Running Head: EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES 1

Synthesis Paper

Katherine Devine

John Carroll University

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Introduction

Since its inception, social media has had an unparalleled impact on all facets of society,

becoming increasingly ubiquitous in nature. Pairing this notion with the equally ubiquitous

nature of sports leads to an intriguing interplay between the two. In the past, fans watched in awe

as their favorite athletes put on an impressive display of talent, showmanship, determination, and

drive, but their ability to learn much about their athletic idol's off-field thoughts and actions was

limited to the access brought by the print and broadcast media of the time. The creation and

growing prevalence of social media has been instrumental in enabling fans to know their idol as

an athlete, as well as a person. Social media has reached an unimaginable level of omnipresence

and its effect on professional athletes demands attention as it has provided a major outlet that

athletes have capitalized on in a variety of ways.

Topic Overview

As I noted above, athletes previously faced limitations in their ability to express

themselves on a more personal, intimate level. Social media and the Web 2.0 had a pivotal role

in altering the athlete-to-fan relationship as any interaction before was under a planned,

controlled environment, such as a press conference. (Pegoraro, 2010). The idea of unmediated

interaction lends itself to a more enhanced fan experience. Dart (2014) research reflects this as he

believes social media has changed the relationship between sport fans, athletes, and the

mainstream media, each reaping the benefits in a variety of ways. Pegoraro (2010) supports this

belief as she explains that a more natural, real experience has the potential to lead to a greater

appreciation for an athlete and his or her talent. Darts views are consistent with this as he states,

New media technologies are seen as allowing fans unprecedented insight and access into the
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lives of their favorite player/athlete (Dart, 2014, p. 536). Pegoraro (2010) also goes on to state

how gaining more attention, fans, and money is always at the forefront of an athletes mind. The

competitive nature athletes exude while playing now continues off the field as theyre constantly

seeking ways to maximize their stardom. In addition to athletes being able to maximize their

relationship with their fans, they can also utilize social media to spin a news story about them in

a certain way. Athletes can now undercut the medias power by telling their side of a story

directly to their fans without having to use the media as their medium (Dart, 2014). Therefore,

athletes have greatly benefited from the integration of social media as they gained the ability to

voice their own thoughts. Furthermore, they now have the necessary outlet that allows them to

no longer be powerless against the mainstream media.

There has been a growing interest in the various ways professional athletes utilize social

media and the different effects it can have on ones image and success. One journal featured an

interview with professional soccer player, Michael Lahoud, who shared how instrumental social

media was in furthering his career. Initially under the assumption that his on-field performance

would be enough to be recognized as a distinguished athlete, he quickly realized how beneficial a

strong social media presence can be in catapulting one to newfound success (Kunkel, Scott,

Beaton, 2016). Lahouds personal experiences are consistent with Pegoraros article as she

explains that research shows that team identification and attachment to the team are significant

indicators of fans attitudes toward a player (Pegoraro, 2010). A study conducted by Robinson

and Trail (2005) relates to this notion as increased attachment toward a team can result if one

develops a deeper connection to a certain player. As athletes formerly radiated an untouchable,

unrelatable persona, social media has given athletes the opportunity to be more transparent and
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the means to reveal more than what the camera captures (Pegoraro 2010). Lahoud offers more

insight into the power of the camera as he explains that perception is often ones reality (Kunkel,

Scott, Beaton, 2016). Many individuals form attitudes and opinions on a player based on what

they view on television, which may or may not be totally accurate. What the camera captures is

out of the athletes control, but athletes can now alter how they are perceived through the ways

they express themselves on social media.

The idea of fan perception ties into the notion of developing ones brand. LeBron James

is a perfect example of an athlete who has developed his own brand as he has made a huge name

for himself beyond his affiliation to the Cleveland Cavaliers (Hasaan, Kerem, Biscaia,

Agyemang, 2016). New media technology is an additional platform athletes can use to further

promote themselves (Dart, 2014). Lahoud stresses the importance of determining what your

brand is, as well as what you wish to portray before you can move forward (Kunkel, Scott,

Beaton, 2016). A successful athlete brand is dependent upon gaining vast fan awareness through

successfully differentiating yourself from other athletes (Hasaan, Kerem, Biscaia, Agyemang,

