The Secret Behind his Mouthwatering contract
We are profoundly social creatures and we will die if isolated from other human beings. In addition, as human beings, we have a strong need to belong to a tribe. We are constantly looking for identity and identification with social groups. The concept of the tribe has changed from the traditional sense where the tribe was about people who came from the same area, spoke the same language, and believed in the same things. Nowadays, the tribe is about an idea, a brand, or an ideology. Sports people and clubs enjoy a massive following of people who believe in what they believe in-a tribe. Cristiano Ronaldo is an amazing example.
Cristiano Ronaldo recently completed his move to Al Nassr in what is arguably one of the most lucrative sporting contracts in the history of football after having terminated his contract at Manchester United by mutual consent. As nature would have it, embedded in our DNA, is the need to know what is going on in the lives of people with a higher social status. That move has generated discussions around the world.
In the contract, Ronaldo is expected to earn Kshs. 26B per year, Kshs. 2.1B per month, 525M per week, Kshs. 75M per day. That income is double the wage bill of the entire Arsenal Squad, it is 70% of the wage bill of Manchester United’s squad and slightly more than the wage bill of Manchester City’s squad Those are obscene figures, right?
Remember Personal Branding?
Well, personal branding is the process of creating and maintaining a clear, powerful, compelling image and reputation of self in the minds of others that elicits a predetermined perception of self that advances the attainment of your goals. It represents your beliefs, values, your personality, your skills, expertise, and the qualities that make you unique among your peers. I believe CR7 as he is commonly known, has successfully built a compelling image and reputation for him around the world. That is the secret to his new contract.
A brand is said to be strong when it dominates its space. By domination I mean, it has the highest awareness, has the highest brand value, and commands the highest price.
About Ronaldo’s New Home
Al Nassr is a club in the Saudi Professional League, which is the top division in Saudi Arabia’s football league system. The club has been around since 1955 and is one of the most successful teams in Saudi Arabia with an estimated 27 championships in all competitions.
Branding Impact: Ronaldo Raises the Profile of Al Nassr Globally
Ronaldo’s presence will also help to raise the profile of the club globally, as more people will be interested in watching the team play now that Ronaldo is part of it. The image of Cristiano Ronaldo around the world is so strong that it transcends football clubs, which means the deal is more for commercial terms than footballing reasons. CR7 is going to raise the profile of Al Nassr thereby allowing it to attract more sponsors and players, and generate more revenue from merchandise sales and stadium tickets as more and more people come to watch him play. Cristiano will generate revenue for Al Nassr just by being seen or associated with CR7.
The world has gone digital and we practically live on social media and that is where Cristiano’s image delivers visibility for any brand he is associated with.
On Instagram Cristiano has 529M followers compared to 9.9M Al Nassr followers having gained about 5M followers from the time CR7 joined them,
On Twitter, he has 106M compared to 3.8M Followers having gained approximately 250K followers since CR7’s arrival
On Facebook, Cristiano has 159M compared to Al Nassr’s 878,000 followers. This is after they gained slightly more than 500K followers in the last 1 week.
The way branding works is that some of Ronaldo’s fans will definitely start following and engaging with Al Nassr, they will buy their merchandise but most likely the global image of Al Nassr will be enhanced. Remember CR7 is probably the only footballer that has appeal across all gender and generations. By this I mean, CR7 is followed by both men and women, young and old, both football fans and non-football fans. This is an important factor because Al Nassr’s merchandise can be bought by anyone around the world. But also, very importantly, brand CR7 represents hard work, discipline, and longevity, very important values that appeal Al Nassr
Just to give more insight, no football club in the world has the kind of following CR7 has on any social media platform and therefore, wherever he goes he is a brand magnet pulling in his followers to the club that he is at. I remember reading that, the 100 million pounds that Juventus paid to sign Cristiano at the age of 33, was recovered in t-shirt sales in 1 week. That is the power that the CR7 Brand commands.
I am not saying that if you build a strong brand you will earn like Cristiano, but as sure as the sun rises to the east and sets in the west, building a compelling personal brand will attract opportunities that you desire, put you in spaces that you want and allow you to charge a premium for your presence, services or products. In 2023 make it a point to work on your personal brand. Just like for CR7, remember it is about consistency and that it takes time. But I guarantee you that your efforts and investment in your personal brand are worth it.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Impact on Football in Saudi Arabia
Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr is surely going to have a major impact on the club. It will help to improve the overall quality of football in the Saudi Professional League. His presence will help to attract more top players to the league, which will help to make it more competitive.
The move has also had a huge social impact, as it has helped to raise awareness of the Saudi Professional League and the country of Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo’s presence will help to put the league and the country on the global stage, as more people are now interested in watching the league and visiting the country. The move has also helped to bring people together, as fans from all over the world are now united in their support for Ronaldo and Al Nassr. The move has also helped to foster a sense of pride in the country, as it shows that Saudi Arabia is capable of attracting top talent and visitors from around the world.
I think the biggest lesson we can learn from Cristiano Ronaldo’s move is that a personal brand is the key to achieving our mission and impact in this world. A strong brand will help us to attract the people and opportunities that we desire. The best thing we can do is to be deliberate with our brands because whether we like it or not, we are a brand.
