As the breadth and reach of cause marketing continue to grow, WWE’s third year of partnering with Susan G. Komen for National Breast Cancer Awareness month continues to pay dividends for both organizations. October’s “Courage Conquer Cure” campaign features, among other activations, WWE Superstars and Divas wearing co-branded Susan G. Komen and WWE apparel, WWE platforms going pink and a percentage of merchandise sales earmarked for the organization. WWE is also leveraging its assets including WWE Network, TV and pay-per-view broadcasts, live events, PSAs, digital and social media to generate awareness and encourage fans to get involved.
Cynopsis Sports chatted with WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, who was recently named as a 2015 Eisenhower USA Fellow, about the impact of cause marketing, the campaign for Susan G Komen, 15 years of Smackdown and the appointment of new Chief Digital Officer Lou Schwartz.
McMahon on the Courage Conquer Cure campaign: It’s been excellent so far! This is our third year with Susan G Komen and, for the first time, we actually developed PSAs to support their cause. We are doing a Pink Out on TV, and our staging features Susan G Komen branding as do the announcers’ tables. In addition, our top stars are really representing this partnership, including Hulk Hogan and John Cena. There’s branded merchandise with a percentage that is going directly to Susan G Komen. We also are featuring Susan G Komen on Total Divas on E! Network. One thing that has been really successful as well is that we are also featuring guest stars regularly on our shows to talk about this issue, from Hulk Hogan to Kathie Lee and Hoda to Joan Lunden. In fact, when Joan spoke, she was so impactful and commanded the respect of everyone in that arena.
On the power of social media on cause marketing: WWE’s fan base is incredibly active on social media, more so than a lot of other media brands. The reason for that, in my opinion, is that our fans are a part of our show and they always have been. Our fans chant, they bring signs, they are active and social media allows them to interact, even when they are not at an event. We utilize social media to keep our fans engaged 24/7 so that they can consume our content anytime, anywhere and on any device. There are three keys to social media in general: engagement, authenticity and timing. You have to be real time in terms of your messages. When I say engagement, it isn’t just pushing messaging out; it is also listening and responding. Our fans have access to our superstars and storyline and they feel like they are a part of it.
In terms of cause marketing, I think that people want to believe that they can make a difference and social media provides that voice for them. When you have the opportunity to support a cause that is so meaningful, you can amplify your voice through social media, making it a very valuable tool for cause marketing.
On her favorite moment from 15 years of Smackdown: My favorite Smackdown memory has to be the 9/11 tribute show that we produced from Houston. It was two days after the tragedy of 9/11 and as far as we know, it was the largest televised public assembly since the tragedy. There was incredible emotion in the crowd of people coming together to celebrate being American, their right to freedom and to stand up in the face of terrorism together in the name of entertainment. It was compelling, humbling and it was an experience I’ll never forget. My father actually opened that show and he gave one of the most motivating speeches I have ever heard anyone give. One of the things he said was that Americans will not live in fear. Then he said – and I actually have this as a quote – that America’s heart has been wounded but our spirit shines as a beacon of freedom that never has been nor ever will be extinguished. He then thanked those in attendance and everyone watching for the honor and privilege of performing for them.
On the addition of a new Chief Digital Officer: First of all, we are incredibly excited to have Lou on board. He is a seasoned technology and digital media executive, particularly in the emerging OTT and mobile space. Following the launch of the WWE Network, where we are the first-ever live streaming over-the-top digital subscription service, we are now seeing HBO go that way, and now we have CBS doing that as well. OTT is a space we have been playing in since the end of February and we are the only ones to offer live streaming content. The greatest value to our fans, per our research, is offering PPVs on those platforms and we do so every month for the low price of $9.99. Lou’s primary focus will be to oversee product development, operations and innovations for the WWE Network and developing strategic plans and initiatives for all of our digital platforms including social and mobile.
On the Eisenhower USA Fellow: First and foremost, it’s truly an honor to have been chosen, it was a fairly rigorous process. I was selected as one of nine. I am so proud to be representing the Eisenhower Fellowship. What I’m going to be doing is to really understand as much as possible the culture and community, how businesses operate, what makes them successful, how you continue success in those markets and really develop relationships that will last the rest of my life in business and personally. Then, I will bring all of those experiences and learning back to help WWE achieve its core objectives as well as amplifying our community service and how we give back around the world.
