Luxury Sport Athlete Brand Model: A Grounded Theory Study

Luxury represents an important yet underexplored dimension of branding within sport contexts. However, athlete branding research has predominantly focused on mass-market sports characterized by high visibility. To address this gap, the present study adopts a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore athlete branding in luxury sport contexts from a fan perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 fans who actively follow and identify a luxury sport athlete as their favorite. Findings reveal a three-layer branding process. The luxury value layer captures fans’ initial value perceptions grounded in exclusivity, symbolic distinction, and aesthetic aura. The brand development layer reflects the dynamic co-construction of brand identity, brand personality, and brand experience through fan interpretation and engagement. The brand outcome layer comprises brand image and athlete capital, representing the accumulation of symbolic and relational value over time. These layers interact through both horizontal and sequential movements, illustrating a non-linear and processual branding logic.