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World Wrestling Entertainment Brand analysis: Development, Performance, Strategy Course: EIBC Student number: 0625378 Student name: Urbanas, Regimantas Module: Product and Brand Management

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History of WWE <ul><li>1915 – first boxing event by Roderick James McMahon </li></ul><ul><li>1953 – foundation of Capitol Wrestling Corporation </li></ul><ul><li>1963 – creation of WWWF (renamed to WWF in 1979) </li></ul><ul><li>1982 - Vincent McMahon becomes leader of WWF </li></ul><ul><li>1985 – date of the first WrestleMania </li></ul><ul><li>2002 – WWF is forced to change name to WWE </li></ul><ul><li>2006 – introduction of renewed ECW (3rd show of WWE) </li></ul>

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WWE brand related products

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WWE brand related products <ul><li>Live wrestling events and TV broadcasting </li></ul><ul><li>Pay-per-view events </li></ul><ul><li>Video games </li></ul><ul><li>Magazines and books </li></ul><ul><li>Trade of VHS/DVD/Blu-ray video materials </li></ul><ul><li>Music CD publishing </li></ul><ul><li>WWE Internet media and mobile telephone content </li></ul><ul><li>WWE brand merchandising </li></ul><ul><li>Retail shops </li></ul><ul><li>WWE films </li></ul>

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WWE brand personality <ul><li>Tough, sexy and cool middle-age guy </li></ul><ul><li>Young, energetic and experienced </li></ul><ul><li>He is patriotic American </li></ul><ul><li>Extrovert and enjoys attention </li></ul><ul><li>Likes doing sports </li></ul><ul><li>Real macho man </li></ul><ul><li>Some worships him, others – hate him </li></ul><ul><li>Always hungry for money and knows how to get it </li></ul>

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WWE brand attributes, benefits and values <ul><li>Emotions </li></ul><ul><li>Community (sense of belonging) </li></ul><ul><li>Entertainment and excitement </li></ul><ul><li>Patriotism </li></ul><ul><li>Small indulgences </li></ul><ul><li>Self respect </li></ul><ul><li>Fantasy adventure </li></ul>

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Competitiveness of WWE brand <ul><li>Who are the competitors for WWE? </li></ul><ul><li>Who are the competitors for WWE films? </li></ul><ul><li>TNA wrestling; </li></ul><ul><li>Boxing federations, bushido associations </li></ul><ul><li>and other fighting sports; </li></ul><ul><li>NBA, NHL, MLB and other professional </li></ul><ul><li>sport organizations in USA </li></ul><ul><li>Music bands and show industry </li></ul><ul><li>Major Hollywood movie studios like 20th Century Fox, </li></ul><ul><li>Paramount pictures, Columbia pictures, United Artists, </li></ul><ul><li>Warner Bros studios, Miramax films and others </li></ul>

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WWE links with popular culture <ul><li>Wrestling is strongly connected with fashion, music, television and other pop culture trends. </li></ul><ul><li>50s, 60s – Soviet and Middle east culture wrestlers </li></ul><ul><li>70s – lots of Comics heroes and Mexican wrestlers </li></ul><ul><li>80s – family era in wrestling. Lots of wrestlers </li></ul><ul><li>portrayed as animals, Native Americans, cowboys, clowns, zombies, pop singers </li></ul><ul><li>From 1996 – tough era. Wrestlers are much darker, vicious, and violent. Some of them are associated with underground cultures. Most of the wrestlers are “tough”, “cool” </li></ul>

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WWE and film industry <ul><li>Participation of brightest action movie superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Mr. T, Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, boxer Mike Tyson and many others in WWE shows was their first link with movie industry </li></ul><ul><li>More than 50 wrestlers through history has acted at least in a one movie. Couple of them – Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Roddy Piper managed to act in more 7 or more. </li></ul><ul><li>WWE films made 3 sole production movies so far. “The Marine” , “See no Evil” and the “The Condemned ” </li></ul>

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Key challenges for WWE brand <ul><li>Competition of TNA </li></ul><ul><li>Young audience </li></ul><ul><li>Adaptation of WWE strategy for non-American markets </li></ul><ul><li>Increasing amounts of Illegal downloads of WWE intellectual production </li></ul>

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Recommendations for the future WWE brand strategy <ul><li>Appointing national of regional directors for WWE brand strategy in particular market </li></ul><ul><li>“ WWE films” self identification and change of activities </li></ul><ul><li>Further development of creative storyline </li></ul><ul><li>Expansion to developing countries </li></ul><ul><li>Active usage of Web 2.0 possibilities like social networking, BLOGs and others </li></ul>

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