The Roethlisberger Effect: Steelers Fans and the Marketing of a Regional Superhero

Authors

Joshua Shuart, Sacred Heart UniversityFollow

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

5-8-2014

Abstract

This paper bridges a theoretical gap between early celebrity endorsement and hero worship literature. Additionally, the model connects a successful, winning athlete with several established branding constructs. The Roethlisberger Effect takes early theory proposed over 35 years ago in “The Namath Effect” and applies it with a modern touch. Given that the NFL is often referred to as a “copycat league” – i.e. when something works, all other teams work quickly to replicate it – the impact that Roethlisberger has had upon other league and team management philosophies is rather profound.

Comments

This paper is an updated version of a poster presentation Josh Shuart authored for the 7^th Sport Marketing Association (SMA) Conference (2009).

Recommended Citation

Shuart, J. (2014, May 8). The Roethlisberger effect: Steelers fans and the marketing of a regional superhero. The Sport Journal 19.