There is a new way to measure an athlete’s power and it has nothing to do with lifting weights.
Nielsen/E-Poll’s new N-Score was created by CSE analytics to quantify the value of an athlete’s brand effectiveness (marketing power). While on-the-field success is part of the equation; perhaps the most leveraged measurement has to do with the choices an athlete makes in his personal life.
For example, the brand power of Tiger Woods, Michael Vick and Brett Favre remains affected by poor off-the-field decisions. Meanwhile, the squeaky-clean and wholesome Tim Tebow’s “power” value is 165, well above superstar status, even with a modest rookie year in the NFL. Choices make brands. Good choices build brand power and are rewarded financially.
So what kind of things are measured? Off-the-field metrics include an athlete’s name awareness, appeal, influence, trustworthiness, overall popularity, and a number of other attributes. Another tool used by Nielsen/E-Poll was a public survey that essentially asked participants what they thought of certain athletes–how much influence does each athlete have? That is good news for our kids because it means we are about to be more intentional in paying athletes to be good citizens as well as penalizing those who “don’t care” what fans/consumers think.
In the 2011 rankings, Peyton Manning is valued as the most powerful athlete in all of sports. While his on-the-field performance can’t be minimized, his greatest financial asset is how he is perceived by his peers and in the sports world in general. Manning works hard on being at his personal best while remaining the consumate team (and company) player. He’s tough, cool, calm and collected. He’s funny and animated. He’s smart, charitable and consistently makes good decisions in his personal life (or at least avoids the publicly dumb ones). And as if that weren’t enough, Manning is simply likable and extremely humble.
Even if you’re not a Colts’ fan, it is hard not to have a deep respect and admiration for Peyton Manning. He embodies the American sports ethic, and we take notice as does corporate America. The amount of money an athlete makes from endorsements is yet another off-the-field metric in the “power calculation.” Last year, Manning earned $15 million from Reebok, Gatorade, Mastercard and Oreo. Not bad for being good.
“Credibility is the currency by which sporting figures’ effectiveness as endorsers is measured,” says Stephen Master, Vice President, Nielsen Sports. “From Wall Street to Washington, people want to surround themselves with individuals of influence.”
Therefore if the N-Score formula is a reliable predictor of influence, it might also tell us something about leadership.
What we say, how we dress, the choices we make will affect our value and the opportunities that follow. Wise choices will have positive implications: jobs, schools, scholarships and increased opportunities. Poor choices can cause a loss of of control and independence. It can close doors, create financial distress, and in extreme situations create problems with the law.
Every day coaches, bosses, teachers, admission counselors, family and others make value judgements about your leadership. So even though no one may ever hand you an endorsement check, the same qualities used to determine the value of Peyton Manning’s influence are being used by those around you to place a value on your brand. The higher the value, the greater your influence, the stronger your leadership.
And while the currencies may vary, you will, mostly likely, receive the fair market value for the brand you choose to become. Choose wisely.