to be perceived by fans of the sport all over the world. Footballers often come under a lot of scrutiny in the press and by trolls online based on their performances on and off the pitch, so building a positive brand is now more important than ever. 

Not sure how they do that? Most will have a unique approach to branding but for the most part, there is a set way to ensure footballers look their best to fans of the sport. Read on to find out what that is.  

The Importance of Brand Building in Sport

Brand building is so important in sports as it builds your name up which can provide incredible opportunities. This could be a lucrative boot sponsor like Neymar’s Puma deal which was worth £23 million. 

It’s not all about personal wealth gain, however. Footballers with great branding are often approached to work with charities that support vital causes. Their name can bring in many donations and they’ll look great to the press whilst it's happening. 

The Rise of Personality-Led Content

Footballers are some of the biggest celebrities in the world and that is often due to two reasons: their performances on the pitch and their branding. High performances and impressive branding are now giving footballers more power than ever to control the narrative. 

A recent example of this was when Cristiano Ronaldo removed Coca-Cola bottles from his press interview. This led to a $4 billion drop in market value for the drinks company. 

The Power of Social Media

Footballers are now just as much of an influencer as the social media influencers themselves. The use of social media is a great way to grow their brand as there is a potential audience size of over 4.25 billion social media users around the world. By actively using social media to connect with other brands and celebrities, they’re able to grow their profile further. 

This growth in followers means they can charge large sums to work with other companies and they’ll be more popular in the footballing world which will result in a higher transfer value. Plus, fans buy the shirts of leading players in the best leagues like Mo Salah which will be a huge boost to their brand too.