'Brand Beckham' receives US warning

Adidas will this week launch "Futbol Meets Football" a campaign that will see Beckham swapping sports with NFL star Reggie Bush, the first of many campaigns to come this summer. However, a report from the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre at the University of London has said Beckham's brand could struggle to make the breakthrough stateside.

Dr Simon Chadwick, director of the Birkbeck school, said: "(The results to the survey) bring mixed news for Beckham and his advisors."

He added: "On the one hand, amongst brands that are successfully introduced into new markets there is often a level of awareness and expectation built up around them. In this respect, the Beckham brand already has some equity.

"However, in the American market, much of this appears to have been built on the back of Victoria, the Spice Girls, his good looks and a belief that he is a skilful footballer.

"If Brand Beckham is to have any longevity, David must strive to make the most of what else he has to offer."

Beckham will be the subject of an advertising blitz in the coming months, with the Adidas campaign just the start.

ESPN plans to use the former England captain as a key figure in promoting its coverage of Major League Soccer. Other major endorsement partners like Pepsi and Gillette can then be expected to follow suit.

But in an already crowded sports endorsement market, Beckham has work to do to stand out and ensure he is able to maximise the incentives reported to be written into his five-year contract with the Galaxy, the value of which could reach $250 million (£125million).

"America is a large and important sporting market," Chadwick said. "However, one cannot assume that it will be easy pickings for Beckham - he needs good advice, his brand needs careful management and it is unlikely that football alone will be enough for the Beckham brand to become as powerful as, say, the Tiger Woods brand."