According to a leader of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation, building a personal image is becoming an essential need for professional athletes. When athletes have a neat and inspiring image, they are not only loved by the public but also become attractive faces for big brands. This is especially important in the context that most Vietnamese athletes currently still live mainly on salaries and training fees from the state budget and local budgets - which are very limited. Revenue from sponsorship or advertising is a larger and more sustainable source of income, helping athletes no longer have to "run for every meal". Not only stopping at the role of promoting products, athletes can also exploit social networks to generate additional income. YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook channels that are properly operated will become platforms for advertising cooperation, selling personal products, and building their own brands.
"Athletics Queen" Nguyen Thi Huyen attracted a lot of interaction when she introduced smart sports glasses on her personal page.
PHOTO: FBNV
Having a good and professional image while still competing is also a valuable asset for athletes after retirement. Many international stars such as football star David Beckham; famous tennis players Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova... have successfully turned to business and media thanks to the personal brand value carefully built from the peak. When having a solid economic foundation, athletes can wholeheartedly devote themselves to sports. While still competing, they will have resources to reinvest such as buying nutritional supplements, using health care services to prolong their careers. When retiring, a stable economic source can help them continue to study for a coaching degree or other certificates to continue their commitment to sports. For athletes with a rich economic foundation, they can completely become investors, owners of clubs...
A sports economics expert shared: "When building a professional image, when retiring, if the athlete switches to a new field such as business or investment... it will be easier to expand relationships and gain trust from partners and the media, which can open up many new career opportunities. At the same time, the former athlete has the opportunity to continue to maintain the love of fans, continue to become an influencer in his field and can still attract sponsorship and advertising."
Positive impact
When building a good image on social networks, athletes not only improve their income to continue developing their careers and taking care of their families, but also create other great values for sports as well as society. The leader of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation assessed: "From that foundation, athletes will feel secure in practicing and be able to improve their personal achievements. The beautiful image of athletes contributes a lot to building the image of Vietnamese sports with the public at home and abroad. When that is achieved, athletes will also attract sponsors. Thanks to that, the sport and the athletes participating will also attract more attention. Sponsors and advertisers will start pouring in, creating sources of revenue to reinvest in that sport. When building a professional image for fans, athletes are also the ones who inspire young talents to focus on their careers. On the other hand, it also promotes the development of sports movements among the masses and schools".
However, for the development of athlete image to become a sustainable and effective trend, a synchronous support ecosystem is indispensable, and the most ideal model should include many parties participating. First, families and training facilities need to provide early guidance, foster a professional spirit and appropriate personality for athletes. Next, the sports industry needs to create a legal corridor, financial support, and post-retirement policies.
On the side of the representative or management company, they need to know how to shape the personal brand of the athlete, participate in contract negotiations (professional as well as commercial), ensure the rights and legal safety of the athlete. Media units and social networks also play an important role as the ones who convey the beautiful image and humane message of the athlete to the public, thereby creating a bridge for the athlete with fans and businesses. On the side of businesses and brands, it is also indispensable when investing financially and building long-term strategies with athletes. In particular, fans will be the key factor in creating the coverage and emotional value of the athlete brand.
For these links to operate effectively, there needs to be an intermediary coordinating agency. This could be a state-owned organization that plays the role of connecting, guiding and controlling the rights and obligations between the parties. At the same time, there must be a clear legal framework on commercial contracts, image ownership, taxes and social responsibilities, etc.
Some sports federations are doing well.
Some federations are actively supporting athletes in building their image and improving their income. The Vietnam Athletics Federation always creates conditions for athletes to participate in events, thereby promoting the image of athletes and increasing their income. The federation also proactively builds its own media channels and thereby builds the image of athletes. There are policies to motivate and encourage athletes when cooperating with sponsors.
The Vietnam Football Federation organizes training courses for retired athletes, building a professional image for athletes from the time they compete until the end of their career and transitioning to coaching. The Vietnam Volleyball Federation also builds its own media channel system, coordinates with media units to promote athletes, thereby creating conditions for athletes to have the opportunity to compete abroad as well as find sponsors and advertisers.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vdv-viet-nam-kiem-tien-tu-thuong-hieu-ca-nhan-nguon-thu-moi-cho-the-thao-viet-nam-185250721221441802.htm
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