cunning, finesse, hegemony, parlay
The Church of Scientology is skilled at bringing public attention to itself through the cunning recruitment of celebrities such as Tom Cruise into its fold. The religious group has parlayed this finesse into extending its hegemony to include NASCAR racers, sponsoring a racing team and setting up a Dianetics Racing website.
cunning - (adjective) clever, crafty
parlay - (verb) to exploit successfully
finesse - (noun) skillful elegance or expertise
hegemony - (noun) influence or authority over others