Sports and athletes are being sponsored by many companies for the purpose of advertising their brands. It is believed that this practice can bring a large number of merits, while some argue that there are also demerits existing. In this essay, I will elaborate both sides of the argument and state my own perspective.
On the one hand, the beneficiaries of sponsoring sports are both the companies and the athletes. Regarding the capitalists’ advantages, using sport stars’ image as a way of advertising strategy can boost their brand image and attract more clients, leading to more people buying their products. The result of this is the increase in the total revenue, generating more profits for the firms. In addition, when athletes become brand ambassadors, they can earn higher salaries, thereby improving their quality of life and supporting the whole family. Furthermore, players will have opportunities to access quality training courses when achieving donations from companies.
On the other hand, sponsorship in sports also has countless drawbacks. In the first place, if companies collaborate with athletes who are famous for their scandals or bad reputation, this will negatively impact their image towards the public, leading to people boycotting their products and eventually decreasing the turnover. Even worse, players might have a win-at-all-cost attitude when they perceive that they will earn a huge sum of money after getting the championship. As a result, they might, for instance, use illegal substances such as doping to enhance their performance or bribe the rivals in order to be the winner of the match.
In conclusion, I believe that donating sports for brand advertisement is a multifaceted strategy for both the incorporations and the players. Therefore, this practice should be carefully considered before applying for the best outcome of it.