ZCZC
BSP-34
FBL-POR-ESP-ITA-RONALDO
From player to one-man multinational — Cristiano Ronaldo
MADRID, July 11, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – He may not have added the World Cup to
his Euro 16 success and hattrick of Champions Leagues.
But with another Ballon d’Or looking likely and a move to Juventus
complete, Cristiano Ronaldo’s status is as much that of multinational as
footballer.
The 33-year–old had long ago moved onto another plane in his nine years
at the Bernabeu as the galactico of galacticos.
Sporting Lisbon first nurtured his talents before Manchester United
launched the process of turning him into a global icon over six years at Old
Trafford.
But his Real achievements have transformed the Portuguese into the
Beautiful Game’s megastar who now embarks on a fresh challenge at a “new
stage in his life”
After five Ballons d’Or and countless trophies, as well as more than a
goal a game in his time with Real to capture 15 trophies, Ronaldo has nothing
more to prove on the pitch as he heads for Turin on a four-year contract
worth 30 million euros ($35 million) per season.
His 34 hattricks in Spain are a record for La Liga, but one triple crown
he missed out on this year was as the best paid athlete on the planet.
Ronaldo had basked in the accolade for the past two years, but this time
Forbes magazine gave that particular title to longtime rival Lionel Messi
ahead of boxer Floyd Mayweather.
That, and a last 16 World Cup exit was sweetened by the knowledge that
still he pulled in $108 million over the past 12 months — 61 million in
wages and the remainder in various endorsements.
Accused by the Spanish taxman of hiding some of his off-field earnings
Ronaldo agreed last month to pay 18.8 million euros to avoid jail.
As befits a man of his renown, CR7 has no fewer than 330 million
“followers” on social media — more than any other athlete, meaning sponsors
queue to make him the face of their merchandise.
– Nike for life –
Those sponsors include French telecoms giant SFR, Swiss watch firm Tag
Heuer, Japanese gaming conglomerate Konami, oil behemoth Castrol and the
Emirates airline.
That breadth and depth of marketing reach means there is no risk of his
being reduced to a mere “advertising hoarding,” Jean-Philippe Danglade,
author of “Marketing et Celebrities,” told AFP recently.
His strongest association, going back to 2003, is with Nike with whom he
two years ago signed a new long-term sponsorship deal worth a minimum
reported 20 milion euros a year and that he indicated was “for life.”
Marca suggested if certain non publicly-specified goals are met, the
annual value of the deal could be worth around 40 million.
“It’s the best contract I’ve had in my entire career,” he noted.
Forbes drew a comparison between the ‘bling-bling’ image of Ronaldo and
the more reserved image of Messi.
Whereas in 2016 Messi reportedly lifted Adidas sales by an estimated $53.3
million, the Ronaldo effect lifted Nike into the stratosphere by some 500
million.
– Multimillion media post –
A simple Ronaldo post to social media can shift millions, as witnessed by
a post to Instagram after Portugal won Euro 2016 which according to sports
sponsorship valuation platform Hookit was worth $5.8 million to Nike.
Juventus shares on the Milan stock exchange jumped nearly 40% since June
28 when rumours of Renaldo’s arrival began to solidify. Shares fell mnore tha
six percent early Wednesday on profit-taking.
As sportsman-cum-entrepreneur Ronaldo also took a sartorial leaf out of
the book of Real galactico predecessor and fashion icon David Beckham and
basketball legend Michael Jordan to push sports gear to similar heights which
the former England star and Jordan, notably with his “Jumpman” logo, had
achieved before him.
“It’s the little black book of illustrated marketing,” says Danglade,
researcher at Kedge Business School, noting how Ronaldo’s image straddles
everything from product, to service, to digital interface.
Such huge marketing reach is “extremely rare. Madeira airport bears his
name. In terms of (entering) the collective imagination it’s truly
impressive.”
The 2006 opening of a CR7 underwear line in his native was barely an
opening off-field gambit for Ronaldo, who has branched out not least in the
fashion stakes into jeans, shoes and sundry accessories.
Three years ago he teamed up with his country’s leading hotel chain,
Pestana, for a joint venture to build five CR7 branded hotels as the chain
targets a greater slice of the international luxury accommodation market.
With his off-the-field interests covered, Ronaldo can concentrate on his
upcoming Italian job, showcasing his brand in a country where fashion and
football happily co-exist in a market seemingly tailor made for his twilight
on-pitch years.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1840HRD