My First Lesson In Marketing
One of my closest and dearest friends is a trainer in the professional boxing arena. Although it’s one of the craziest industries to maneuver in, my boy is making his presence felt. He has worked with several champions and is fast becoming a rising star in the fighting community.
So a few years back when we (notice how i’m throwing him under the bus too..haha..”just terrible”) were still ‘wet behind the ears’ in marketing and business, him and I decided to put together a promotional package to sell to companies interested in having their name or logo put on the boxing shorts of one of his fighters.
It just so happen this particular boxer was Heavyweight Champion of the World at the time. At the time, the rationality seemed beyond common sense. I mean, really, who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to have their brand shine on the likes of HBO, Showtime or ESPN? Can you say “win/win situation?” Our grand plan was sure to generate an extra income stream for the fighter while giving companies an opportunity to have their products or services gain more notoriety (not too mention put a check in our pocket). Right?
WRONG. ”Ahh”….to be young.
So, we began pitching our package. The professional boxing arena brings with it countless entrepreneurs in every conceivable field of big business. Some mega successful, some still paving their path. The only guarantee in the sport of boxing is this: as long as you DON’T make the mistake of bringing a knife to a gun fight (AKA negotiate a deal without a lawyer) there is money to be made. Nine out of ten people in boxing are vultures. But, there are good people sprinkled in between. You just need to know how to tell the difference and fast. Or someone will finish your breakfast quick.
Back to the story…together my buddy and I approached several celebrity owned businesses and brands with household names in the hopes of solidifying a deal. What seemingly appeared as a great marketing opportunity was fast becoming an uphill battle. We couldn’t buy a bucket. With each and every “no thanks” came more bewilderment.
Our guy was Heavyweight Champion of the World. ”
What gives?” Were we missing something? Why wouldn’t a company want to invest in their brand’s visibility with a fighter at the top of the food chain?
Call it a lack of understanding from our side. What we didn’t realize was these big companies were successful because they understood their customer. They clearly defined what their ideal customer looked like and who they were. They clearly understood who their customer was and how to identify with them. The companies we negotiated with realized there was no upside to leveraging their marketing through a boxer who hadn’t proven himself as a likable personality their customers could relate to. They didn’t see any upside to associating their brand with our fighter because he had no identity.
That was one of my first lessons in marketing.
Visualizing what they look like, where they frequent and who they are is truly the only way to understand the needs of your customer in relation to your products/services and how to meet them. Otherwise, internet marketing, seo, social media marketing and blog marketing doesn’t matter.
Learning the hard way is tough but what a great experience. I wouldn’t change a thing. Sometimes an “MBA” doesn’t come in a formal classroom setting but rather in the trenches of “down and dirty” bumps to the head. From Premier Pixels Las Vegas seo and web design headquarters to all the entrepreneurs on the grind, paving their own paths. Stay uncomfortable my friends.
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