Do consumers care about human brands?: A case study of using Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) to map two athletes' engagements in social and political advocacy

Research QuestionWe aimed to explore consumers' perceptions of two athletes and athletes' engagements in social and political advocacy.Research MethodsWe conducted 24 individual in-depth, unstructured interviews and applied Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) to reflect deeper feelings and thoughts of consumers and construct a perceptual map.Results and FindingsFindings show how the actions of athletes contribute to the building and leveraging of their own brands - symbolic images and key associations of Michael Bennett and Jason Pierre-Paul. Findings reveal that lifestyle, relationship effort, and role model make a difference in creating unique brands. New categories emerged from the analysis of athlete advocacy: views toward advocacy, sport as platforms for advocacy, and ambassadors.ImplicationsWe offer unique methodological contributions to scholarship and distinctive associations of selected athletes and provide implications for both professionals and academics in sport.

Automated summary

The study explores consumers' perceptions of athletes and their engagement in social and political advocacy, highlighting the importance of athletes' actions in building and leveraging their own brands. Lifestyle, relationship effort, and being role models are key factors in creating a unique brand identity. The research also introduces new categories regarding athlete advocacy, offering unique methodological contributions and implications for both professionals and academics in the sports industry.