How to sell the WWE Network

As we head into Summerslam, WWE have just made the big announcement that the WWE Network is now available in 170 countries, with more soon to follow. This moment cannot have come fast enough for the WWE, who have been getting themselves into all sorts of financial trouble over lower than expected subscription numbers.

I’m sure the international launch of the Network will help matters some, but it seems clear to me that the WWE still have a lot to learn when it comes to marketing and selling the Network…

Selling damages the product

Here is a sales tip if you are having a tough time selling a product:

Stand between your product and the customer and repeat the price of the product over and over in their face until they buy it.

Did it work? No? That’s because it’s a STUPID idea.

Here is the fact the WWE have to face, telling fans that the network exists and how much it costs has netted them 700,000 buys in the US. It will probably get them another couple of hundred thousand internationally. It won’t get them anymore.

This is why Red Bull spends millions of pounds on live sports events. Because they know telling you that a can of Red Bull is £1.19 will not make you buy it. But watching am extreme sports icon jump 50ft in the air on a motor bike which the red bull logo on his back will make you think it’s cool and that probably will make you want to be seen drinking Red Bull later on.  

The next 700,000 subscribers will only buy the Network if it associated with a good product. Every time the commentary stop calling a match to tell us how much the network is. Every time they send out a legend to an expectant crowd, only to have them launch into a 10 minute Network promo to zero reaction, they are making their product worse. The less compelling and more annoying their product is, they less likely people are going to buy the Network.

The WWE must stop putting sales pitches for the WWE Network ahead of creating a quality product if they want to grow their customer base.

Network buys are not the same as viewer figures

I’m about to veer dangerously close to the dreaded Attitude era vs PG Era argument, but bear with me. The WWE have pushed themselves into the future by launching the Network, but their creative process is still in the past. The WWE cannot assume that the things that brought them viewers are the same things that will get them subscribers.

Here is the thing, at this point in time they are trying to sell a product credit card holders (read adults) which they have consistently been marketing to 10 year olds for several years.  In fact, when the WWE network subscription figures didn’t go as well as planned, they actually hit the reset button (see my previous blog article) and reverted back to the product they have been aiming at the younger audience.

This won’t work and there is a good reason for this. Getting people to switch channel in a TV package they have already paid for is a completely different proposition to asking people to pull out a credit card and commit to giving you money for your product.  In order for that to happen you have to give people a tailored product they actually care about and invest in. In the former situation the WWE could target children to get them to change the channel, in the latter you have to persuade an adult to like your product enough to buy it. That means changing the product to appeal to this demographic.

This goes double for the fabled “lapsed” members who, by their very nature, are likely to be in the older age demographic. The fact is if the WWE wants these people to subscribe, they need to admit that their ‘tried and tested’ format of PG entertainment is not so ‘tried and tested’ anymore.    

I’ve asked this question many times on Twitter and I still stand by it. John Cena as champion sells Merchandise and attracts children to watch the show on Sky, but does he sell Network subscriptions to adults? I would say the answer is no.

WWE need to stop being stubborn evolve their creative process to please an older demographic if they want to sell more subscriptions.

Give more to get more

So what can the WWE change? My first suggestion is that they never have Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL even attempt to sell the Network ever again. For a start there is an obvious problem with very uncool over 40 year olds trying to sell anything to young people. I would go as far as to suggest that if you surveyed fans almost no one would say they have purchased anything from the WWE on account of something Michael Cole has said.

But more importantly the commentary team should focus 100% on making every match and every wrestling promo as exciting and compelling as possible. When Michael Cole is done calling it, I should be left thinking Eva Marie vs Rosa Mendes was the greatest match of all time. Why? Because then I’ll go and buy the Network to see more Eva Marie matches.  A better product means more Network Sales.

My next suggestion is that when they do sell the network they should make it interesting and honest - give something to the fans to get something back from them. With the three hour RAW format they are struggling for content anyway, so they should pre-record a panel segment aimed at making people want to be part of the Network without patronising fans. It would look something like this:

When a great match ends Michael Cole announces they are heading over to the Network Lounge with Renee Young (you know, the hot attractive girl WWE fans actually want to listen too?), who is ready to interview WWE legend Ric Flair.

Renee Young announces that it is Summerslam week on the WWE Network and they will be playing special content during the week. She then begins an interview with Ric Flair.

Ric Flair discusses his top 5 Summerslam moments with cut away footage.

Renee Young announces all the Summerslam PPVs Ric Flair has mentioned will be played on consecutive nights in the run up to Sunday exclusively on the Network before Summerslam itself will be streamed live.

Renee ends by telling you how you can sign up to the Network and passing back to Michael Cole

When the segment ends you have given fans something interesting to watch, made them feel like there is a reason to sign up to the Network (beyond it costing nine ninety bloody nine) and succeeded in not ruining the rest of RAW.

At the moment the WWE's entire marketing strategy seems insanely ham fisted. Even more worryingly, there are signs they are actually becoming bitter and angry with fans for not subscribing, rather than looking at themselves to see what they can do better. For me, as someone who works in Marketing and PR, this is a recipe for disaster.

Conclusion

The next subscription announcement, coming on the back of the international launch and Summerslam will make very interesting reading. For me, the most fascinating aspect of all of this is seeing the WWE flounder between moving forward with an entirely new broadcast medium and almost pathological holding on to the past in all other areas. The level of stubbornness and lack of marketing knowledge they have so far shown has been staggering. The fact is the WWE must evolve their product, not just their broadcast medium, if they are to succeed going forward.

As always, check me out on Twitter @Kitiswrestling for more insights, opinion and general nonsense about wrestling!