Olympians & Endorsements; should Olympians tell their own stories?

In my last post I discussed, “the danger of a single story.”  This post I will delve into some examples of Olympians that have amazing stories.  After reading some exciting articles and watching some amazing Olympic coverage I found that the only way to tell your story is to do it yourself.

It’s no secret that Olympians are among some of the most marketable brands in the entertainment and sports industries.  Recently one young Olympian has exploded unto the scene and made a stand as a true winner.  Advertising agencies and product brands are fighting head to head to secure this young super star’s brand in a partnership with their own.   Gabrielle Douglas has won both the hearts and attention of the world during her debut at the London 2012 Olympics.  Additionally her heart-warming story of passion and determination are making her an advertisers dream.

         In 2008 Michael Phelps become a force as the Olympic swimmer.  He took home 18 gold medals and a wealth of endorsements, but one negative action almost caused him to loose it all.  After reportedly being caught smoking marijuana all of the positive publicity became a negative shadow that almost destroyed the Olympians image.  Robert Greene describes this situation in one of his 48 laws of power “so much depends on reputation, guard it with your life.”  Although many may argue smoking marijuana isn’t offensive this one thing damage the image people wanted from an Olympian. 

         Almost four years later, Michael Phelps is still making waves, but he is not as highly regarded as he once was.  The importance of telling your own story is more apparent than ever in this case.  Michael Phelps is an all star, but he is letting the media tell his story and they make it what they want.  The same is true for Gabrielle Douglas, but in her case she is making out like a bandit.  Advertising Age recently released an article about young Gabby and her journey to the Olympics.  They also further discuss her wildfire popularity upcoming partnerships that marketers are looking to capitalize on.  How do you think Gabby could tell her own story?  She is a household name today, but it won’t be long before the media finds another American sweetheart.  What do you think Gabby’s media team should do to keep her from becoming over saturated and washed out in the media?