Payame Noor University Applied Research of Sport Management 2345-5551 12 4 2024 05 21 Identifying and Ranking Factors Influencing Promotion the personal brand image ) Case Study: champion athletes in East Azarbaijan province Identifying and Ranking Factors Influencing Promotion the personal brand image ) Case Study: champion athletes in East Azarbaijan province 43 52 10444 10.30473/arsm.2023.67006.3750 FA Daryush Marefat Assistant Professor, Sport Management, Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran. Akbar Faridfathi Iran. 2 Assistant Professor, Sport Management, Department of Sports Management, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran. Maryam Faridfathi Assistant Professor, Sport Management, Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran. Journal Article 2023 02 07 The present study aims to identify and ranking the factors influencing the promotion of  personal brand image among the champion athletes of East Azarbaijan province. The research is applied research in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical research in terms of execution method. The research tool is a researcher-made questionnaire, developed through scientific texts and some preliminary interviews with veterans and sports experts of the province. The construct validity of the questionnaire examined through confirmatory factor analysis and the reliability of the questionnaire examined using Cronbach's alpha test on an initial sample of 30 people. In order to content validity of the questionnaire, it evaluated by 10 experts and professors of sports management. The statistical population of the research included athletes, coaches, referees and veterans of championship sports of East Azarbaijan province. Due to limited accessibility the entire research community and the uncertainty of the exact number of the community, the sampling method was the available method, which 210 people considered as a sample. Data analysis conducted using EXPERT CHOICE and SPSS software. The results showed that personal and personality characteristics, social responsibility, sports performance, lifestyle, personal appearance and clothing, citizenship behaviors and communication are influential factors in promoting the personal brand image of the champion athletes in East Azerbaijan province. The results of prioritization showed that the highest weight related to the social responsibility of the champion athletes was 0.297 and the lowest weight was related to the appearance and coverage of the champion athletes with a weight of 0.065. Due to the fact that the personal brand of the champion athletes reflects their behavior, speech and attitude and influences by many factors; athletes can develop their brand image by improving each of these aspects, thereby gaining a competitive advantage that differentiates their brand in the athletes community. The present study aims to identify and ranking the factors influencing the promotion of  personal brand image among the champion athletes of East Azarbaijan province. The research is applied research in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical research in terms of execution method. The research tool is a researcher-made questionnaire, developed through scientific texts and some preliminary interviews with veterans and sports experts of the province. The construct validity of the questionnaire examined through confirmatory factor analysis and the reliability of the questionnaire examined using Cronbach's alpha test on an initial sample of 30 people. In order to content validity of the questionnaire, it evaluated by 10 experts and professors of sports management. The statistical population of the research included athletes, coaches, referees and veterans of championship sports of East Azarbaijan province. Due to limited accessibility the entire research community and the uncertainty of the exact number of the community, the sampling method was the available method, which 210 people considered as a sample. Data analysis conducted using EXPERT CHOICE and SPSS software. The results showed that personal and personality characteristics, social responsibility, sports performance, lifestyle, personal appearance and clothing, citizenship behaviors and communication are influential factors in promoting the personal brand image of the champion athletes in East Azerbaijan province. The results of prioritization showed that the highest weight related to the social responsibility of the champion athletes was 0.297 and the lowest weight was related to the appearance and coverage of the champion athletes with a weight of 0.065. Due to the fact that the personal brand of the champion athletes reflects their behavior, speech and attitude and influences by many factors; athletes can develop their brand image by improving each of these aspects, thereby gaining a competitive advantage that differentiates their brand in the athletes community. https://arsmb.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_10444_38591f6df23d49f26549fa4fe1835a59.pdf