Former athletics star and businessman Derval O'Rourke said Ireland's glamorous medal-winning athletes were a “sponsor's dream”.
And a leading sports sponsorship consultancy said our medal-winning heroes were expected to land six-figure international contracts after the Olympics in August and be heavily promoted throughout the back-to-school campaign.
Rashidat Adeleke and Charlene Moseley were the “breakthrough” teams in the mixed team and women's 4x400m relay, both of which reached the podium at the championships, while Adeleke and Ciara McGehee also won individual medals, with McGehee winning gold in the 1500m.
O'Rourke, a former hurdler and two-time European silver medal winner, said the winners were “a sponsor's dream come true to be honest”.
She told the Irish Mail on Sunday: “They have great personalities and I can really relate to them. We live in a time when we need sport, exercise and being physically active.”
The Irish 60m hurdles record holder singled out Adeleke and Moseley in particular, saying they are “all but guaranteed places” on Ireland's Olympic relay team thanks to their incredible performances, but that the others are “still a bit of a lock”.
She added: “But I think they're fantastic. If I had brand and sponsorship money and I was going to do something, I would say this team and these players really tick a lot of boxes.”
O'Rourke said it was a “different time” since he competed, and social media gave people “much more access to athletes” – and athletes have embraced it.
“They've grown up in a world of social media, so they're used to being on their phones and watching content on their phones, and I think their personalities are a much bigger part of athletics than maybe 15 years ago, because it was just TV coverage, print media and the mixed zone,” he said. [where athletes are interviewed after races].
“Now we have a lot more opportunities to get to know the athletes and maybe the media is more approachable and more relaxed for them. The athletes' stories are so interesting and it's great to see them.”
Kelly O'Keefe, managing director of sports advisory at public relations and consulting firm Teneo, said the “phenomenal” success of the European teams has “catapulted these athletes into household names ahead of the Olympics”.
Adeleke already has sponsorship deals with KPMG, Allianz and Nike, but O'Keeffe appears to be “forging longer-term partnerships with fewer brands” and is “fully well-known now”, he said.
“She could probably afford one or even two more, but commercial contracts come with a lot of responsibility for the athlete, so I think she might wait until after the Olympics.”
O'Keeffe said the 21-year-old Tallaght sensation “has the potential to command a significant fee if he wins an Olympic medal”, adding that a six-figure fee is not impossible “in a long-term partnership”, which could include multiple partnerships.
Noting Moseley's massive Instagram following of 145,000, the sports PR specialist said, “From a branding perspective, she has a huge following and I think a lot of brands will definitely be attracted to Charlene. She, and all of these athletes, have great energy. You want them to represent your brand. They have great values. Of course, they're high-performance athletes, but they have personality and they're not stuffy.”
Despite the potential high income, O'Keefe doesn't expect the athletes to have too many distractions ahead of the Paris Olympics, which start next month.
“I think there will be commercial opportunities in September, such as back-to-school campaigns, where you'll start seeing these athletes all over the place.”
She noted that the fast pace of athletics may be well suited to the dwindling attention spans of kids who have grown up with smartphones.
“You don't have to wait 90 minutes for the game to finish or wait to watch highlights. You get the results right away. For now, it's a good format for the kids to enjoy.”
Ireland's mixed relay team of Chris O'Donnell and Thomas Barr topped the podium, while Phil Healy and Sophie Becker were on the women's team that won silver on Wednesday.
Mr Healy's sister, Joan, who was forced to retire early from athletics due to injury, said the relay win might have touched people's hearts because of the tradition of their sport.
“GAA is a very strong sport and rugby and football are also team sports so I think people love that camaraderie,” she said. “I love when people come together for a common purpose.”
She said in relay competitions, the pressure is shared among athletes, even if it isn't necessarily alleviated.
