Why is Sinner so loved by sponsors?
The Italian tennis player is also the Number 1 in partnerships with brands
June 10th, 2024
Today Jannik Sinner officially became the Number 1 in the ATP ranking, which for over 50 years has calculated who the best player in the world is. During this period of time, no Italian had ever reached the top spot, confirming the extreme uniqueness of the athlete from Alto Adige, who not only brought back the passion for tennis in Italy, but also transformed it into a trend. As rarely happens in our country, dominated by interest in football, there is a leading athlete in individual sports who, thanks to the exceptional talent, manages to also appeal to the general public, becoming the perfect spokesperson for companies and brands. Usually, when your match is interrupted by a commercial with your face, it means you have truly made it. And not just to the top of the ranking that takes into account sports results, but also in the perception of the public and advertisers, who see Sinner as a reliable and credible face to promote their brands. Jannik is now everywhere, and his success is reflected in the numbers he generates.
Thanks to a complicated report by Shibumi Group and Blogmeter, we can see the impact that Jannik Sinner has had not only in the world of sports, but also how companies use sports testimonials. Currently, Sinner is a testimonial for Nike, Gucci, Lavazza, Intesa San Paolo, Rolex, Alfa Romeo, and Technogym. All brands that fall within the perimeter of sportswear and luxury, therefore extremely consistent with the profile of the Italian tennis player. All of these companies have greatly benefited from the association of their profile with that of Sinner, receiving a higher positive sentiment compared to the usual average. In detail, Nike has seen an 18% increase in positivity, while negativity has decreased by 14%; for Rolex, the positivity rate thanks to Sinner has almost doubled, going from 49% to 89%, while negativity has decreased by 29%; for Alfa Romeo, the Sinner effect has drastically decreased negativity, going from 24% to 3%; on Intesa San Paolo, the positivity rate has increased by 10%, while negativity has decreased by 12%; and finally, on Technogym, negativity has practically been eliminated thanks to the partnership with Sinner.
Lavazza is the most interesting example among Jannik Sinner's sponsorships, both for the strong investment made in Italian tennis and for how they have organically used Sinner's fan community, the Carota Boys. In fact, Sinner's fan club, officially born last year but already visible in previous seasons with orange outfits and carrots displayed in the stands, now has 125,000 followers on social media, with a growth that skyrockets after each of Sinner's major victories, as happened at the Australian Open. And this community has been engaged by Lavazza to create social media content, thus building an authentic and lasting connection with a passionate fan base, strengthening the values of the brand and increasing its visibility during sports events.
Over the past 8 months, online discussions about Jannik Sinner have been constant and significant, with an impressive number of messages equal to 826.5K and an engagement of 39.5 million. These data testify to the growing interest of the public towards the young tennis player, who in just a few months has become a true favorite of the Italian public and has also made headlines for statements off the court, such as when he declined the invitation to Sanremo. And his always kind and smiling personality is well-liked, as shown by Sinner's positive impact on the brand's sentiment. The positivity rate has increased from 66% to 91%, while negativity has decreased from 25% to 2%. And with his climb to the top of the ATP ranking, Sinner has become the most beloved athlete by the public and the most sought after by brands.