Borkowski PR head and branding expert Mark Borkowski said that whether the allegations are true or not the Beckham brand should survive. He added that firms, such as Adidas and Pepsi, would be foolish to dump the England captain.
"If it is proved to be true then what it will show is the immense pressure that celebrities like him are under... if it is proved to be a lie then he becomes a martyr and [his experience] will put all celebrities in a strong position to say that this is what they have to put up with," Borkowski said.
News of the affair, which was broken by the News of the World, comes a month after the footballer agreed to extend his relationship with Adidas for a further four years and launch his own logo, an image of his free kick pose with his arms outstretched.
Borkowski said that brands would do well to realise that whatever is being said now will completely change in two months or a year's time, particularly ahead of a major international football tournament like Euro 2004.
"Firms have to consider what Beckham means to people. He prefers to let his feet do the talking and could end up being a hero again during Portugal 2004," Borkowski said.
Rather than dampened enthusiasm for Beckham, some media advisers believe that the story only adds to his stature because consumers do not see talk of an affair as damning as it once was.
Robert Phillips, co-founder of Jackie Cooper PR, said: "I think that consumers care less about marital infidelity than the editor of the News of the World. In the short term this further fuels Beckham mania."
As well as Adidas, Beckham starred in the Pepsi "gladiators" global advertising push during January and February and also appears globally in ads for Vodafone.
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