How Jason Kelce built his personal brand and have become a Philly legend

Philly icon and former Eagles star Jason Kelce has been making headlines ever since announced his resignation from the NFL on March 4, 2024.

Just a few days after Kelce's announcement, Campbell Soup introduced its first product Legend Edition Chunky Can that pays homage to the previous football center. A month later, Kelce surprised fans when he stepped into the ring at WWE's WrestleMania XL, which took place in Philadelphia. And on April twenty ninth ESPN announced A deal is being worked on to rent Kelce as an NFL analyst.

As a marketing and Branding Scientists At Temple University's Fox School of Business, we published one Kelce case study Early 2024 is about how he built such a powerful and lasting personal brand over the course of his profession and the way that brand might help him stay relevant in retirement.

“An outsider is a hungry dog!”

An athlete's personal brand is the best way the general public perceives them based on their actions, expertise and achievements. Athletes with strong personal brands can earn higher salaries and sign larger promoting contracts. It also can help maintain fan support for the athlete – or his team – even when the athlete's performance on the sphere declines.

The key to defining an athlete's – or a person's – brand identity is to discover just a few keywords that express their strengths. In Kelce's case, we’d argue that “determination”, “courage” and “hard work” are all terms that reflect his appeal.

Fans will remember Kelce's unscripted speech on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2018 after the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Kelce, pampered in a full Mummers costumean elaborate outfit utilized in Philadelphia's annual New Year's Day parade celebrated the team's underdog status.

“We were a bunch of misfits. And do you know what an outsider is? “It’s a hungry dog,” he said. “And that's why we're the first team in Eagles history to hold this damn trophy.” The crowd roared.

Kelce has shown courage since his early football profession, changing positions just a few times before finding the correct fit. He had began his college football profession as Walk-on running back on the University of Cincinnati Before Switch to left guard and eventually to the middle. His persistence paid off after his death Drafted within the sixth round by the Eagles in 2011He He reportedly became the primary rookie in Eagles history to start out all 16 games in the center.

In his Retirement speech 2024Kelce remembered his early days in Cincinnati.

“It was immediately clear that the substitutes had to fight harder for their chances than the rest of the team,” he said. “I had… no investment from the team or the coaches. I had to earn everything, and that’s a good thing because I had no idea what hard work was.”

This early moment of clarity suits directly into Kelce's underdog mentality, which has served as the inspiration for his personal authenticity throughout his profession.

Personal values

Personal values ​​are one other essential a part of a private brand. For Kelce, these look like a commitment to family, community and charity.

He often posts relaxing social media photos together with his wife And three young daughtersand him praised his parents in his Emotional retirement speech. He co-hosts his New Heights Podcast together with his brother Travis Kelce, an All-Pro tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs Who is just too is dating Taylor Swift. The brothers mix football and family in every recording and have gained over 2 million subscribers on YouTube alone.

Jason Kelce can also be extremely loyal to his two Cleveland Heights friends Hometown in Ohioand his adopted hometown of Philadelphia.

In October 2022 he began the (Be)Philly Foundation, which provides financial support and mentorship to Philly's youth. Kelce also donated money and time Eagles Autism Foundationespecially through the creation and presentation of the loud annual report Team 62 Fundraiser — named after the No. 62 jersey he wore with the Eagles — at Jersey Shore. And he worked with local authorities in his suburban Philadelphia community to sponsor the project Adopting a Labrador Retriever for the Haverford Township Police Department.

Kelce is authentic, transparent and simple in his personal branding, which focuses on him being an elite athlete and dedicated family man. With this strong brand, we imagine he has the potential to follow within the footsteps of one other Philly legend. Charles Barkleywho has remained a popular culture icon almost 25 years after he hung up his basketball jersey.