What makes athletes valuable to sponsors beyond just winning races?

According to Joe Parsons, the sponsorship 'was never about winning. It wasn't about failure. It was about all of it.' Monster values athletes who can tell a compelling story of progression over time. He explains that people don't remember statistics - they remember stories. An athlete's value comes from documenting their journey, representing themselves well, being able to connect with different audiences (like Casey Currie who can 'hang out with rock crawlers and have a good time, but yet can also go up to the corporate offices and get a deal done'), and helping sponsors connect with other sponsors through B2B relationships.