Executive summary
The “Summer In The City” campaign is developed in partnership with WWE SummerSlam’s presenting sponsor, I <3 NY, to advertise the New York City Experience to WWE’s fan base. Focusing on social media content from WWE fans in New York City, creative will be delivered via WWE assets (Network, Social, Broadcast, etc.) and used as advertising to WWE fans around the world. Leveraging WWE Assets leading to the SummerSlam pay-per-view including; social media, broadcast, and the WWE Network further provides leverage to the campaign goals of 250,000 social media impressions, 5 new business leads, and I <3 NY’s goal of a 2% increase in tourism within the city of New York.
In addition to the assets listed above, the live broadcast of the SummerSlam pay-per-view and the following Monday Night Raw will feature special segments focused on contest winners from each borough in New York City, further driving success in the goals from above.
Given the target market of M: 18-24; F: 24-49; Y: 8-14; HHI of $60,000 or higher and being a member of the WWE Universe, there are a short list competition around the date of the SummerSlam pay-per-view, although WWE expressing SummerSlam and the “Summer In The City” campaign as a once-in-a-lifetime experience will further differentiate from competitors and lessen detractors.
Distribution is planned across all WWE assets including: broadcast, WWE.com, the WWE App, the WWE Network, and social.
WWE SUMMERSLAM & I <3 NY CO-BRANDED PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNS FOR THE NEW YORK CITY EXPERIENCE
MISSION STATEMENT
Leverage all of WWE’s assets as promotional vehicles for WWE’s sponsor for SummerSlam, I <3 NY (A division of the New York Department of Economic Development), to promote I <3 NY’s latest campaign, “Summer In The City” to the WWE Fan base.
CONCEPT
WWE fans from New York City enter a contest to create social media content expressing why their borough is the best place to visit in New York City. Taking the focus off of “tourist central” areas like Time Square and focusing on the “hidden gems” of New York City, allow for a unique look at the city, as well as, help develop New York City brand recognition beyond what WWE fans likely believe to be true.
WWE and I <3 NY will select a winner from each borough to be represented at WWE’s SummerSlam Pay-Per-View event, where the ultimate winner will earn the opportunity to become the “Native New Yorker” personality for their borough.
The content created from WWE fans in New York City will be used in creative that will be delivered via WWE assets (Network, Social, Broadcast, etc.) and used as advertising to WWE fans around the world.
INITIAL ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
WWE and New York City have a rich history together as the “home” of WWE for decades prior to becoming a global entity. Madison Square Garden, among other venues, has played host to some of the biggest events in WWE history including several WrestleMania’s, the WWE Hall of Fame, and other historic events. This further creates a “special space” for WWE’s fan base in the New York City Metro area.
WWE’s Creative Team knows how to express our sponsors’ messages to resonate with the WWE Universe (our audience).
Due to some of WWE’s biggest assets to leverage, (WWE Network, WWE’s social presence, and Pay-Per-View) the “Summer in City” campaign has global exposure and could potentially increase international recognition of the New York City experience, therefore increasing international visitors to the city.
WEAKNESSES
WWE has not held a major international event in the actual city of New York in several years. This could lead to some resentment from the WWE Universe, and could ultimately prove detrimental to social content development, central to the overall campaign.
Due to creative constraints, WWE’s teams who are already working on other SummerSlam initiatives will be assigned to the “Summer In The City” campaign, and could ultimately lead to a lower quality of work.
OPPORTUNITIES
New Yorkers are prideful of their neighborhoods and their boroughs and will likely create unique and compelling content promoting their boroughs, therefore promoting WWE SummerSlam and the I<3 NY travel experience. This allows WWE and I <3 NY to pass the need of creating content and managing the overall social movement behind the campaign to those who enter as a user, reducing costs and other overhead.
Focusing on the unique aspects of New York City further develops a new impression of the New York City brand in the minds of WWE fans who are unfamiliar with how the New York experience really is.
THREATS
Given the time of year WWE SummerSlam takes place, early hurricane season activity could prove detrimental to not only the WWE SummerSlam event brand, but to the global brand development of I <3 NY and the “Summer in the City” campaign. Negative weather activity would likely endanger the purpose of the campaign.
