Video-Sharing, Powerslams, and Why You Shouldn't Fear Failure

Chris Anderson’s TED talk about how the growth of online video sharing has contributed to global innovation truly resonated with me because, as someone who aspires to work in social media management for a sports or entertainment brand, the importance of media sharing is something that I have devoted a lot time studying and perfecting. With the growth of social media and its transformation into the leading media sharing platform, it is significant to note that pictures and videos being shared on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other social media networks have more than just entertainment value. They contribute to the evolution of culture.

In my admittedly biased opinion, nobody does this better than World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). During the 80’s and 90’s, professional wrestling was one of the most watched programs on television and its popularity was nearly immeasurable. By delivering jaw-dropping action and relatable characters every Monday night, as well as incomparable live pay-per-views, WWE cemented itself as a wrestling giant by sticking to their brand’s promise of producing quality entertainment. Vince McMahon’s vision has more to do with putting smiles on people’s faces than it does with putting butts in seats and it this philosophy that allows his brand to continue to stay relevant in a competitive market. The last two years have not only seen WWE launch the fifth largest streaming network in the WWE Network, it has also seen WWE storylines infiltrate mainstream pop culture and media. 

Randy Orton’s RKO finisher has existed for a little over a decade, yet only in the last year, in conjunction with the creation of the WWE Network and the short-format video sharing service Vine, “RKO Outta Nowhere” videos filled timelines and newsfeed across the globe. Fans and non-fans alike started an unspoken competition to come up with the funniest, most creative incarnation of the infamous finishing move being used in scenarios outside of the ring. 

John Cena has been wrestling with the WWE since 2001 and has been introduced into the ring the same signature way for the last fifteen years. Last year, a recording of a prank call, where a radio DJ repeatedly imitated the exaggerated way WWE ring announcers introduce John Cena to the ring, ultimately infuriated the woman they were calling and went viral. Not only did the video take over social media, it inspired the creation of similar viral videos, where the radio DJ’s emphatic cry of “JOOOOOOHN CEEEEEEENAAAAA” interrupts crucial, usually dramatic scenes in television, film, and music videos. Thanks to the advancement of video editing, production, and publishing, a fifteen year old gimmick is receiving mainstream attention and popularity.

These are just the most recent examples of how the WWE impacts pop culture. The WWE brand has taken over social media to the point that its products find themselves atop the list of Trending Topics week after week. By taking advantage of the video streaming service trend, they encouraged fans to take advantage of the wealth of content on the WWE Network and customize the experience to their liking. The resurgence of the WWE’s popularity is entirely due to its acceptance of social media as a platform to sell their message. Not only has it allowed the company to carry its story over to the cell phone screens of its fans and opened the doors of communication, it makes the current product more relevant and relatable to the fans. It allows them to relive their favorite moments in the WWE’s history as well as partake in current storylines. As a result, its offered their fans a new creative outlet to convey their devotion to the brand, further involving them in the direction of the brand. They now feel as though they are truly a part of the universe and as a result, feel more invested in the product. The WWE continues to be part of the conversation of what is entertaining. They have always believed in delivering unique and inspired visual content and have been accomplishing this feat since 1979.

In talking about the success of the WWE, it is hard not to think about the word “risk”. Another speech that I have drawn inspiration from is JK Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Address about the benefits of failure. In her speech, Rowling talked about how in her darkest, loneliest moments is where she found strength within herself and the inspiration and motivation to lift herself out of desperation and become the infamous author she is known as today. From failure, Rowling learned how to share her gift with the world and literally embodied the old saying “it’s always darkest before the dawn”.

The WWE took a huge risk in launching the WWE Network. While they had a plethora of original content and an already devoted fanbase, it was a huge gamble to not only offer WWE programming but also their pay-per-views for $9.99 a month. To put that in perspective, it costs as much to subscribe for the WWE Network for a year as it used to cost to buy one pay-per-view. However, while the company did experience loss initially, the WWE has since bounced back and is experiencing a tremendous resurgence in pop culture relevance. The WWE Network allowed diehard fans to relive their favorite memories at their leisure and have access to exclusive programming and pay-per-views for a relatively low monthly fee. It also allowed fans who had “grown out” or simply thought the WWE didn’t exist anymore to re-experience the product and reignite their love for the brand. Social media has allowed these fans to not only connect to the brand but also with each other, creating a global dialogue about the brand, further adding to the WWE’s online popularity. 

The idea of “risk taking” is not a novel concept for the WWE. The company persevered where its competitors failed by constantly trying to break the mold. Some of their ventures have been less successful than others, but it was Vince McMahon’s fearlessness in the face of failure is what kept the company afloat. There were many instances in the course of the company’s existence where they were almost edged out because some of their ideas did not work out. It was during its darkest ruts that the WWE was able to orchestrate some of its most memorable moments and beloved characters. When it comes to content creation and trying to stand out in an extremely bogged down social media marketplace, the fear of failing to grab the audience’s attention, or worse, orchestrating a campaign that is a complete bust is a constant burden. In order to succeed in that field, one must be completely unencumbered with said fear, accept failure as it comes, and learn from it in order to move forward. 

Your Brand, 140 Characters or Less

A brand is defined as a name, symbol, or feature that differentiates one seller’s product from those of others. Branding is about creating a unique and specialized image or message that will resonate with the consumer and set them apart from everyone else. In today’s market, if a company’s brand has no online presence, especially if they lack a defining social media presence, their voice will be drowned out by competitors. 