2016). Social media allows athletes to distinguish themselves from the many other seemingly

similar athletes, which leads to their ability to transcend their on-field persona. Lahoud explains

that a key to gaining awareness and distinguishing yourself is through frequently engaging with

your fans and making yourself as approachable as possible (Kunkel, Scott, Beaton, 2016). In

addition to using social media to strengthen ones relationship with fans, it can also be used to

spread a positive message. Lahoud had always done a lot of charity work, but very few people in

the public knew about it because he wasnt sharing it in a public setting (Kunkel, Scott, Beaton,

2016). Lahoud hadnt thought to use his good deeds strategically to strengthen his brand image,
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but he realized it can open peoples eyes and have a tremendous positive impact (Kunkel, Scott,

Beaton, 2016).

Social media has proven to be instrumental in influencing customer behavior and attitude

as its informal, relaxed platform gives way to a more trusting environment (Johns & English,

2015). If consumers are exposed to a product through a less skeptical, less manipulative way,

they will be more likely to inherit a positive attitude towards a product, potentially leading to a

future purchase. Cunningham and Bright (2012) highlight the power of social media as they

state, Social media is a virtual intersection where fans, athletes, and companies can meet in a

common forum. Athletes have recognized the power social media has in influencing customers,

which is why many have capitalized on their well-known persona to further their success. An

article highlights the important relationship between companies and athletes as it states, To

create value for a brand, consumers must develop positive and unique brand associations toward

that brand (Hasaan, Kerem, Biscaia, Agyemang, 2016, p. 1). This leads to a mutually beneficial

relationship as companies use athletes to build positive associations and athletes use companies

to build upon their image. In his interview, Lahoud explained that his consistent fan engagement

drew the attention of a local company and ultimately led to a sponsorship (Kunkel, Scott, Beaton,

2016). Just like Lahoud, many other athletes have gained a greater awareness for the position of

power theyre in and the ways they can use it to their advantage. It is evident that athletes,

companies, social media, and branding work harmoniously and work together to achieve mass

success.

Furthermore, a strong brand image leads to the perfect opportunity for athlete

endorsements. LeBron James joins a myriad of other athletes who have helped brand themselves
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through product endorsement. Representing a popular, well-respected company can be very

beneficial to an athletes image. Marketing and advertising practitioners have recognized the

continually growing popularity of sports and have realized how advantageous it can be to use

these athletes to further company success (Cunningham & Bright, 2012). This two-way path

enables a direct relationship between athlete and fan, providing a lucrative opportunity for

marketers and sponsors (Cunningham & Bright, 2012, p. 73).

Original Ideas Synthesis

Social medias inception and rise to popularity is still fairly recent, so its relation to

athletes is an emerging area of research. There is much more to uncover as the relationship

remains complex with multiple facets to analyze. As researchers still have many questions, I had

many questions arise as I reviewed the literature. If athletes are aware that their success could be

maximized through a strong social media presence, do they feel obligated to portray themselves

in a certain way? Many athletes may not feel comfortable expressing themselves in a social

media setting, but may worry that their lack of involvement could hinder their success. In

addition, the pressure they may feel to boost their popularity through social media leaves one to

wonder if the athlete portrays their real sense of self or if theyre presenting an artificial version

of themselves in order to be liked. Research described social media as a means for athletes to

reveal their true self, but this increased exposure could lead athletes to display a virtual self,

much different from who they really are. In saying this, I think theres gaps in the research in

determining whether athletes feel pressure to depict themselves in a manner they know will gain

them attention.
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An athlete inevitably wants to receive attention for their talent and athletic ability, but

social media has caused athletes to want attention in other areas of their life, too. The soccer

player, Michael Lahoud, used social media to gain positive attention regarding his charity work.

As this attracted positive attention, the opposite effect can result, as well. Much of the literature I

found focused on the positives that can result from social media use, but the athlete and social

media relationship also poses a lot of potential problems. There has recently been an abundance

of literature on the negative consequences college athletes are experiencing from making poor

decisions on social media, but theres not much available for the effects on athletes in the

professional world. Like many college athletes, there are also many professional athletes who

have been criticized for things theyve posted online. In the instance of Johnny Manziel, his

behavior on social media resulted in many negative ramifications to his career. He gained a lot of

attention, particularly from the younger generation who found his behavior slightly amusing, but

his actions ended up being extremely detrimental to his success. He got caught up in his stardom

and Twitter served as a major distraction for him as he became too engrossed in his image and

lost sight in the importance of acting responsibly and professionally. Furthermore, if an athlete is

not careful, increased attention on social media can affect a players performance.

