A-Rod Looks to Expand His Brand

I recently stumbled upon an article that follows up nicely to my post on the relatively small amount of endorsement money that baseball players bring in. In that post, I brought up the case of Alex Rodriguez and how even though he’s the game’s best player, his $6 million in endorsements pales in comparison to golf’s best player Tiger Woods, who rakes in over $100 per year. It now appears that Rodriguez is stepping up his efforts to attract new and bigger endorsement deals.

About two weeks ago, Rodriguez signed with the William Morris Agency. Scott Boras will still represent Rodriguez in contract negotiations but William Morris will be handling over his marketing and brand management strategies. A-Rod is one of sports’ best-paid athletes ($275 million over 10 years) but his $6 million in endorsements trails far behind other athletes of equal stature (and I’ve read that a more accurate number for A-Rod hovers around $2 million due to Speed Stick, Pepsi, Kraft, and Topps dropping him).

Why is A-Rod doing this? The “Us-Weekly” answer would be to patch up his public image which took a beating during his very public divorce proceedings that included rumors of infidelity involving Madonna. This could be part of the equation but it certainly isn’t all of it. William Morris, who represents a few athletes such as Dwayne Wade and Vince Young, has been around since 1898 and is better known for their talent and literary management. A-Rod’s selection of a firm that has ties in and beyond the sports industry is noteworthy. It shows the growing trend of athletes and the major agencies that are managing them that they see the potential for an athlete’s brand to go beyond sports and into general life. Just look at Tiger Woods: he endorses more non-sports products than sports products.

A-Rod even seems to admit as much:

Partnering with William Morris will enable me to broaden the scope of my career
in creative and innovative ways. I'm excited to see what we'll be able to
accomplish together, both domestically and abroad.

Lon Rosen, a vice president at William Morris, hinted at the expanding scope and long-term nature of Rodriguez’s future brand. Apparently, Rodriguez has “asked us to look for opportunities with corporations which will last for many, many years,” Rosen said. "He is very focused on his life after baseball.”

For the time being, A-Rod is still a baseball player. Barring injury, he is well on pace to break Barry Bonds’ home-run record. But while A-Rod is keeping a steady eye on the ball, he’s also keeping a watchful eye on his future.