Superboosting the athlete social media brand: events as an opportunity for follower growth

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research Question An athletes’ social media following is a proxy of their popularity and a key metric for brand monetization. Yet, how a following can be grown strategically remains unclear. This research investigates the effects of newly formed brand networks on athlete follower growth during a non-league event with representative teams. We used the sport brand ecosystem framework and examined athlete-related, event-related, and brand-networking-related factors as determinants of follower growth on Instagram. Research Methods We collected longitudinal behavioral data, namely social media following and tagging behavior of athletes in the context of Laver Cup, an elite men’s team tennis event. A sociogram was used to visualize brand networking of athletes and the event. The hypotheses were tested using a multiple linear regression with a wild-cluster bootstrap-SE. Results and Findings Results indicated that the pre-existing size of an athlete’s following and brand networking with athletes’ and the event’s brands through the user tagging function predicted follower growth. This highlights the impact of exposure on social media during an event and the value of brand networking as a brand-building strategy for athletes. Implications The findings contribute knowledge on athletes’ vertical and horizontal brand relationships. The study uncovers coopetitive relationships between athlete brands and shows that new brand networks, visible through social media user tagging, spur athlete brand growth. To practitioners, this demonstrates that events enable athletes to strengthen their social media brands, which can be amplified through athletes’ large pre-existing social media following and strategic collaborations with other athletes.