Travel time and expectations between boroughs will likely limit the SummerSlam week activations to a minimum, or at least to be extremely micromanaged and/or short in time to be filmed, captured, etc.
PRODUCTS + SERVICES
Product List:
· WWE SummerSlam 8/23/15 — live event attendance
· WWE SummerSlam 8/23/15 — broadcast (WWE Network OTT & pay-per-view)
· WWE RAW 8/24/15 — live event attendance
· WWE RAW 8/24/15 — broadcast (on USA Network domestically, various networks internationally)
· RAW, Smackdown, and other WWE broadcasts leading up to WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view
Product Analysis:
Strengths:
o Average 4 million viewers to WWE broadcasts
o Average 13 million viewers each week (of all tv products)
o Over 1 million global WWE Network subscribers
o Over 420 million social media followers across all platforms (~60% international)
o In-house creative & marketing team to further develop campaign and appropriately utilize WWE assets
Weaknesses:
o Not-live TV programming in various international markets could limit campaign in these areas
o limited to global WWE audience (no real visibility outside of WWE Universe)
Opportunities:
o Developing interactive social media content with native New Yorkers; using broadcast assets to drive engagement
o International exposure via broadcast and social media verticals
Threats:
o Television broadcast interruptions
III. MARKET
WWE Universe
M: 18-24; F:24-49; Y: 8-14
HHI: $60k+
As the unique driver of this campaign, the creative content from the same market in which the ad is intended for creates the advertising through the duration of the campaign.
Participation in social content & potential contest winning to the city of New York only. This further drives the unique and legitimate concept of covering the very real areas to visit in New York.
Promotion of creative content delivered globally via WWE asset utilization (broadcast, social, digital, etc.)
DISTRIBUTION
The campaign would be delivered via these channels:
o Broadcast: WWE TV programming coverage (use of content from contributors as well)
o Social Media (WWE brand, WWE Superstars, other WWE social assets)
o OTT: WWE Network coverage
o WWE App/WWE.com: articles, updates, featured content from contributors
o Other yet to be established appropriate utilized assets
COMPETITION
Other live events that could potentially be a threat to WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view include:
o New York Yankees vs The Indians at Yankee Stadium on 8/23/15
There are no other direct sporting events held in New York to compete with WWE SummerSlam pay-per-vew 8/23 or WWE RAW 8/24.
Indirect competition includes but is not limited to:
o Broadway plays and events
o Television programming (Game of Thrones, other major tv events) during the live broadcast of WWE SummerSlam
o Other yet to be determined sporting events on 8/23 or 8/24.
Market technique against competitors:
WWE SummerSlam is an once-in-a-lifetime experience in the heart of the new center of New York City, Brooklyn. This promotes the WWE SummerSlam experience as a New York event, and creates a differentiator from events like Broadway plays or a Yankee’s game, which happen often enough in New York to “miss it this time for WWE SummerSlam”.
PROMOTIONAL MIX
Potential publicity exposures include: The Today Show, Z100 New York Radio, the Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, and other yet to be determined publicity.
Potential expenditures on overall campaign include:
Estimated $50,000
$10,000 in external expenses:
· Travel expenses in New York City (taxi, subway, drivers, gas, etc.)
· Various licensing fees, City taxes, and other relatable expenses
$40,000 in-kind expenses:
· Use of WWE social, creative, and marketing teams
o Devoting staff and resources to the campaign
o Developing, executive, and measure overall campaign
o Creating professional content paired with fan generated content to air during broadcasts, on the WWE App, or via social channels.
o Use of like paper, ink, data, measurement of campaign effectiveness
Net-Zero expenses:
· Television advertising time
o Due to WWE broadcasts on cable television domestically and throughout major markets around the world. Spots (whether: 15 or: 30) will be aired during Monday Night RAW and SmackDown. The “costs” of these spots will be the time taken from the broadcast time allotted to storyline development.
· Social Media promotion
o With over 420 million social media followers across all WWE social platforms and profiles, WWE does not need to incur an expense paid to a social media company to list a post as ‘promoted’ in order to reach the provided goal of over 250,000 social media impressions.
