Steve Nash Uses New Media to Market His Brand

Steve Nash, Victoria, B.C. native, and point guard for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA, is doing some pretty ground-breaking stuff by helping to change the world of athletic marketing.

In the past, athletes were used primarily to promote a product and were not always given a voice. They were asked to simply hold a product and smile for the camera. Remember those Sprite commercials with Vince Carter where viewers were lead to believe that that drink could make you jump higher?

Steve Nash is changing this method of athletic marketing. He is taking control by making the athlete the focus of the commercial and not the product. Check out this viral video Nash wrote for Nike:




Notice how times have changed. This would be a great video to show students in class when teaching them about the (Big) Business of Sport Entertainment.

1. Why do they think Steve Nash would want to brand himself?
2. Why is this important?
3. Can they think of other athlete's that have well-known brands?
4. How is the way Steve Nash advertises himself similar or different to the way Tiger Woods has done it?