Conor McGregor: The Marketing Genius

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If you’re reading this, you probably already know Conor McGregor and his life story. The Irish UFC fighter who has gone from living on welfare to a net worth of over $100 million in just 5 years. The rise from a regular life to mega-stardom has brought with it millions of fans and haters. While he has earned the titles fighter, star and entrepreneur, there is one aspect which is easy to overlook. Conor McGregor is a marketing genius.

This is partly due to his outgoing and confident personality, but there is no doubt that he has intentionally brought attention to himself with the end result being personal gain. Getting attention is the first point of marketing. Athletes, celebrities, artists and businesses all thrive on publicity and turn it into profits through sales, sponsorships and leveraging their attention to get what they want.

Without further ado, let’s look at some ways in which Conor McGregor brought attention to himself and built his brand successfully.

1. He backs up the trash talk

There are many fighters in the UFC who have a big trash talking game. Conor is arguably the biggest trash talker in the sport. What sets him apart from the rest is the fact that he has proven himself right on many occasions. He has beaten most of the fighters he has come face to face with, running through the UFC’s featherweight division before infamously knocking out it’s champion Jose Aldo in 13 seconds.

2. Attire

Clothing is another important aspect of Conor’s presence. Well-tailored suits helped to draw attention to him while everyone else on the roster turned up in gym clothing and casual attires. It was only a matter of time before some of the fighters took heed, and followed in his footsteps.

3. The fight with Mayweather

Mayweather vs. McGregor was billed as the “billion dollar fight” and introduced McGregor to the mainstream population of casual fans, boxing fans and even people who had no interest in either MMA or Boxing. Mayweather was and remains one of the biggest boxing stars in the world. McGregor had never competed in boxing professionally. He made his debut in the sport against the man considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time. While he eventually lost, the publicity from the fight and press conferences helped to catapult his fame to another level.

4. Social media

If you follow Conor McGregor on Instagram, you will regularly see photos of him flaunting his wealth. Not unlike his boxing counterpart Floyd Mayweather. People who don’t like either fighters still follow them to see the flashy cars, timepieces and expensive clothing. Both men understand the value of attracting attention, and use it to their personal benefit as they build their brand and live the superstar life.