EXPLORING the BRAND IDENTITY CREATION of FEMALE ATHLETES: the CASE of JENNIE FINCH and CAT OSTERMAN a Dissertation by JAMI NICO
CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Texas A&M Repository EXPLORING THE BRAND IDENTITY CREATION OF FEMALE ATHLETES: THE CASE OF JENNIE FINCH AND CAT OSTERMAN A Dissertation by JAMI NICOLE LOBPRIES Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, Gregg Bennett Committee Members, George Cunningham Summer Odom Jon Welty-Peachy Head of Department, Richard Kreider August 2014 Major Subject: Kinesiology Copyright 2014 Jami Nicole Lobpries ABSTRACT In the context of human branding, athletes have become viable brands capable of providing empirical support for scholarly and industry endeavors. To add to our conceptual understanding of athlete branding and particularly in the context of female athletes, this qualitative case study investigated the brand identity creation and brand building strategies used by two female athletes, Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman, and their management teams to leverage their brand equity. Further, due to the gendered nature of sport, this case study assessed the perceived barriers female athletes face in the brand building process. Guided by brand identity theory and social role theory, interviews were conducted with Finch, Osterman, three female agents who manage female athletes’ brands, and four softball players from various levels of the softball community. Findings from this case study provide empirical support for using brand identity theory to assess the creation of an athlete’s brand identity and strategies for positioning, communicating, and leveraging the athlete’s brand. Themes shaping brand identity creation included identifying core values, brand personality, and brand associations.
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