Developing Iranian Sports Coaches’ Personal Brand

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to design a model for developing the personal brand of Iranian sports coaches. The research population in the qualitative section was professors, experts and experts in the field of sports marketing and branding, and professional coaches of Iran and that of the quantitative section was 253 coaches, managers, athletes, fans, media, and economic and marketing activists, especially in the field of branding. In the qualitative section, the researcher-made questionnaire and deep and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The findings of the qualitative section were compiled in the form of 78 concepts, 17 categories and 6 dimensions and indicated that "personality", "coach's behavioral approach", "communication", "market approach", "coach's expertise, performance and skill" and "macro levels" are the most important factors influencing the development of Iranian sports coaches’ personal brand. Therefore, coaches, managers and sports marketers of Iran can rely on these factors and the model of this research to provide the necessary platform for the development of Iranian sports coaches’ personal brand and increase their income and credibility.