Are you a new athlete in the boxing scene, and you’re not sure how to expose yourself to get noticed? This article will let you know how to market yourself as a boxer.
Let’s briefly discuss what boxing is and its history. Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. The sport happens in a boxing ring and involves two people wearing protective gear like gloves or boxing gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards. The mechanics are pretty simple; they throw punches at each other for a prearranged amount of time. The term boxing is commonly attributed to Western boxing since fists are involved. Globally, boxing today is also a set of combat sports focused on striking in which two people go against each other in a fight using their fists and other actions like kicking, elbow strikes, knee strikes, and headbutts, depending on the rules. There are also other variants of boxing like bare-knuckle boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Lethwei, savate, and sanda. Other boxing techniques have been integrated into many martial arts, military systems, and other combat sports.
Many of us know how the sport has elevated throughout history, and it’s usually filled with raw emotions. This sport has found a home in marketing because it has given brands a special platform to establish a connection with the fans of the boxers or the fans of the sport.
You’re the Brand
To market yourself as a boxer, you need to remember that the main focus of marketing boxing is that you’re turning yourself into a brand. In today’s media, the boxer is more than just an athlete. The media would want to dive into your personal life, how you train, your inspirations, and all that sort. When they get that out, potential sponsors will see it, and it will draw them in to work with you on your journey. Take a look at the factors below that could help you market yourself.
Character Development:
This falls into the category of your personal life, as fans are into compelling stories like your past experiences, struggles, and victories. These can draw in potential sponsors and more audiences.
Social Media Mastery:
If you’re active on social media applications and websites, these will help you connect with your fans. Fans love it when the person they admire or idolize notices them by replying to their posts or comments, reposting their posts, and so on. If you share some of your moments in your private schedule, your training, and the behind-the-scenes of a competition, this will help increase your following and views.
Visual Identity:
Be a fighter with a strong visual identity so that you can stand out. An example of this would be logos, merchandise, and consistent branding.
Your Fight as the Product
What you’re marketing as a boxer is your fight. Your matches will be marketed by your sponsors to draw in more audiences, generate hype, and increase sales of your sponsor’s products. We also have three factors that will help draw in a larger audience.
Storytelling:
To get people excited about your boxing match, people need to create a story around it. The media will be able to highlight that, but for that to happen, the matchmaking needs to be carefully thought out so they can create a rivalry between you and the other fighter. They could also showcase the upcoming boxers or bring back the legendary boxers.
Media Partnerships:
As mentioned above, the media will be able to highlight your upcoming match with the help of press conferences, media day events, and exclusive 1-on-1 interviews.
Pay-Per-View Promotion: Your match can be viewed through a pay-per-view promotion. This will significantly increase the revenue stream, but effective marketing is important, so this could work.
Endorsing like a Celebrity
When you become a boxer who’s on the same level as celebrities, you’re able to capture the audience’s attention with the endorsements they’re doing. An example of this would be a specific brand of sneakers being worn by a well-known athlete such as LeBron James. Since there are people who respect him, he’s able to make a big impact on sales and make the shoes popular.
When you get to this level, here are some factors that will help you market as an endorser.
Matching the target audience:
Brands or sponsors should be mindful when selecting their boxers to see if their image matches their target audience. An example would be a boxer who’s into pets like cats or dogs. Pet-related companies would be able to work with them to promote their products.
Authenticity:
Brands or sponsors are starting to be more cautious about who they connect with. They prefer it if they build a genuine connection between the boxer and the product that they have to build trust in.
Social Responsibility as a Boxer
There have been boxers who use their platform to advocate for important causes, which many people find admirable.
Marketing for a Cause:
If you partner with charities or non-profit organizations, it will boost your image and attract socially conscious consumers.
Engaging with fans:
If you involve fans in charitable initiatives, it can cultivate a sense of community and loyalty.
Boxing in the Digital Age
Some new platforms and technologies offer great opportunities for marketing and fan engagement. These platforms are Twitch and YouTube for live streaming. VR, or virtual reality, has also built a connection between fans and the sport, and technologies have analyzed the behavior of fans and their preferences, which can help develop marketing campaigns and create customized experiences.
Boxing has its ingrained drama and passion, which continue to fascinate the platform for marketing. When you understand the sport, its fans, and the media growth, brands can create campaigns that can convey powerful results. In conclusion, as sports evolve, the strategies for promoting them will evolve too.
In other news, Genting Casino has an insight into boxing.
