From Shaquille O’Neal to Shaq: Creating, Selling and Growing the Ultimate Brand
With a jewelry line, comedy tour and a bestselling sneaker line—Shaquille O’Neal achieved all of those things outside of the basketball court, where he first made his mark. Over the last two decades, the 15-time NBA All Star has established a nearly unrivaled personal brand. Senior editor at Forbes Kurt Badenhausen deemed O’Neal a “marketing visionary” who “broke new ground through his career off-the-court,” particularly in the world of technology, as “one of the first athletes to embrace social media.” Most recently adding television analyst to his impressive repertoire, Shaq is the epitome of a modern Renaissance Man and an expert on growing a revolutionary brand. In this interactive speech and discussion, Shaq shares his personal insights into building and expanding not just a memorable brand—but an iconic one.
What Is Your Leadership Style?
What is the most important achievement of 15-time NBA All Star Shaquille O'Neal's career? Earning his doctorate, for which he incidentally made history as the first person in the 'Top 50 NBA Players of All Time' to do so. Toward his degree in Organizational Learning and Leadership, Dr. O'Neal interviewed top CEOs and business leaders to learn when and how they incorporated humor into the workplace as part of their leadership styles. In his interactive talks, he shares the insights he learned from leaders at such companies as Pepsi, Reebok, Starbucks, Apple and Carnival Cruise Lines and how this research changed his leadership style in managing his own business empire.
But Shaquille O’Neal isn’t only a legendary athlete; he has also established himself as a powerful media personality and businessman over the years. Ranked among “The 100 Most Creative People in Business” last year by Fast Company magazine, O’Neal is currently an NBA analyst on TNT/NBATV. In addition to being an early investor in companies such as Vitaminwater, O’Neal has managed an increasingly robust personal brand, which has included television shows, a shoe line and social media/tech products. The first verified celebrity account on Twitter, O'Neal announced his NBA retirement via Tout, a new social media app that allows users to tape 15-second video statuses.
In 2012, O’Neal graduated from Barry University with a doctorate in education.
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