Marketing experts have their say on what athletics sensation Gout Gout and his off-track potential

He’s attracting attention from some of the world’s biggest names and brands. Now marketing experts weigh in on what Gout Gout’s impact could be on and off the track.

Athletics sensation Gout Gout will have global brands bidding for him, according to an expert who predicted his marketing value en route to a home Olympics will be “priceless”.

The emerging sprint superstar, who has already attracted the attention of the fastest man in history, Usain Bolt, on social media, has taken the athletics world by storm.

The 16-year-old Queenslander broke Peter Norman’s 56-year-old national 200m record at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships last week with his 20.04sec run.

Gout is already running faster than the great Jamaican did at the same age, leading to some athletics figures predicting he could be the next Bolt.

Now, marketing experts have predicted the teenager could have an equally big impact off the athletics track with a “smile and charisma that just oozes off our screens”.

Sprinting sensation Gout Gout can have an equal impact of the track. Picture: Richard Walker

Marketing guru Max Markson said Gout had the potential to be “anything he wants” and would have big brands lining up.

“(His value will be) priceless. If he keeps going the way that he is going, it will be 2032 and beyond then,” Markson said of Gout’s star potential leading into a home Olympics in Brisbane.

“Financially, he can do anything he wants as long as he keeps his fitness up and all that stuff. He is so young, it’s incredible. He has got it all ahead of him.

“Whatever shoes he wants, whether it’s Adidas, Nike, Puma, anything. They will be literally bidding for him.

“He will have whatever he wants to drink, if it’s Gatorade, he will get that. But not just locally, globally. There will be global deals for him.”

Markson had little doubt Gout’s management would already be fielding offers, but, at the age of just 16, they would take their time to make decisions about which brands to partner with.

“They will be fielding these offers now, but they won’t be accepting them,” Markson said.

“They will really take it slowly.

“When the Commonwealth Games come up and the Olympics come up, the Olympics is global, there will be long-term deals there for him, long-term arrangements for him.

“To have this sort of talent in Australia is incredible for the country.”

Gout Gout has put the world on notice. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

With his sprinting exploits having already gone viral, leading sports marketing expert Tristan Hay said Gout’s brand would benefit from being in the social media age.

“In this day and age social media plays such a big role in helping nurture and identify superstars and talent and I think the footage of him just streaking away has been amazing, so that is certainly going to help his profile,” Hay said.

“When Ian Thorpe (was emerging), everyone heard the name and saw a time in the paper and it was impressive, but I think now with social media everyone has seen footage of not just that one race, not just national championships but multiple races, which is just building this narrative.

“(He’s) got a great smile, looks like a really humble kid and has obviously got amazing ability.

“It is really difficult to know or predict where (an athlete is) going to be in a year’s time let alone four or five or six, so there is a long way to go for him.

“But he has got a name and everyone has seen him race and a smile and charisma that just oozes off our screens.

“Obviously it’s great to be compared to the greatest of all and he looks like he has got charisma and that’s what brands and people want to connect with.”

Young sprinter Gout Gout trains with Peter Bol. Picture: Mark Stewart

There has been some confusion over the pronunciation of Gout Gout’s name.

The sprinter’s father, Bona, said last week his son’s name was actually Guot, pronounced ‘Gwot’, with the mix-up believed to have occurred after an Arabic translation error when his parents fled to Egypt before they immigrated to Australia.

Gout’s father said he was keen for his son to be called by the name ‘Guot’ and not what he has come to be known in Australia.

But Gout’s manager James Templeton said on radio this week the sprinting ace’s name would remain as it is.

“Firstly, it is Gout Gout,” Templeton said.

“I know there’s been a bit of discussion, and I know his dad made a few comments, but Gout Gout is how it’s gonna be.”

While his manager insisted there would be no change, both Markson and Hay agreed it was not too late for Gout’s brand to make the change to the traditional spelling and pronunciation despite his sprinting exploits already going viral.

“If the family wants to do it (call him Guot) and if he wants to do it … you have got to be true to who you are,” Hay said.

“I always think the best thing with athletes is about their legacy and I guess when he is 50 and 60 looking back and when he has got kids and grandkids, he wants to make sure that legacy is the way that he wants to be remembered.

“I actually think it is a better part of the story, to be honest, I definitely don’t think it would impact anything in the short term.

“I think it is a no-brainer, but again that’s only my opinion. That’s up to his family and everyone else around him to decide the best way to go.

“He is only 16, he is probably looking at his Instagram feed and he is kind of nervous … I get that from a branding perspective, but I’m a big picture thinker and I think when he’s 50 or 60 you want to make sure his career is remembered the way he wants it remembered.”

Originally published as Marketing experts have their say on what athletics sensation Gout Gout and his off-track potential