4
OUR THOUGHTS ON
Is UFC dangerous for brands?
The UFC has seen unprecedented growth since its
inception in 1993. It now hosts over 40 events per
year, shown in 120 countries and broadcasts to
over one million viewers regularly. Furthermore,
the announcement of UFC superstar Conor
McGregor taking on Boxing legend Floyd
Mayweather in August has elevated its popularity
to stratospheric heights, firmly establishing the
UFC as a mainstream brand.
Indeed, it’s the rise of personalities like
McGregor that has given the UFC its bite,
establishing the brand amongst a growing
audience, thereby attracting more and more
commercial opportunities. But when it comes to a
partnership with the UFC, what sort of stance
should brands adopt? Should they dive in, or keep
their guard up?
The opportunity for brands to tap into the UFC is
obvious – young adults, a simple audience and
marketplace with few competing brands, and,
increasingly, the chance to activate across the
globe. But it’s important to understand how
consumers perceive the UFC, to see which brands
will find it an appropriate and commercially
beneficial property to get involved with.
Leo Burnett’s Sponsor DNA analyses customer
perceptions of sponsorship properties and brands
according to 14 key metrics allowing us to dissect
the fabric of a property. This evaluation shows us
that the UFC over-indexes against all other events
on perceptions of "innovation", "uniqueness" and
"popularity" – a green flag for brands looking to
strengthen their own brand perceptions in those
areas.
These findings could pose exciting opportunities
for brands such as Microsoft and Omega,
who similarly are perceived as highly
innovative and looking for new, interesting
ways to push their standing as forward-thinking
brands. Contrasting the UFC, and sports like it,
with more traditional sports and events
highlights just how innovative and fresh
consumers think it to be. For example, the
Premier League, The London Marathon and The
Football League are completely outscored on
innovation – 10% below the average, compared
to events like the UFC and Formula E, which
are 15% above.
Reebok’s relationship with the UFC stands out
as an example of the right dynamic between
sponsor and property. They have, quite simply,
captured the market, negotiating complete
ownership of the fighters in their category,
including clothing, equipment and authority
over any personal sponsorship deals fighters
have in place.
Another example is Samsung, a brand for which
innovation is critical. