Olympic Champion Gabby Douglas Could Bring in Millions of Dollars in Endorsements
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Scott Halleran/Getty Images for Kelloggs(NEW YORK) — Gabrielle Douglas is known as “The Flying Squirrel” in the gymnastics arena, but the teenager may also be flying into some big time endorsement deals following her big win in the 2012 Olympics.
The 16-year-old women’s all-around gymnastics champion, who also took home a gold medal with Team USA, inked her first deal to appear on Cornflakes cereal boxes just hours after her individual win.
Experts have estimated the Olympic golden girl could bring in up to $10 million in endorsements over the next few years.
“Gabby Douglas is perfect for family oriented brands that are looking for someone that portrays all of those classic Middle America values,” said Robert Tuchman, a sports marketing analyst.
Another Olympic darling, gold medal-swimmer Michael Phelps, collects an estimated five to seven million dollars each year in endorsements thanks to careful work building his brand.
“The biggest thing that Gabby needs to think about is building that legacy. What is her brand? What is she all about?” said Shannon Miller a former Olympic gymnast who took gold with the Magnificent 7 in 1996 and now works as a Yahoo! sports analyst.
Miller said endorsement deals poured in after her win with Team USA at the Atlanta games, and she knows that Douglas’ spunk will bring in countless offers.
“That infectious smile and the joy — when you are trying to market a product, that’s what you want,” Miller said.
At 16-years-old, Douglas, who also made history as the first African-American woman to win the all-around gymnastics competition, could come back and do it all again in four years.
“For Gabby, its less about the endorsement deal and the numbers she’s signing and more about ‘how many kids am I going to inspire?'” Miller said.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio