Entrepreneurial Strategy, Article Critique Example

In their article published in Sports Marketing Quarterly, Kraft, Lee, Miloch, and Tatum (2008) describe the strategies employed by Troy State University in Alabama.  Recognizing the importance of enhancing the image and strengthening brand equity of the institution’s sports program, the university applied a number of entrepreneurial principles to refreshing the school’s marketing.

The most significant change was in removing the word “State” from the school’s name.  The article stated that “State” had regional connotations and was not global enough.  The school was commonly referred to as “TSU” which was considered meaningless.  In using the name “Troy University”, the school would simply be known as “TROY” (a much stronger brand identifier.)

The next strategy outlined in the article was the abandonment of the singular Troy logo in favor of two separate logos for academics and athletics.  Having a distinct logo for each expanded the marketability of the school as each segment could be more strongly targeted to specific demographic populations.

The final strategy outlined in the article related to licensing.  Troy had historically been self-licensed and had been managing royalty revenue in-house.  School leaders decided to hire a professional agency to manage all licensing and royalty payments.  By leveraging the expertise of professionals, the school was able to increase exposure and market penetration and improve brand recognition.

This article was written in a clear, easy to read format and presented the material with a logical flow.  The content was meaningful in building a case for using entrepreneurial strategies to enhance the brand equity of a university and their athletic department.  Twenty-eight references were cited.

References

Kraft, P., Lee, J., Miloch, K., & Tatum, L. (2008). Building the brand: A case study of Troy University. Sports Marketing Quarterly, 17(3), 178-182. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7740/is_200809/ai_n32296873/