Kim was working with brands including Nabisco, Toyota and Visa before the Games startedGETTY IMAGES
Gold Medal-winning U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim "almost seems tailor made for endorsement deals," according to Ahiza Garcia of CNN MONEY. Kim is already sponsored by Burton Snowboards and has a "bright future as a spokeswoman for that company." Ahead of the Pyeongchang Games, Kim also "started working with brands like Nabsico, Visa, Toyota, and Samsung." Advertisers seem to "love her life story -- her parents are immigrants from South Korea, and her dad pretty much quit his job to help her train." The companies have "featured her in several emotionally charged, biographical commercials." Wasserman Managing Partner Elizabeth Lindsey said that Kim is "well on her way to becoming a major influencer because of her personality." Lindsey: "The way that athletes are used today in brand campaigns, they have to have a personality and a voice to match" (MONEY.CNN.com, 2/13). Kim said, "I actually love working with sponsors. It's so much more than just a contract but it's like I genuinely only want to work with people that I agree with on certain things." Kim wants "to be cautious" of who she works with "because when I work with someone it's a two-way contract so I just need to make sure we're all on the same page and all onboard" ("Squawk Alley," CNBC, 2/13).
LOCAL CELEBRITY: In L.A., David Wharton notes Kim is a first-generation Korean American, which explains why her "face has been splashed across" local Korean newspapers and television this week. This aspect of her Olympic experience has "not only boosted her celebrity, it seems to have touched her in a personal way that extends beyond sport." Kim said: "I definitely, when I was younger, struggled a little to understand my identity and who I wanted to be." It was a big deal when Korean speedskater Lim Hyo-jun "earned the host nation's first gold medal in a 1,500-meter race last Saturday." But Kim "quickly stole the spotlight with a historic performance at Phoenix Snow Park three days later." Kim: "I feel like I got to represent both the U.S. and Korea today" (L.A. TIMES, 2/14). ESPN's Sarah Spain said Kim is a 17-year-old "with all the charm in the world" ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 2/13). NBC Sports Bay Area's Kelli Johnson said, "She has everything you want her to be. It's a great story" ("The Happy Hour," NBC Sports Bay Area, 2/13).
