An Analysis of Middle Eastern Female Athletes Visual Self-Presentation Strategies on Instagram during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

El-Bous, Jailan; Mundy, Darren

Abstract

Representation of athletes through social media platforms is an essential consideration in constructing an athlete's overall media presence. Traditional media channels continue to provide an unfair advantage to male athletes and male sporting events. Female athletes, therefore, are increasingly recognising the value of social media channels in the creation of their personal brand and in their development of opportunities to obtain sponsorship and endorsement. This challenge becomes greater in different cultural contexts. This study aims to explore how female athletes from the MENA region are using Instagram as a visual self-presentation platform in the construction of their personal brand during a major sporting event – that of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. An analysis is performed on a purposeful collection of photographs from sixteen athletes, enabling a better understanding of how athletes can develop their personal image to attract fans & sports stakeholders. Athletes from the MENA region are generally not well represented in research into personal branding, with this study contributing to the more limited range of outcomes related to MENA athletes.Goffman’s self-presentation theory (1959) is used as a framework to guide the analysis of the Instagram images. The findings indicate that female athletes in the MENA region during a major sporting event tend to share more photographs of their athletic performance and their nations as they drive more traffic to their accounts. High frequency of posting of the photographs were within the competition itself not before or after. With many of the athletes not posting photographs about their personal or social lives and do not pay enough attention to potential sponsors or businesses. The findings of the study will be relevant both to female athletes in their exploration of strategies to apply in social media contexts and to their relevant sports agencies.

Citation

El-Bous, J., & Mundy, D. (in press). An Analysis of Middle Eastern Female Athletes Visual Self-Presentation Strategies on Instagram during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The International Journal of Sport and Society,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 21, 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Journal: The International Journal of Sport and Society
• Print ISSN: 2152-7857
• Electronic ISSN: 2152-7865
• Publisher: Common Ground Research Networks
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/5078987
• Publisher URL: https://cgscholar.com/bookstore/cgrn/282/287