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Beckham's brand name still brings in the money
England - 11 July, 2006
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David Beckham has been the biggest individual brand in football, and would have been given an enormous boost if he had lifted the World Cup.
Still, despite England's early exit, the Beckham brand should remain solid.
One of his strongest markets is the Far East, where the link with England is not very. Beckham has also managed to bounce back from being sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup and allegations of marital infidelity in 2004.
"He's the first superstar outside football, he's a good-looking guy and there's no competitor to his image amongst the rest of the England team," publicist Max Clifford said.
Footwork Productions, Beckham's company, earned GBP 10.5 million after tax in 2004, the last year for which accounts are available. Since then, local deals with Vodafone and Marks and Spencer have been dropped, while global arrangements have been retained.
A sponsorship agreement with Police, a sunglasses brand, is to end soon. However, the long-standing deal with adidas is thought to be worth GBP 3 million a year.
Other deals do not rely solely on his status in football. For example, a deal with Gillette, estimated to be worth GBP 2.5 million a year, gave him a presence in the important American market. A new three-year deal with Motorola mobile phones comes in at roughly GBP 2.5 million a year, and his arrangement with Pepsi may be worth around GBP 2 million a year.
The value of the endorsements he receives is far greater than the post-tax GBP 4 million he makes from Spanish Real Madrid, which gets a slice of Beckham's sponsorship deals.
Commercial deals make Beckham the world's best paid footballer, his nearest competitor being Brazil's Ronaldo, whose commercial income is estimated at GBP 9 million, the only other player to earn above GBP 5 million in sponsorship.
Beckham's deals expire between 2008 and 2010. By then, he will be 35 and his playing career likely will be finished. However, he has branched out into Beckham-branded sports academies, one near The Dome in London, and there are plans for one in Asia. Beckham's strategy of selling himself as an icon rather than just as a sportsman seems to have worked in an age of celebrity.
More of a challenge for the Football Association is how it will market Beckham's successor as the new England captain. John Terry's image is rougher than Beckham's and he cannot be marketed in the same way. Steven Gerrard could be less edgy than Terry, but is no Beckham when it comes to brand appeal.
Still, despite England's early exit, the Beckham brand should remain solid.
One of his strongest markets is the Far East, where the link with England is not very. Beckham has also managed to bounce back from being sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup and allegations of marital infidelity in 2004.
"He's the first superstar outside football, he's a good-looking guy and there's no competitor to his image amongst the rest of the England team," publicist Max Clifford said.
Footwork Productions, Beckham's company, earned GBP 10.5 million after tax in 2004, the last year for which accounts are available. Since then, local deals with Vodafone and Marks and Spencer have been dropped, while global arrangements have been retained.
A sponsorship agreement with Police, a sunglasses brand, is to end soon. However, the long-standing deal with adidas is thought to be worth GBP 3 million a year.
Other deals do not rely solely on his status in football. For example, a deal with Gillette, estimated to be worth GBP 2.5 million a year, gave him a presence in the important American market. A new three-year deal with Motorola mobile phones comes in at roughly GBP 2.5 million a year, and his arrangement with Pepsi may be worth around GBP 2 million a year.
The value of the endorsements he receives is far greater than the post-tax GBP 4 million he makes from Spanish Real Madrid, which gets a slice of Beckham's sponsorship deals.
Commercial deals make Beckham the world's best paid footballer, his nearest competitor being Brazil's Ronaldo, whose commercial income is estimated at GBP 9 million, the only other player to earn above GBP 5 million in sponsorship.
Beckham's deals expire between 2008 and 2010. By then, he will be 35 and his playing career likely will be finished. However, he has branched out into Beckham-branded sports academies, one near The Dome in London, and there are plans for one in Asia. Beckham's strategy of selling himself as an icon rather than just as a sportsman seems to have worked in an age of celebrity.
More of a challenge for the Football Association is how it will market Beckham's successor as the new England captain. John Terry's image is rougher than Beckham's and he cannot be marketed in the same way. Steven Gerrard could be less edgy than Terry, but is no Beckham when it comes to brand appeal.
Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 -
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