FiT Publishing

The weight loss industry in America accounts for billions of dollars annually. Many products and programs are endorsed by sport celebrities and promote quick-fix (ineffective) remedies. As a result, these advertisements are often involved in investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for false or misleading claims. Unfortunately, endorsers may not understand they can be held liable for these claims. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the statements made by athletes that may give rise to potential liability for false claims in weight loss management advertising. A...Read more

Retro marketing has become a staple in sport marketing practices. Teams and leagues are attempting to connect their fans to the past in a magnitude of ways. Despite the influx of retro marketing in sport, there has been no examination of it to date. This study examined the various usages of retro marketing in sport and through an inductive approach created a framework that categorized and broadly defined each usage. The five practical areas of retro marketing in sport were constructed: imagery, merchandising, venue, gameday promotions, and advertising. The authors shaped and framed retro...Read more

When the Charlotte Bobcats became the Charlotte Hornets at the beginning of the 2014 NBA season, the team became the first in history to rebrand itself with a moniker previously used and recently dropped by another NBA franchise. Despite being bound by NBA branding and merchandising rules, the organization was able to re-imagine the original Hornets brand to create a new distinct brand identity that pushed the organization into the future while still honoring the past. The franchise employed a variety of creative brand communication techniques, including sending Hugo the Hornet mascot door...Read more

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the perceived barriers elite female athletes face attempting to create a personal brand. Utilizing a criterion purposive sample of elite female athletes and agents who represent elite female athletes, the authors employed a qualitative analysis to obtain a rich understanding of the barriers elite female athletes grapple with regarding branding initiatives. Two central categories, with five broad themes, emerged from the literature review, theoretical underpinning, subsequent research questions, and data analysis on perceived barriers in the...Read more