The Value and Impact of Seminary Training

Interview by Joshua Shuart of R. Stephen Shuart, of Stephen Shuart Export Co. The Reverend R. Stephen Shuart is an Episcopal priest by profession. He is rector of two parishes and serves on the Diocesan Financial Committee and as a rural dean. However, he has spent most of his wage-earning life as owner/operator of Stephen Shuart Export Co., an internationally known photographic business, located in Kane, Pennsylvania. Shuart’s unique entrepreneurial endeavor has been the subject of a televised news feature, and the object of camera collectors’ attention since his company’s inception in the early 1970s

Heroes in Sport: Assessing Celebrity Endorser Effectiveness

The use of celebrities, and particularly athletes, to influence consumers and sell products is not a new practice, but one that is gaining considerable steam in the sports marketplace. However, many academics and practitioners have long questioned the means by which celebrity endorsement is measured and evaluated. Through the use of validated surveys among US students and the inauguration of the Celebrity-Hero Matrix (CHM), some of their questions are answered. Being labelled a \u27heroic\u27 athlete does, it seems, have tremendous power for marketers, and provides endorsement clout for the athlete

The Playmasters (Book Review)

Book review by Joshua Shuart. Ham, Eldon L. The Playmasters: From Sellouts to Lockouts-An Unauthorized History of the NBA. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books, 2000. ISBN 978080922602

Endorser Source Credibility: Redefining Spokesperson Influence Through Development of the Celebrity-Hero Matrix

Endorsement of sport and non-sport products by athletes is an extremely popular method that corporations use to drive sales and advertising. Traditionally, celebrity endorsement research has focused on the physical attractiveness of the endorser; while this makes sense, it provides only a partial explanation why consumers purchase athlete-endorsed products. Several other components of source credibility, as well as previously unexplored elements such as heroic traits, prove to be stronger predictors of intent-to-purchase. A 3-phase research study of Americans aged 18-35 was conducted, with a Celebrity-Hero Matrix© (CHM) developed and several marketing recommendations made based on the findings

Framebuilder Entrepreneurship

The handmade bicycle industry has grown exponentially over the past decade. Although existing for decades in much smaller numbers, the popularity and credibility of framebuilder entrepreneurship —custom, handmade bike frames—has increased significantly in the past 10 years. The companies that specialize in custom-producing bicycle frames vary in size, scope, reputation, profitability, and even building materials

Sport New Media

One of the dominant strategies currently used to address increased complexity in competitive business environments is to adopt technology at all levels of the enterprise. New media is a dimension of technology that is being adopted almost universally by sport enterprises worldwide. The purpose of this paper which is based on meta-analysis, secondary sources, technical reports and interviews, is to build on current knowledge related to sport new media to discuss: (1) new media technologies relevant to the sport industry and (2) considerations for developing and implementing sport new media projects. Within the complex global business environment, sport managers should be prepared to identify: (1) sport new media resources and technologies relevant to and appropriate for their enterprise and (2) benefits and potential opportunities offered by new media adoption

World Wrestling Entertainment: Achieving Continued Growth and Market Penetration Through International Expansion

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is best known for its promotion of professional wrestling as sports entertainment. Today, World Wrestling Entertainment is an integrated media and entertainment company principally engaged in the development, production, and marketing of television programming, pay-per-view programming, and live events, and the licensing and sale of branded consumer products featuring the highly successful World Wrestling entertainment brand. As the WWE brand continues to grow, a strategic decision has been made to place a greater emphasis on the expansion of the WWE brand globally. This paper will present an overview of WWE from its beginnings as the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation) to its recent decision to capitalize on the significant operating leverage of its business model through increase in its brand in markets throughout the world