World Wrestling Federation Essay Example

World Wrestling Federation Essay Example World Wrestling Federation Paper World Wrestling Federation Paper The World Wrestling Federation (WWF) become the worlds dominant international entertainment business by the creative management of Vince McMahon. Wrestling used to be restricted to perform only in its territory and respect other domain, but McMahon neglected the rules and started to monopolise the business. McMahon was a brilliant promoter who innovate the WWF as varities wrestling show. The WWF joined with music, movie and television business. Many merchandises were produced under the WWF brand. After several years of the WWF domination, the WCW were established and started to be a big threat for McMahon.Many of his wrestlers were recruited to the WCW under new management of Eric Bischoff. The competition was getting worse for the WWF when Bret Harts contact was about to expire. However, retaining Hart in the WWF couldnt change the situation. Finally, Hart was released to the WCW. Strategy alalyse. 1. Medias such as television and cable networks were effective in order to expose a new product (the WWF) to aware American consumers. Providing varieties of the WWFs wrestlers distinguish this crowd from others. 2. McMahon put a lot of effort to create characteristic for his wrestlers. These produced charmful wrestlers for the fans.In the other word, they are qualities product from the WWF. Scripts and costumes were neatly selected for each character, emphasizing attractive persona. 3. Leaving the Georgia territory was the biggest mistake of McMahon. To monopolise the business, it is very important to make sure that the business is difficult for anyone to enter. But the WWF abondoned the territory leaving a chance for Ted Turner to enter the business. 1. Introduction 1. 1 Background of Wrestling World Wrestling Federation (WWF) is one of the most well known association in the world, especially, among men and boys.Many people may misunderstand that it is a gentlemen fighting club as well as other ones such as WBA, WBF or K-1. However, according to its owner, Vince McMahon Jr. , WWF is in an entertainment business, not wrestling one. The wrestling, originally showed in circus, has long history in American entertainment business. There are several regional wrestlers and promoters. Their domains are clearly divided and the gentlemens agreement to respect their domain and others had ruled for two decades, until Vince McMahon Jr. entered into the business.About Vince McMahon Vince McMahon Jr. followed his father footsteps became a wrestling promoter after he had struggled in bitter life with his stepfathers. Despite his father firstly discourage him to join the business, McMahon Jr. was fulled with inspiration and ambition to succeed in this business. Being trained by his father provided him valueable experiences which cannot be acquired through other promoters espectially the McMahons domain covered big cities like Washington, D. C. , Boston and New York City.Operating wresting matches in Madison Square Garden would be a great classroom for young McMahon, and also had a chance to study the television side of the operation. One fortunate day, he had a chance to try ring announcer because an absence of his fathers ringside announcers and his talent was recognised. By taking up this position full time, McMahon started to understand viewers wants. When McMahon Sr. was retiring as a result of cancer, McMahon Jr. had to buy the WWF outright instead of take it over from his father.The first move of McMahon was harsh and beyond the line of wrestling promoters that borders are no longer respected. 1. 3 Rising of the WWF In the first year of taking control the WWF, McMahon started to create next generation fans focusing on kids in town and tried to eliminate the border idea which had ruled wrestling for years. Television is the strongest and most effective influnce in such big country like the U. S. Soon, half of the country on the eastern coast could see the WWF at home. Certainly, McMahons breach of borders caused conflicts with other promoters.However, to win the competition was not as tough as it seemed. McMahon accurately estimated his competitors were lack of business experience. Most of them were former wrestlers and overestimated McMahon by the tremendous presence of the WWF in TV. As a result, these rivals gave up their territories and the WWF now broadcast across the country. After TV media achieved the WWF to counquer national territory, McMahon then move forward to cable network with a vision that this can increase revenues by pay-per-view, at the same time, it extends fan-club base.Merchandises and licensing revenues such as action figures, foam fingers, cereals and many other toys generated enomous amount of money from the popularity of the WWF. The WWF was not about only wrestling things anymore, opening the matches with rock concerts, explosions and excitement of speculators fascinate speculators and attracted millions of viewers at home. Growing together with the cable, the WWF became world-wide wrestling team. Japanese, Mexican and Canadian wrestlers were imported to the WWF and these contenders dared to do more dare-devil actions for fames and fortune.WCW: A New Challenger Ted Turner owned a cable television empire and broadcasted the WWF programme in his TBS station. Turner wanted to join the business with McMahon but the agreement could not happen, followed by the move away of the WWF from TBS and McMahon sold a territory out. Ted Turner then bought the territory and established the World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The