The Birth of Tim Tebow’s Personal Brand

Welcome to the NFL, Tim Tebow…and welcome to personal branding!

This has been an especially exciting couple of weeks for new Denver Quarterback Tim Tebow. He just finalized his football contract with the Denver Broncos that could yield upwards of $33 Million and he just signed a 3-year endorsement deal with sportswear company, Jockey.

The Jockey deal replaces Jim Palmer who held the endorsement spot for 20 years and was one of the good guys in sports too. He took everything off except his Jockey’s for a photo spread that was, at the time, a little risqué and the question abounds whether Tebow will repeat the male equivalent of centerfold himself. It will be interesting to see.

The Jockey deal appears smart because it adds a little interest to Tebow’s clean cut image without bruising Christian values and the very large constituency of Tebow followers. He will need to maintain a tight balancing act with the Jockey brand – but that is what he has been doing at the University of Florida for the past four years.

Developing your personal brand requires great congruency. Your actions and your words must be carefully matched or you can lose your audience if they become confused about your message. There will be a lot of eyes on Tim Tebow as he starts his NFL career. Many people will be watching for a stumble and some will even be hoping for one. Understand, it is the same thing you face in your own business with your competition always ready to take your place if you make a mistake. Tim will have to be vigilant and so will we in our own business. Know the message you want to make with your personal brand and always be congruent with it to your fan base. This is one of the true keys for personal branding success.