The 'David Beckham' Brand

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Case Details:

Case Code : MKTG077
Case Length : 14 Pages
Period : 1992-2003
Pub Date : 2003
Teaching Note : Available
Organization : Real Madrid, Manchester United
Industry : Media & Entertainment
Countries : UK

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This case study was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion. It is not intended to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. Nor is it a primary information source.

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Spanish Sojourn Contd...

He was a great favorite with the media, who faithfully reported whatever he did in his life. He was perceived as the icon of youth and style and many companies seeking to portray such an image sought him out to endorse their products. His appeal was further heightened by the fact that he played for Manchester United, the leading and commercially successful club in Europe and a great favorite in Asian countries.

Background

David Robert Joseph Beckham (Beckham) was born on May 2nd, 1975 in Leytonstone, a town on the northeast of London. He was the only son of David Edward Beckham and Sandra Beckham, who had two daughters.

Beckham's father was gas-fitter's assistant and his mother worked as a hairdresser. Soccer was a very popular sport in Leytonstone and Beckham's father had at one time nurtured dreams of playing football professionally. He was never able to realize that dream, but he was a good player and regularly played local league matches.

His love for football was imbibed by Beckham at a young age. Beckham was obsessed with football. He regularly accompanied his father to his football matches and begged to be allowed to play. Father and son were both fans of Manchester United and Beckham dreamed of playing for the club sometime. As a child, Beckham spent all his spare time playing football.

At the age of eight he joined a club called the Ridgeway Rovers of the Enfield district league and started playing youth league matches. He quickly proved himself to be the club's most talented player and scored more than a hundred goals over three seasons.

At the age of 11, he saw a program on television about Bobby Charlton's Soccer Skills Tournament, a nation-wide competition to spot football talent, and decided to participate in it. He won the tournament with the highest score ever at the Old Trafford,⁶ the home base of Manchester United, his favorite club. One of the prizes he won was a two week training trip to a Barcelona (another club in Spain) training camp.

Beckham's talent was conspicuous even at a young age. Although he was good in most areas of football, what attracted special attention was his ability to 'bend'the ball, that is, make his shots curl in the air towards the goal, which confused goalkeepers and defenders trying to stop the goal. This ability later became his trademark (There was also a movie made around it⁷)...

Excerpts >>

6] The Old Trafford was the biggest football league ground in England.

7] The movie, called “Bend it Like Beckham”, was about an Indian girl living in London and her passion to play football like her hero Beckham in the face of opposition from her conservative parents.