Abstract
Some athletes have attracted millions of audiences, even if being namely recognised. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar JR., and David Beckham have the most Instagram followers on a global scale. Online Social Networks (OSN) allows users to establish their profiles to communicate with others through actions such as follows and comments. Currently, athletes prefer to utilise Instagram for self-branding purposes. Therefore, many studies have examined their practices. From the rising of Model of Athlete Brand Image MABI offline practices to the development of online athlete branding consumers’ engagements on social media, all studies have concerned three main categories to build athlete brand image, namely Athletic performance, Attractive appearance, and Marketable lifestyles. As a Saudi female personal trainer who uses Instagram to build a brand image, this auto-ethnography aims to reflect on my personal experiences, including cultural aspects that affect athlete branding strategies. Athlete branding studies have not focused on cultural differences yet. Most Muslim Saudi women are culturally conservative; they cover their bodies in public as a religious practice. This qualitative study describes my own experiences and Instagram visual content selections. It attempts to understand the motives, outcomes, and online self-presentation challenges and strategies of Muslim female exercisers who aim to build their athlete brand image. A key result indicated that Attractive appearance category was not applicable in the self-presentation of a Muslim female athlete in her athlete branding strategies. The trainer encountered some cultural challenges, for instance, religious values such as veiling and gender segregation, which conflict with the ability to rely on the self-characteristics for branding. Therefore, other strategies were applied, such as presenting body composition before and after test results and testimonials for clients.
Highlights
From the perspective of Goffman’s self-presentation theory, this study investigates the practices of Athletebranding among Saudi women athletes and exercisers who use online social networks in the field of media and marketing communication
The final theme raised through the story regarding Instagram usage was “Shopping”; I have bought many sports facilities and clothing by athletes sponsored by brands
Athletes have the opportunity to capture the attention of consumers with their physical skills and energetic personalities, and they make attractive representatives to market products (Hambrick and Mahoney 2011)
Summary
From the perspective of Goffman’s self-presentation theory, this study investigates the practices of Athletebranding among Saudi women athletes and exercisers who use online social networks in the field of media and marketing communication. There is a lack of studies on Saudi women in this field While they are ruled strictly regarding their presentation in public, this could affect their online practices. Online social networks (OSN) are a significant part of a media revolution that affects youths and adults who are frequent users of these platforms. This new media form has transformed people’s ways of living in terms of values, cultures, and attitudes (Safko, 2010). The convergence of digital cameras and Internet-connected devices has simplified access and taking/sharing of visual images, etc.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
