If NY Knick rookie phenomenon Jeremy Lin is the real deal on the court, expect him to be the most popular athlete marketer off-the court for many years to come. This young man will be the face of the NBA – and surely the face of many mainstream, major brands. “Lin-sanity” has just begun – and this 2010 Harvard graduate is destined for marketing greatness if he can deliver on the court.
Jeremy Lin is a marketers dream – and to top it all off he is playing in the biggest media market in the world. He can be bigger than David Beckham, bigger than Michael Jordan – he’s Tiger Woods pre-scandal. Jeremy Lin is the American dream – for people, marketers and the world.
Only 6’3, he’s approachable, relatable and looks like the boy next door. A Harvard graduate – the very definition of brains and brawn, Lin is a hard working underdog who was an undrafted free agent and cut by 2 teams. He’s International – the 1st American-born NBA player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent & 4th Asian-American ever in NBA he has the potential to further open China to the NBA. Asian TV partners of the NBA have already added Knicks games to their broadcast schedules – “Lin-sanity”.
This humble young man has been living with his brother and sister-in-law and already has a foundation in his name whose aim is to “provide “financial, educational and spiritual assistance and to make a lasting difference in the lives of others.” Lin speaks of his religion and family – and seemingly less polarizing than Tim Tebow, Jeremy Lin epitomizes the American dream.
Lin is a real role model – a dream face for brands who are authentic, passionate and hard working. If NY Knick rookie phenomenon Jeremy Lin is the real deal on the court, expect him to be the most popular athlete marketer off-the court for many years to come. This young man will be the face of the NBA – and surely the face of many, many mainstream, major brands.
“Lin-sanity” will be bigger than Air Jordan if Lin can deliver on the court. Watch out world, we are all hoping Jeremy Lin and “Lin-Sanity” is here to stay.
Ronn Torossian is the CEO of 5WPR, a top 25 PR agency, and author of PR Book “For Immediate Release.”
Read more from Ronn Torossian:
Ronn Torossian on Facebook
Ronn Torossian on Medium
Ronn Torossian on LinkedIn
5WPR, Public Relations Insights & PR Firm
Ronn Torossian on Business Insider