I’m not a big Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fan. And for those of you unfamiliar with the name, UFC is the mixed martial arts sport that has seen big names and competitors in the octagon such as Anderson Silva and Chuck Liddell.
New York hosted them last night for UFC 205, the first time they had been there since 1995. Here’s 30 seconds (watch video from about 0:40 to 1:10) of the evening’s main attraction, Conor McGregor.
Ah, UFC at its finest.
The sport had been banned in the Big Apple since 1997 because at the time it was considered unregulated (Bhattacharyya, 2016), and others have said there were additional political reasons for its ban as well.
But this piece isn’t about the ban. It’s about their marketing. Check out this musical ad and let me know if you don’t start bouncing up and down like you’re getting ready for the bell to ring.
Pretty good use of Gotham if you ask me.
As a casual observer, we ordered the fight Saturday night (Nov. 12) but only because I had family over who follow the sport quite closely. I’ll have to admit, the fighting tactics, competition, and trash talking were quite entertaining. And I’m curious if their latest marketing tactics have had an impact on other casual observers as well.
UFC marketers have used “activations” where stadiums or venues undergo a digital makeover that allow fans to engage with the athletes for autograph, photo sessions and “extras” at their expos. For example, when UFC was in Las Vegas, a UFC access pass allowed fans who signed up through social media special entries to pool parties, clubs, weigh-ins, and more (O’Loughlin, 2016). This is probably right in tune with the entertainment scene and the big stars of the sport.
In New York, they went even further. They had actual interactive fighting machines. Fighting machines? It sounds interesting and I’m wondering if they were mere virtual games or if you actually got to see what it felt like to take one in the gut. I definitely would pay money to see some of my friends go through that.
UFC had quite a few big name sponsors (Reebok, Harley Davidson, Fox) so the sport definitely did a lot of marketing things right for this event, including landing a historic venue in Madison Square Garden to mark its return. Average tickets were more than $1000 apiece (Markazi, 2016) and management credits social media as a big key to driving their brand. But what’s next?
They did some great pieces for this historic return. With future visits to New York this “first time” is going to be tough to top. Will the brand continue to deliver clever marketing techniques and engagement for its fans on the biggest stages? Or are fighting machines and the sport’s energy filled social media antics simply too much?
Like I said, I’m not a big fan. I just can’t wait to see 206.
References
Bhattacharyya, S. (2016, November 11). UFC returns to New York with marketing blitz. Advertising Age. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/interactive-media-marketing/ufc-york-launch-focuses-interactivity-fans/306735/
Hiergesell, D. (2016, November 13). Watch Conor McGregor’s epic UFC 205 post-fight interview – ‘Where the fook is my second belt?’ SB Nation MMA mania. Retrieved from http://www.mmamania.com/2016/11/13/13612908/watch-conor-mcgregor-post-fight-interview-following-tko-win-at-ufc-205-new-york-mma
Markazi, A. (2016, November 13). Fans spent thousands to witness UFC history in New York City. ESPN.com. Retrieved from http://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/18038761/mma-fans-spent-thousands-witness-ufc-history-new-york-city
O’Loughlin, S. (2016, March 21). Inside 10 leading digital sports sponsorship activation. Eventmarketer.com. Retrieved from http://www.eventmarketer.com/article/inside-10-of-the-industrys-best-digital-sports-sponsorship-activations/
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