Alpine skiing in Switzerland benefits from high media visibility, strong sponsor relationships, and the strongest structural support among the disciplines. In contrast, Freestyle disciplines often remain in the background with fewer resources and limited media exposure. This results in fewer commercial opportunities for athletes, despite their professional performance. The goal is to highlight the impact of these differences on branding and sponsorship strategies and to provide practical recommendations to support Freestyle athletes in improving their visibility and commercial opportunities.

The study uses a qualitative research design that combines academic theory with current industry insights and eight semi-structured interviews. To ensure a broad range of relevant perspectives, the interviews were conducted with management representatives from both clusters and Freestyle athletes without professional Management.

The findings reveal apparent differences in how Freestyle and Alpine athletes operate within Swiss-Ski's system. Alpine athletes benefit from more media exposure, established sponsor networks and stronger structural support. Freestyle athletes, on the other hand, often need to take more initiative to build visibility on their own. This also creates new opportunities. Through strong personal branding, creative use of digital platforms, and authentic communication, Freestyle athletes can increase their commercial appeal and narrow the visibility gap. The analysis highlights best practices for Freestyle athletes such as storytelling, fan engagement, and value-based sponsorships. These insights are also increasingly relevant for Alpine athletes as digital presence becomes more important. The thesis provides actionable recommendations to help athletes from both clusters strengthen marketability and offers Swiss-Ski valuable input on how to support underrepresented disciplines better. With the right strategies and support, the commercial outlook for both clusters appears positive and full of potential.