Abstract
Given the growth of athlete endorsements and the number of corporations involved, it has become imperative to analyze consumer recognition of athlete endorsements. This study was designed to evaluate the recognition of athletic products endorsed by selected professional athletes. Seventeen professional male and female athletes were selected from six major sports. A questionnaire was developed and distributed in 12 major metropolitan areas of the United States. Of 2,304 surveys distributed, 1,224 were completed and usable. The data collected from the returned questionnaires were subjected to descriptive and chisquare analyses. Response data indicated that a majority of subjects were able to correctly identify the sport and at least one athletic product endorsed by selected professional athletes. In this study, basketball players (Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Charles Barkley) were highly recognized for the sport played and for the products they endorsed. Significantly fewer respondents were able to match the athlete with the products endorsed by female athletes and those in sports that received little media attention.
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