Visual Athlete Rebrands: Discussing the Factors That Influence Athletes to Alter Their Personal Brand Logo

Even though the widespread practice of athletes utilizing a visual symbol to represent and communicate their brand (i.e., a personal logo) is still in its infancy, a number of athletes who have previously established a personal logo have undergone a visual rebrand. The practice of rebranding is not seen as an enviable branding tactic in other realms (e.g., professional teams and business), given that its utilization is typically tied to a miscommunication of the brand or lacking consumer connection. Furthermore, the consequences of athlete branding may even be amplified in comparison to that of team or organizational brands, given the significantly shorter brand life cycle that athletes have to communicate their associations and logo. However, athletes are still using this brand management strategy, indicating a need to further examine rebranding in this context. This commentary discusses current examples of athlete rebrands, what these rebrands communicate, the influence that endorsers have in this phenomenon, and how future scholars can utilize communication theories to better understand this branding strategy.