Where Is the Brand Activation for Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos Sponsors?
UFC on Fox Sponsorship Activation Non-Existent Leading Into Their UFC Heavyweight Championship Bout
“Activation includes events, promotions, retail display, outdoor, digital, CRM (customer relationship management), direct, and other such services.”
The endemic brands are not taking credit or touting the investment made and their success of that investment and the non-endemic brands that have signed on are not activating leading up to this historical event. Why not? What am I missing? Is this not a dream come true?
Look at how well Anderson Silva is doing in his home country of Brazil. He is landing marquee deals with Nike and Burger King. Junior is a very likable and marketable guy, especially in Brazil. Both Mexico and Brazil would be ecstatic to have their Countrymen as the reigning UFC Champion. Yet it appears that nothing is happening. If it is happening and the activation is coming post the event, then that is just a recipe for disaster.
We are never going to attract the NASCAR type of sponsors if what we call marketing is ironing a decal on a pair of shorts. Here at Ingrained Media we have brought in main stream electronic companies, main stream boating companies, large auto manufacturers, drink companies, huge musical talent and more. We have brought them into the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Provided them with activation and total marketing solutions. All of these companies expected activation and marketing solutions that went above and beyond logo placement. That is why we have talent on the preliminary cards getting bigger name sponsorship deals then most of the main card talent.
MMA Athletes are not commodities and these opportunities that are being created by others (mainly Zuffa) can be life changing events. What does it matter if you are fighting for the UFC Heavyweight Belt, if the guy you beat is busy counting his cash, paying off his homes (yes homes) and cars? What is the actual goal? To be a World Champion or to be able to support your family and not be in the struggle? I would rather have my talent be rich than famous. The sad part of the UFC on Fox event is that you could actually have both. These managers or agents had an opportunity to change the lives of their fighters, open flood gates for their talent, and the future of the sport. They have not done that and I guess I just do not understand why.
– If you combine the FOX and FOX Deportes telecasts (one in Spanish, one in English), it would have received close to a 3.5 rating with 6.2 million viewers and a peak of 8.8 million and a M18-34 rating of 4.7. It is believed a peak close to 9 million was achieved combining both.
– The 4.3 rating in Males 18-34 beat every college football game this season except the LSU vs Alabama game on CBS.
– The 4.3 rating in Males 18-34 beat 65% of the playoff and World Series baseball games this season on FOX.
– The 4.3 rating in Males 18-34 was the third highest rated television show of the year for FOX Deportes.
– The show drew 1.7 million women over the age of 18.
– The median age of viewers for the telecast was 35 years old.
– The 5.7 million viewers was the most watched fight in broadcast on US television since HBO’s Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko back in 2003
– UFC programming delivered a total of 6.7 million impressions across all FSMG television networks.
– The peak of 8.8 million lasted as long as the fight did, which was 1 minute (fight started at 9:40 pm).
– By 9:45 pm, the viewership had dropped to 5.9 million. Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson peaked at 6.51 million and lasted for 10 minutes and 38 seconds. (Sports Illustrated) … about 25% of the audience had left at the end of the main event.
– UFC on FOX began with 5.2 million viewers and dipped as low as 4.4 million before viewership started to climb around 9:36 pm, as the fighters were starting to make their way to the Octogon. (Sports Illustrated)
Brazil Ratings on TV Globo:
– The event peaked at 22M viewers in Brazil, and during the fight (1 minute), it reached a 20 rating and a 52% share (percentage of homes with TV’s). The ratings were above average for a Sunday morning. (Globo)
-Jason Genet
November 7, 2011 | Categories: Activation, athletes, Facebook, marketing, mixed martial arts, mma, sponsors, sponsorship, UFC | Tags: Acai, Activation, Advertising, Anderson, Anderson Silva, arts, brazil, burger king, Cain, Carwin, Dethrone, Dos Santos, Endorsement, Fox, genet, ingrained, Ingrained Media, Jason Genet, management, Manager, marketing, martial, Media, Milwaukee Tools, mixed, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA, network, Nike, nscar, Showtime, Silva, social, Spider, Sponsorship, sports management, sports marketing, ufc, UFC on Fox, UFCONFOX, Velasquez | 7 Comments