Female Athlete Endorsers: Obstacles and Opportunities

Researchers have touted the benefits of using celebrities in advertising as a way to break through marketing clutter and create positive associations with a brand. Although many of today’s male celebrity athletes profit greatly from this form of promotion, advertisers have been far less generous in extending these same opportunities to female celebrity athletes. This presentation utilizes classic endorsement theories and models to examine the obstacles faced by celebrity sportswomen. Suggestions are provided to encourage marketers to rethink how they can fully utilize female celebrity athletes to create significant change to this important aspect of the business of women’s sport