Shaquille O’Neal has outlined the principles behind his extensive advertising career: retain control of his identity, promote products he genuinely believes in and keep affordability central to his brand. Speaking at a marketing summit in New York alongside his agent, Leonard Armato, O’Neal discussed the strategy they devised in 1992. Rather than surrender ownership of his name and logo, he would allow companies to use them commercially, with their advertising expenditure helping to build his brand’s value.
That ownership proved significant when Reebok withdrew marketing support after two years. Although its advertising agency had designed the Dunkman logo, O’Neal owned it and could take it elsewhere. According to his foreword to Armato’s forthcoming book, the design has since appeared on more than 400 million pairs of affordable shoes. O’Neal says personal experience, rather than the size of a payment, determines his endorsements. He chose The General because it provided car insurance he could afford while at college, whereas he has declined Wheaties offers because he has never eaten the cereal.
His emphasis on accessibility extends to his public image. O’Neal criticised wealthy athletes who flaunt their money online, saying his own social media activity is primarily intended to entertain and inspire, with promotion accounting for a smaller share. He also acknowledged that Armato had curbed his early spending by making him return expensive cars. For O’Neal, listening to advice and remaining authentic have been important elements of his business approach.
