A "Focus group of 10,000" - WWE's Stephanie McMahon on Participation
I'm not going to lie. Talking to Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon about the in-the-moment feedback she gets on the WWE brand during a live event where 10,000 fans are reacting--loudly, maybe even profanely--in real time? I'm a little jealous.
The WWE and Deloitte may have brands that feel worlds apart, but what we share is the understanding that how our organizations' clients and customers interact with us is foundational. Foundational, yet evolving, with customers (and clients) not just consuming and sharing information about a company, but serving as brand ambassadors, influencers, collaborators, and innovators. So it's no surprise that Deloitte identified participation as one of seven trends in our 2021 Global Marketing Trends research.
My conversation with Stephanie, one in a series of interviews with marketing executives I have been conducting on those trends, was a fascinating one. And what a great leader to dig into the trend of participation with, given the WWE's unique history of fan involvement, its embrace of digital channels, and, especially, how the company pivoted in the midst of the pandemic to discover new ways of entertaining and engaging its fans.
Even for an organization like the WWE, where fan engagement at live events has long been an often-visceral source of customer feedback, the advent of social media and digital channels has been a firehose of valuable information. I won't spoil here the story she tells about how that feedback led to significant changes in their women's division, but it's a great example of just how valuable and surprising that kind of feedback can be. But no organization was exempt from the need to innovate when the pandemic hit--and innovate the WWE has! Stephanie talked about a great example in the form of the WWE's investment in its WWE Thunderdome, a new event set that brings 1,000 virtual fans into the ring for matches.
Talking to Stephanie also brought home how an organization like the WWE must stay right at that cutting edge when it comes to social--after all, that's where their fans are. Maybe its testing up-and-coming platforms like the voice-based social network, Clubhouse. Or tailoring and rewriting storylines based on fan input that is coming in across any number of different entertainment and digital channels. Whatever the newest ways for fans to interact with the WWE and its storylines, I've no doubt Stephanie and her team will be right there in the mix.
But those are just the highlights--I hope you'll read my full interview with Stephanie! And when you are done, please come back, and share your own experiences and challenges when it comes to engaging customers in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.
This article is part of an ongoing series of interviews with marketing executives. The executives' participation in this article are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This article should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
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