Long-term impact of athlete endorsements on brand equity

Abstract

This master’s thesis explores the long-term impact of athlete endorsements on brand equity, focusing on how sustained partnerships with high-profile and long-term athletes influence brand equity and its constructs of brand loyalty, customer mind-set measures and product-market performance measures. As athlete endorsements continue to be an important marketing tool in the sports marketing landscape, understanding their role in shaping brand equity is essential for the most optimal marketing strategy implementation. The thesis consists of an introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, conclusions, and managerial implications.

The literature review presents key constructs of brand equity: brand loyalty, customer mind-set measures, and product-market performance. It aims to understand how athlete endorsements relate to these constructs. It examines existing theories in marketing and branding, especially the role of trust, congruence, and emotional connection in endorsement strategies. While celebrity endorsements have been widely studied, this thesis addresses a gap in focusing specifically on long-term and high-profile athlete partnerships.

A qualitative research method was applied, consisting of semi-structured thematic interviews with consumers that to some extent follow or engage in sports themselves. Interviewees were prompted to discuss their perceptions of athlete endorsements and how these influenced their trust, loyalty, and willingness to engage with their respective brands. The analysis focused on how these perceptions differ when endorsements are long-term and deeply integrated into the brand identity.

The findings suggest that long-term athlete endorsements significantly strengthen brand equity through increasing both brand loyalty dimensions of brand trust and brand affect and all dimensions of customer mind-set measures (brand awareness, associations, attitudes, attachment and activity). Participants reported a greater inclination to purchase from brands associated with admired athletes, particularly when these partnerships felt authentic and enduring. In contrast, short-term endorsements were often perceived as inauthentic or opportunistic, lacking long-term impact on consumer behaviour.

The research concludes that long-term athlete endorsements can be a powerful driver of sustained brand equity, especially when aligned with the athlete’s values and public persona. The thesis contributes to academic literature by extending existing brand equity frameworks and provides practical guidance for marketers seeking to leverage athlete endorsements for long-term brand growth.