WCW was an out-of-leage competitor at the first, but with capital reserve, cable networks and patience, he turned up to be a dangerous competitor McMahon ever faced.Eric Bischoff was a hero brought the WCW to superior the WWF. Bischoff attcked the weak point of the WWF which, at that time, struggled with the governments investigation of a steroid drug distribution scandal. As a result, many of WWF wrestlers were recruited to the WCW camp, started from former WWF superstars like Hogan and Savage, then stars on the stage like Lex Luger. The competition was getting intense for the WWF when a contract of its greatest wrestler, Bret Hart, was about to expire. McMahon offered an undenieable contract to Bret Hart to keep majority of the WWFs fans.Unfortunately, the outcome of the contract did not pay out. Fans strangely started to like a vilainous wrestler and Harts popularity was declining. Bret Hart turned not to be as worth as his paid. Hart could be neither a perfect hero nor a horrible villain. McMahon decided to cut the losses by shifting Hart to the WCW. Worse than that, conflicts between Hart and Shawn Michaels got too far to be just scripted. The competition between the WWF and the WCW had points to analyse and learn from it. 2. Case Analyses 2. 1 How did vince McMahon Build the WWF?Wrestling used to be stricted by a gentlemens agreement that not to invade other promoters domain. But Vince McMahon was a liberated promoter who started to break the agreement. McMahon took advantages of medias, his weak opponents and his territory was likely giving him better oppotunity. 1. Medias Firstly, he convinced a regional television station to broadcast his shows. The taped programme is possibly more attractive than live program because the shows is more intense, scenes are selected and exciting point can be replayed, zoom up or even re-filmed to make it better.In addition, almost everyhouse in the U. S. has television. Wrestling can be seen in by every one in the area, as easy as push a remote-control button. McMahon had a vision to use cable network to broadcast the WWFs shows. Cable was not only to extend the WWFs domain to oversea, but also unexpectedly bring back dare-devil wrestler from oversea. In addition, television was common way all over America to enter the others domain. Regardless of differences in states, American people are likely addicted to television. RAW, a Monday Night programme, was the extended programme from McMahon to tide fans with the WWF.Weak Opponents McMahon analysed his opponents correctly. Because he had been trained with his father before, this provided him deep understanding of other promotors background. In every competition, well understanding of opponent are crucial in order to defeat rivals. Most of promotors were former wrestler, lack of business experience. Moreover, at that time, wrestling was not the business generate revenues for the promotors so much thus low capital reserve was the other factor reduced endurance to compete in the business.McMahons opponents might think that it was not worth to compete with big promoter like McMahon for a low-income business, plus, they might not have knowledge to compete. 3. His territory McMahon had such a resourceful territory where cover major metropolitan on the eastern coast. Firstly, McMahons income would be relatively higher than other promoters due to a great number of population in the area. Dealing events with large corporates in New York City would give him incredibly greater experience than other promoters to organise business in environment that competition is cruelly intense.McMahon learned to use medias to manipulate market trend as same as other companies in New York do. McMahon had opportunities to learn, try and develop his business strategy. So, with his vision to dominate the business, his position provided him abundant resources to do so. Innovatively, the WWF presented viewers more than typical wrestling like others. McMahon carefully created fascinasting characters for his wrestlers. Each character has its own distinctive charisma. Wrestlers are clearly seperated into two groups: babyface (good guy) and chief heel (bad guy).Matches were about competing between good and evil, full of enthusiasm spectators cheered their wrestler. Regardless of the fact that the result of the fight were decided by McMahon, viewers were still keen to watch it because of charmful characters. Costumes also accent the characters personality. And the WWF was not only about wrestlers on the ring any more, but also the WWF wrestlers lifestyle were broadcasted, showing ordinary people participated in their life to show on TV, helping fans keeptrack of the alliances.This strategy wisely increased enthusiasm in the WWF fans, and create brand loyalty. McMahon expose wrestlers in his camp variously in other entermaint business such as movies and music. On the other hands, celebrities in these business were brought to present in the WWFs matches opening. The WWF matches provided more exciting shows than others: started with the rock concert, explosions, elevated platforms and breathtaking matches that everyone waiting for.Many wrestlers in the WWF becomes rock stars or movie stars. Hulk Hogan was a famous one and the recent one is the Rock who has several movies in Hollywood. Sometimes, the wrestlers were invited to present in talk shows, telling fans about their private life. This marketing strategy is to repeatedly shows the product (the WWF wrestlers) to consumers, generating familarity and increase visibility of product which increase purchasing possibility, in the other words, viewers become the WWF fans.