A Renewed Look at the WWE and Sponsorship of ‘Risky’ Properties
Posted: 3/30/2010 3:28:11 PM by
Jon Kander | with 0 comments
Growing up, I was a big fan of the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE – World Wrestling Entertainment). Last night’s WWE Monday Night Raw broadcast sent me on a trip down memory lane as I watched one of my favorite wrestlers growing up, Shawn Michaels “The Heartbreak Kid”, announce his retirement. Not going to lie, it got a little dusty in Kander Manor towards the end of his speech and when he left the ring for the ‘final’ time. (By the way, Shawn Michaels’ speech was everything that Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame induction speech wasn’t – emotional, passionate, acknowledging his fans/colleagues for their support, etc.)
For far too long, the only time I thought about the WWE was when a wrestler tragically passed away or a steroid scandal occurred – essentially anything that didn’t happen in the ring. While the WWE does have a few blue-chip sponsors, most companies seemed to agree with me as many have been hesitant to associate with the WWE because of its image problems (e.g., steroid scandals, overtly sexual content and programming, untimely deaths of several modern wrestlers). Last night felt like a cleansing of all the incredibly saddening stories that have consistently come out of the sport.
The corporate sponsors who have stood by the WWE – Pepsi Max, 7-Eleven, Conagra Foods, etc. – have been taking a big risk by aligning their brand image to a property that constantly derives negative attention. However, as last night demonstrated, there is definite marketing potential with this ‘sport,’ and as more moments like Shawn Michaels’ retirement happen, past fans hopefully will be reminded of all the good memories they had as a kid. I wonder if this passion and feeling of nostalgia is something that a WWE sponsor could successfully tap into and leverage as part of its sponsorship marketing platform.
Do you guys agree? Is there a renewed/greater marketing opportunity with the WWE or was last night a one-time occurrence?
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