We all know that some of the biggest names in professional sports are endorsed by some of the biggest consumer brands. Maybe you’ve seen Adidas ads with David Beckham or Nike billboards featuring LeBron James. These athletes are admired by millions of fans across the globe, and for companies like Adidas and Nike, sponsoring such iconic sports figures is a fantastic way to market their brands.
These days, however, it’s not just the big name brands that are sponsoring athletes, and it’s not only the big name athletes who are being sponsored. In fact, thousands of smaller companies around the world are sponsoring junior and semi-professional athletes in order to make their brands more visible to consumers. While many of these up-and-coming businesses don’t have the lucrative marketing budgets that large companies like Nike have, they’re perfectly willing to offer discounted or free merchandise to special athletes.
The athlete sponsorship trend
This growing trend has not only helped companies showcase their products, but it has also helped junior and semi-pro athletes acquire the equipment they need to perform at their best. For athletes, finding these potential sponsors isn’t always easy, but websites such as www.hookit.com and www.promotive.com have helped make it easier for brands and athletes to connect. With ProMotive.com, athletes join an online team of other like-minded athletes and can receive up to 70 percent off of the regular price of merchandise from a variety of brands. For example, Yoga Instructors can sign up on ProMotive’s Yoga and Fitness Instructors Team, where they’ll have access to big discounts on Yoga mats, pants, socks, and other Yoga equipment. ProMotive also has a Professional Running Athletes group to help runners find the equipment they need.
Hookit.com also helps connect athletes to brands, working with over 3,000 athletes and 500 brands across a huge spectrum of sports and genres. They also provide an index that tracks athletes’ fan interactions through social media outlets, including any new likes, followers, or shares. For every social media interaction an athlete takes part in, he or she receives a point on their index, which helps build their credibility to attract new sponsors.
Other roads to sponsorship
Aside from using these online tools, athletes can also reach out to brands directly about their athlete sponsorship programs. However, companies won’t only offer sponsorships to just anyone, and if you’re an athlete looking for a sponsorship, you’ll have to demonstrate to the company that you’ll help their brand be noticed. Brands like to see that an athlete has an active blog, several social media followers, or recent achievements such as finishing first or second place in a race. With these attributes, an athlete will have an established audience, which fares well for potential sponsors such as Far End Gear.
Unlike other potential sponsors, Far End Gear is not merely looking to advertise their products, but is dedicated to rewarding outstanding athletes with their line of functional audio products for outdoor enthusiasts. Featuring their signature XDU Single Earphone and their innovative Brite Buds, Far End Gear specially designs their products to help athletes safely enjoy their favorite music while they train. By channeling both sides of a stereo mix in one earbud, the XDU Single Earphone allows athletes to fully enjoy their favorite music or podcasts while keeping one ear open to their surroundings. To keep athletes even more safe, both brite Buds, and the XDU Single Earphone feature a reflective fabric-wrapped cord for extra visibility at night
If you’re an athlete looking for a sponsor, or know of an outstanding athlete who is deserving of a sponsorship, check out Far End Gear Athletes.