SOCCER
The attacker has a series of products inspired by his brand and aimed at different types of audiences, including children.
Published on November 17, 2024 at 08:29
Gabigol at Flamengo Credit: Gilvan de Souza/CRF / Disclosure
Contrary to most active Brazilian idols, striker Gabigol has a series of products inspired by his brand and aimed at different types of audiences, especially children. Despite the controversies, the 28-year-old player invests in his image. And, to that end, he started focusing on videos. Last week, he launched his YouTube channel, echoing other football idols such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a statement on social media, he announced the news to his fans and published the first video, showing an image of him surrounded by the titles he won at Flamengo, with the song “Me give motive”, by singer Tim Maia – it was an indirect message to the board of directors of the Rio club about his departure. There were more than 220 thousand views in less than 24 hours.
Last season, Gabigol promoted the launch of the book “Minha História com Gabigolzinho”. In the work, the character Gabigolzinho and his new friends, the crew of a ship, present the player’s biography and present activities of writing, coloring and interacting, in a playful way, with the trajectory of the red-black idol.
It is not the first time that the player has carried out an action of this type. In 2023, he announced the launch of an exclusive kit to commemorate a historic milestone: by scoring the goal in the 1-1 draw with Racing, he reached 30 goals in the Copa Libertadores and became, in isolation, the greatest Brazilian goalscorer. in the history of the competition. Last month, he had already announced the launch of new exclusive products with his brand, such as models with the brand Gabigolzinho and Lil Gabi, and the reformulation of his official virtual store, the Gabigol Store.
For experts in sports marketing, despite the controversies that also accompany his career, Gabigol has a gigantic strength in the field of marketing. “Our idols have a gigantic exposure force and need to be very attentive to everything, not only their health and technique within the four lines, but also in moments off the field”, says Renê Salviano, CEO of Heatmap, a company specialized in sports marketing .
“Throughout your career, it is very important to surround yourself with a team of professionals who know how to take care of all points of contact with fans. Athletes and their families need to be aware of the impact of each speech, each action. In the case of Gabigol, I had the opportunity to meet the staff and I was impressed by the professionalism of the people who support your career.”
For Ivan Martinho, professor of sports marketing at ESPM, the player knew how to create an independent audience, linked to football, but without a direct relationship with the clubs he defends. “Social networks have made it possible for idols to build their own audience and no longer depend exclusively on the club they play for or the entity they represent. Gabigol’s step towards monetizing this fan base independently with its own products is similar to what We’ve seen it in some American sports idols.”
