Nowadays, any marketing campaign worth its salt has to include an Influencer.
With Taylor Swift tied up in making the flush NFL even richer, PBR went third-party retro in hosting Perez Hilton, the “original influencer,” and cross promoting with UFC Boss Dana White, for buzzy social media collaborations at the league’s second playoffs on October 20-22 in Las Vegas.
Hilton’s main social video shot at T-Mobile Arena on the opening night of the three-day Championship, Perez Hilton Does PBR, brought to life a lot of things PBR had been hearing in new focus group research.
Hilton had no idea what to expect and found “so much showmanship, from beginning to end, non-stop action with very little downtime between the competition.”
It was his family’s first time at PBR (the kids got to pet a bull – solid animal welfare messaging as the sport battles misinformation from people screaming about alleged animal abuse that doesn’t exist while clutching their leather purses) “…and this most certainly won’t be our last,” Perez declared.
While he didn’t explicitly say “I found this to be inclusive and safe and it didn’t smell” (real topics of concern voiced in focus groups by the non-initiated), those assurances to non-fans ripe for influencing came across loud and clear. Most importantly, Hilton says he’s coming back.
The lesson here is what PBR has known for years – the sport’s prime challenge is awareness, best overcome by bringing those with a platform into the tent to credibly share what they experienced at the Big Show.
Most first-timers at a bull riding have stark preconceptions, believing it’s just not for them (which is kind of like saying “I hate fried Oreos” without ever trying one). Yet, they inevitably find the experience to be thrilling, fast-moving, fun, and unpredictable. And it doesn’t smell.
Surveys confirm that. PBR has a 90+ Net Promoter Score, putting it on a very high end of fan satisfaction for those attending a sporting event, according to CMO Mark Fine.
The Hilton video, while not having Taylor Swift-like reach, is a testament to the league and its eight Teams creating an outstanding sports-entertainment product wrapped in a welcoming experience.
Another social integration at the Championship won by the Texas Rattlers is noteworthy: a giant lean-in on promoting a bucking bull owned by UFC Boss Dana White, the genesis of a pairing that may seem odd but winds up making perfect sense, told in Sports Illustrated.
The cross-promotion shows what Endeavor brass like to call “The Flywheel” – businesses within the Endeavor network collaborating creatively to achieve a desired result where one plus one equals four.
“I got into bull riding after filming “Lookin’ for a Fight” and actually riding a bull. I started buying bulls in hopes of someday getting into the PBR,” White explained in a staff email, inviting them to come see his bull, Twisted Steel, who is hauled by stock contractor Dennis Davis, at “Take Your Bull to Work Day” outside UFC headquarters, also covered on SI’s site.
UFC’s boss is so proud of his bull – who danced with Andrew Alvidrez of the Missouri Thunder for a solid 88-point score on the second day of the three-day Championship Tournament – he personally bought tickets for all UFC employees expressing interest in seeing Twisted Steel compete along with all the rock star animal athletes at T-Mobile Arena.
The UFC x PBR integration didn’t stop there. Throughout the weekend a 24/7 bull cam was trained on Twisted Steel (who did NOT like sharing his food) from “bull housing.” A quarter million people watched. Before Twisted Steel bucked, collision sport met combat sport when UFC FightPass went live from Toshiba Plaza for 90 minutes, sitting down with Missouri Thunder’s Andrew Alvidrez, Arizona Ridge Riders’ Keyshawn Whitehorse, and Matt West, a broadcast voice of PBR. And of course, Dana White’s Twisted Steel T-shirts were on sale.
All told, the UFC x PBR integration, which didn’t cost a penny, reached six million people on social media.
Anecdotally, some UFC fans commented they had no idea White owned a bull, checked out Twisted Steel in his five-on-five bull riding game, and absolutely loved it. Call it Flywheel music to the ears of every PBR staffer scratching and clawing all season long to win over new fans.
Indeed, when your product is strong, it’s all about smart marketing that drives awareness and sampling. And then you grow. PBR Team Series event attendance was up 27% in its second season, and the league is adding two new teams, expanding to 10 in the 2024 season.
