Brand image transfer from an athlete to a sponsoring brand resulting from athlete transgression : The Case Study of Naomi Osaka’s Roland-Garros 2021 Transgression

The main purpose of this thesis is to find out what impact do athlete’s on-field sports transgressions have on their corporate sponsors’ brand image, offering a case study of Naomi Osaka’s Roland-Garros Withdrawal to answer that question. The results showed that Naomi Osaka’s Roland-Garros withdrawal positively affected Nike’s brand image. Furthermore, the author recommends that Nike should continue putting athletes’ well-being first, still not disregard the rules of the competition in the future, since the set precedents could present stumbling rocks in later situations. Hence, the open dialogue with officials is proposed, benefiting the players, the press, and the fans. Lastly, the author opens space for further research on the topic