Successful branding in the social media marketplace requires a combination of social intelligence, advertising and marketing expertise, and tech savvy. One must be in touch with both the brand or company’s message as well as the interests of its target demographic. Essentially, it is condensing the brand’s vision to concise, engaging content that can be easily absorbed by the consumer. 

Part of successfully using social media to help promote a brand is knowing what avenues will best support your brand’s image. In other words, knowing which social media network is the best for you. The only way to make a masterpiece is to use the right medium; branding on social media is no different. While platforms like Facebook basically give you free reign over the amount of copy written or the number of pictures added for a certain post, they don’t allow for the same interactivity that the likes of Twitter and Instagram support. Certain platforms are more popular with one gender than the other, so depending on the demographic a brand seeks to engage, it would behoove them to use the platforms that resonate with their followers. Using social media for branding, or any other aspect of marketing really, is about knowing where your audience is and being present there at all times.

Staying relevant in the social media game means developing and implementing a content strategy that will engage the audience and draw future followers in. Reputations in social media are built through content. Sharing quality content that is specifically designed for your followers will ensure not only more interactivity between the company and its consumers, but also more traffic directed to the brand. It is crucial that any content going up on a brand’s social media page is something that appeals to the target demographic’s interest and is something that they will in turn share on their own pages. Any post, regardless of the platform, must be able to hook in social media users visually before the audience can be reached intellectually or emotionally. 

As important as content and understanding the target demographic is, perhaps the most important part of branding on social media is staying consistent with the voice of the brand and with the expectation of the brand’s followers. Building integrity through congruity between your actions and your arguments is absolutely necessary in order to foster loyalty from the audience. If what is being published on a brand’s social media page does not line up with the message of the brand, the brand loses credibility. It is pivotal to, as Socrates said, “be in reality what we appear to be”. A brand cannot succeed in social media if they contradict their image with irrelevant content. 

Social media has become a staple in every business or marketing plan because it provides an efficient and practical platform to sell a company’s vision. In today’s economy, the consumers live on the web, through various profiles on countless social networks. It is pertinent to the success of a brand to use this to their advantage to increase their consumer base and their influence.

Selling it with Social: the Media-Driven Market

Today’s marketplace still deals with numbers, only now they are mostly binary. It is now imperative to not only have an exceptional physical presence, but also an established web presence. What was once seen as merely a means to share content with acquaintances, social media has become a staple to the marketing strategy of any brand. It has created new platforms for advertising while opening new lines of communication between companies and their consumers. That, combined with the ever-shifting landscape of mobile technology, has transformed social media from selfies and retweets to a booming market for any business. 

At face value, it is difficult to see how mastering social media is a necessity for the prosperity of a business. When one thinks of Twitter, one generally jumps to the stereotyped teenage girl writing about her Starbucks order. No one associates Facebook with commerce; a “viral video on YouTube” usually translates to an animal or a child stumbling. However, to adapt to the changing tide, companies have begun to adapt social media strategies to market their brands. One such case would be the Batman franchise. An undoubtedly firmly-established brand could have promoted its film by conventional means (i.e., print and television ads) and remained a blockbuster success. Instead, they chose to rework the application of known social networking services to tell their story across multiple platforms.

In 2008, the second installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight, was released in theaters. The film featured the first incarnation of the infamous Joker on the silver screen in almost twenty years. To promote the film, Warner Brothers collaborated with 42Entertainment and birthed the “Why So Serious?” campaign a year prior. The transmedia marketing strategy started with a viral video, urging fans to decide: did they “believe in Harvey Dent” or were they on the Joker’s side. People who followed along with the story were treated to exclusive content related to the film. For example, if fans called the phone numbers that appeared in videos, they received a voicemail from “the Joker” that would tell them where they could find the next piece of the story. The campaign allowed fans to get involved with the Joker’s crew and be a part of the Dark Knight story. It created an interactive means for the fans to become more engaged in the story. For a more detailed look into this campaign, refer to the  video here.

The “Why So Serious?” campaign is just one of many examples of how social networking services have paved a new road for advertisement. Brands are no longer tethered to the generic  ways of marketing themselves on thee web. They can reach millions of users with one tweet. That’s about ten thousand people per character.  Social media has become the most economic way to market a business effectively and if properly harnessed, can be the most effective tool in any company’s belt. But why is social media such an efficient marketing tool? And how did it go from a status-sharing network to an advertising hub?

Social media creates a community. Followers of a brand on Twitter feel like they are part of that brand’s family. It makes them feel like they are connected to likeminded individuals, with whom they can connect with, regardless of area code. Social media also provides a line of communication between a business and its customers. It fosters a more intimate relationship and the consumer feels that both they and their opinions matter. Businesses that are able to do this effectively with both their content and their follower engagement have likely ensured their longevity and that customers will continue to return. 

Using social media also allows businesses to have a presence in the consumer’s pocket. More people access their social media accounts on their mobile devices than a desktop computer. Marketing and advertising through social media allows businesses to influence their fanbase every time they check their profiles. It gives them a perpetual and boundless reach to their audience while simultaneously promoting their brand or selling a product.

Clearly, social media has solidified itself as a fundamental marketing tool. Implementing social media into a business’ marketing strategy cultivates a more engaging and interactive customer experience and increases the likelihood of consumer loyalty. It allows businesses to adapt to the evolving market by using technology to appeal to the masses.