While an athletes social media presence may cause them to gain additional popularity, I

would be curious to know which types of tweets and posts are most successful in gaining more

attention. I did not find any any research that shows whether certain types of tweets help gain

more popularity than others, but think knowing this information would be very insightful. There

is research that shows what types of things athletes frequently post, but no research on which

types seem to be most liked by the audience.

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In addition, there is no research that proves increased athlete to fan engagement increases

a fans attachment to a player. However, I would predict that the study would show a positive

correlation between the two. Considering my own, personal experience, my attachment to an

athlete increases if I identify with them on social media. If I already admire an athlete for their

extraordinary display of talent, my likeability towards them will increase if I like the side of

themselves they show on social media. However, an athletes strong media presence could have

the opposite effect, as well. There are some athletes whose athletic ability I greatly admire and

respect, but this attachment was lessened upon being turned off by some of the things they

choose to post online. Ive seen many athletes whose posts reflect a conceited, arrogant attitude,

which lessens my likeability towards them. As mentioned before, perception is often reality, so

how a person perceives ones image on social media carries over into how they view them in

reality. In turn, this can have a large impact on a fans attachment to certain players. Companies

are aware of which athletes are well-liked and respected and use this information when seeking

the right athletes to sponsor. This relates to how important it is for an athlete to be conscious of

the message their posts are relaying as millions of people form attitudes and judgments off the

things they are posting.

Continuing with the topic of sponsoring athletes, I think well continue to see an increase

in the number of companies capitalizing off of athletes. Social media has provided multiple new

platforms for companies to advertise. Pairing the perfect platform with the perfect athlete has

proven to be extremely smart, successful advertising. Whenever I see ads featuring an athlete I

like, I am immediately more engaged in the advertisement and drawn to the product. Even if I

might not immediately buy the product, forming these types of positive associations can be very
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important for a companys future success. Therefore, I think well continue to see an increase in

number of athletes who use social media for product-endorsement. Athletes benefit from the

increased exposure and companies benefit from the athletes popularity, which leads to a

mutually beneficial relationship.

Conclusion

As the relationship between athletes and social media continues to evolve, I think the

effects this relationship has will begin to become even more clear. As time goes on, additional

research will develop revealing more in-depth insight into the ways positive and negative effects

can arise. However, after reading the literature above, one can say with certainty that the

integration of social media into the sports world has forever changed the game and the lives of its

athletes. Athletes have been given a voice in a way theyve never had before and enabled them to

connect with the fans who think of them as heroes. While the negative effects still exist, it is

encouraging to know that social media allows fans to better relate to the athletes they idolize and

adore.
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References

Cunningham, N. & Bright, L. (2012). The tweet is in your court: Measuring attitude towards

athlete endorsements in social media. International Journal of Integrated Marketing

Communications, 73-87.

Dart, J. (2014) New media, professional sport and political economy. Journal of Sport and Social

Issues, 38(6), 528-547.

Hasaan, Ali, Kerem, Katri, Biscaia, Rui, & Agyemang, Kwame J. A. (2016). Athlete brand

construction: A perspective based on fans' perceptions. Motriz: Revista de Educao

Fsica, 22(3), 144-159.

Johns, R., English, R. (2016). Transition of self: repositioning the celebrity brand through social

media- the case of Elizabeth Gilbert. Journal of Business Research, 69, 65-72.

Kunkel, T., Scott, O., Beaton, M. (2016). Interview with Michael Lahoud, professional soccer

player: Lessons of personal athlete branding via social media. International Journal of

Sport Communication, 9, 415-423.

Pegoraro, A. (2010). Look whos talking-athletes on twitter: A case study. International Journal

of Sport Communication, 3, 501-513.

Robinson, M.J. & Trail. G.T. (2005). Relationships among spectator gender, motives, points of

attachment, and sport preference. Journal of Sport Management, 19, 58-80.