Ovechkin leads all Russian male athletes in endorsements
From ForbesRussia.ru:
Alexander OvechkinSource: http://www.forbesrussia.ru/node/53934/slide/2
Advertising contracts - $ 3,000,000
The Russian hockey prodigy feels great in North American Hockey League. In January 2008 Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract with the Washington Capitals at $124 mil., becoming the first in the history of the NHL hockey player, who signed the contract for more than $100 million.
The charismatic Russian with a toothless smile slowly settles in an advertising Olympus. Ovechkin has contracts with the manufacturers of the hockey equipment CCM (where he has his own clothing line), Elite Hockey, Hair Cuttery and in April 2009 he had signed a contract with Energizer Canada Inc. He was on the cover of the computer game NHL 2K10. In the fall of 2009 the hockey player became the client of IMG sports agency, that, in particular, worked on endorsements for Sharapova.
Let's compare it with Sharapova...
Advertising contracts - $24 million
The advertising contracts with such global brands as Canon, Prince, Tiffany, TAG Heuer and Land Rover. But her the biggest advertising contract is with Nike: 8-year, $70 million.
Alex Ovechkin is followed by Andrei Arshavin, the striker for English Arsenal ($2.1 mil) and Evgeny Plushenko ($.7 mil).
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14 comments:
He's been at $3 million for at least a couple years. Let's hope the contract with IMG starts bringing him some bigger, high-quality endorsements.
I admit I don't know much about advertising and marketing. But I still don't understand how Sharapova is so much more desirable an endorser than Ovie would be. Perhaps would-be buyers of products endorsed by Sharapova are more attractive to advertisers than potential consumers of Ovie endorsed products, maybe they have more disposable income?
Flawless English, model-like body and features, and the international appeal of tennis and its tournaments around the world that make her visible to people in many countries.
Must say, I'm a fan of Sharpie.
@O: what you say makes perfect sense. I agree with you in hoping IMG will help Ovie get more lucrative high-quality endorsements. Ovie can help his own cause by improving his diction as he becomes more comfortable with English.
I don't think it's just that, women have easier time getting endorsement contracts because they can endorse products or companies like Tiffany, and like O said, sports like Tennis are easier to use because of international appeal and also schedule.
Hockey players have busier schedules, with games and practices, media events and such so often, it's harder to plan around that. Plus, [male] hockey players have worse reputation than [female] tennis players. Fans as well, having worse reputations lol
But yes, English improvement would help him in American contracts.
Still, he should become a full-time PR guy for Eastern Motors... but not say he's gonna kill someone at the end... lol
@Anonymous:
LOL @ that last line.
@Anonymous,
What if he changed the last line to, "I'm going to crush you on the ice like a little bug."
@O: That should be fine, let's talk to his agent. lol
@Anonymous: the only improvement on the line you suggested would be "I'm going to crush you on the ice like the little bug Max Talbot" LOL.
@BobbyG: I like it, but I doubt he'd go for it. As I've said before, he doesn't seem like the type to use names in endorsements lol
Anonymous made some great points.
I would also like to add that using a hockey player for endorsements that are not associated with the sport and its sponsors is mostly uncharted territory. Having stars be spokespeople is more common in other sports.
The NHL takes pride in the hard-working on the ice, quiet off the ice nature of its players. Ovie embodies the first and destroys the second. That makes people uncomfortable and possibly resentful. He should tread carefully as more endorsements come his way. Becoming ubiquitous will trample many toes.
@O: I don't doubt that Ovie makes some people uncomfortable and resentful. However, I doubt he would be willing to "tread carefully" off the ice just to bring in more endorsements. IMO if Ovie embodies anything, it's a mavericky free spirit attitude that's so deeply ingrained, he would regard adopting a quieter demeanor as not who he is and therefore inconsistent with his nature. He might be too stubborn and ego-driven to change.
He also might feel, and rightfully so, that he doesn't need the extra money from more endorsements, especially if they're designed to make people more "comfortable" with him. Ovie is who he is. Perhaps as he grows older--and more mature?--he might change his mind. But by then he could be past his peak as a hockey player, and the issue about doing more endorsements a moot subject.
@BobbyG,
I meant that the more endorsements he has, then the more resentful people might be because hockey players have a history of not promoting themselves or standing out from the crowd.
Hockey appeals to (and is mostly played in) North America, northern Europe and Russia. Tennis is played everywhere. Maria speaks perfect English and has no teeth missing. End of story.
That said, Alex and Maria would make an interesting couple................
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