Powerful marketing and branding tips we learnt from the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight

The past weekend saw everybody becoming a diehard boxing fan, if only for a temporary moment in time. The stakes were high and even the newly initiated and transient boxing fans knew which corner they were fighting for. When fans decided to place their faith behind either Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, what they were doing was rooting for someone they could relate to, identify with or even consider an extension of themselves. The question that we must ask ourselves is how this fight managed to capture the imaginations of a universal audience? And how did the two men sparring in the ring manage to make themselves so familiar to even newer members of their audience? The answers is rather simple, it was a classic victory for branding and marketing.

Excite your users!

The buzz around this historic battle began a year ago! This created an intrigue and allure behind this fight, which in turn had many people researching the history of these fighters well before the bout was to take place. By the time the fight was finally broadcasted even the casual viewers were aware of Mayweather’s fantastic boxing record and Pacman’s eagerness to take on difficult opponents.

When you are releasing a new product or service you should start talking about it even if you are in the final stages of ideation. By planting the seeds of interest and intrigue in your audience, you can garner engagement and finally see it peak when you close in on the launch date.

Numbers are crucial to grab your user’s attention

Marketing studies undertaken across the globe shows that hard numbers and statistics are very effective with users. For this match, digital strategists broadcasted various interesting statistics and numbers about the fight that generated a lot of interest and engagement in viewers. Providing your users with numbers will allow them to compare and judge for themselves the effectiveness of your product.

Advertisements encourage awareness about your product

For the past few months, all online sports channels and even sports news channels carried an advertisement for the Mayweather- Pacquiao fight. This resulted in consistent mind retention and click through conversion in some instances.

Spending on digital ads is very necessary because it gives tangible/intangible results like increased conversion rates, visitor footfalls, SEO push and brand awareness.

Maintain total consumer engagement on social media

The broadcast for the fight had announcers and even running text constantly reminding viewers to vote for the winner on twitter during the weigh in ceremony. Overall, the entire fight saw viewers wholly engaged on social media, with the fight trending universally over social media spheres. When you are running any marketing campaign, you should keep the target audience involved through votes, retweet contests, quizzes etc on social media. It is only natural that engagement levels spike up as a consequence of these efforts.

Your brand must constantly captivate your viewers

In a time where boxing hasn’t manage to retain the hold it had over a universal audience like it did in the time of Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier, this ‘fight of the century’ managed to create a charged global hype behind a sport that is far less noticed than it was during it’s heyday. A large part of this successful reinvention of the sport of boxing lies in the personal branding of both of the fighters.

Mayweather has consistently been involved in building his personal image as a true blooded prizefighter with frequent television interviews (even when he was not involved in a big fight), controlling the way he is depicted in the media (which often portrayed him living the life of a successful, rich boxer) apart from being very active on social media.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, has appealed to the masses by being a very likable everyman who provides an aspirational tale for people from countries with emerging economies. He has been endearing in interviews in spite of his lack of fluency in the English language and has rebranded himself as an actor, by starring in many big budget movies.

The bottom line is, in an age where we can question boxing’s popularity among the masses, these two boxers have attained fame by constantly engaging their audience, being very self-aware of their public image and reinventing themselves in order to stay relevant, which is exactly what every brand ought to do.

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