Tweet 'em and reap 'em: The impact of professional athletes' use of Twitter on current and potential sponsorship opportunities

Abstract

The rise of social media over the past few years has provided sponsors and sponsees with an additional tool for activating sponsorships. Sport teams and athletes embraced social media at a very rapid pace and early research indicated that athletes were not using the medium to activate their sponsorships nor were sponsors taking advantage of the fan followings of their athlete sponsees. Social media provide fans with unmediated access to athletes, thereby increasing their interactions as well as increasing the athlete's ability to influence their fans. This paper uses case studies to examine how some athletes and sport world leaders are using one particular social media platform, Twitter, to enhance their personal brands to increase and leverage sponsorship opportunities. Lessons for both athletes and sponsors are drawn from these case studies.