Athlete Crises and Brand Image Recovery: Effective Crisis Management in Sport Organizations

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of athlete crises on brand image within the sport industry, emphasizing the interrelationship between brand attributes, benefits, and attitudes. A sport brand’s image—comprising both product-related and symbolic dimensions—plays a crucial role in shaping fan loyalty and organizational credibility. However, athlete scandals, including unethical or corrupt behavior, can significantly erode trust, reduce perceived brand benefits, and damage consumer attitudes toward both the individual and affiliated organizations. Drawing from crisis management and communication theories—including stakeholder theory, structural-functional systems theory, diffusion of innovation theory, and unequal human capital theory—this study outlines how effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and organizational transparency are central to mitigating reputational harm. Established models of crisis management are applied to sport-specific contexts, highlighting cyclical processes of pre-crisis prevention, crisis response, and post-crisis recovery. The analysis underscores the necessity of proactive planning, rapid transparent communication, and sustained reputation monitoring. Ultimately, successful brand rehabilitation depends on rebuilding trust and authenticity through credible actions and consistent stakeholder dialogue. This integrative framework contributes to a deeper understanding of brand image management and recovery strategies in the aftermath of athlete-related crises.

Keywords: Athlete crises, Brand image, Crisis management, Sport organizations

DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/68-08

Publication date: December 30^th 2025