Designing a Personal Brand Development Model for Professional Athletes of Iran (Grounded Theory Approach)

The purpose of this study was to use the Grounded theory approach to design a personal brand development model for professional athletes of Iran. Based on the research objectives, the present study was an applied one, a descriptive-survey method, and a library-field data collection method. This research was a qualitative research and was carried out using the Grounded Theory method. In the present study, semi-structured interviews were used as data gathering tools. Based on the findings, after three stages of open coding, selective coding, and theoretical coding, totally, 77 concepts, 15 categories, and 5 factors(dimensions) were obtained that showed "Athlete Behaviors", "Athlete Personality Traits", " Marketable Lifestyle", "Athletic Performance" and "Macro Factors" play an important role in developing the personal brand for professional athletes of Iran. By identifying the factors affecting the personal brand of professional athletes, athletes, managers, and marketers can create and maintain a market for their customers and fans, and achieve sustainable income and maintain reputation and popularity.