Content Analysis of Female Athlete Endorsers in UK Sports Magazine
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Abstract
Despite an increased level of females’ participation in sports, the
media coverage is still very low and inadvertently the use of female
athletes as product endorsers has received limited attention. The
purpose of this study is to provide an empirical insight into the
frequency and nature of portrayals of female athlete endorsers in UK
Sports Magazine by replicating Grau et al (2007)’s earlier study carried
out in USA over ten years ago. Results of the content analysis indicate
that females are seldomly featured as brand endorsers, female in team
sports and from black ethnic minority group are less likely to be
featured as brand endorsers. The study offers theoretical knowledge and
practical implication for managers to ensure female athletes are well
positioned and given the opportunity to be commercially viable.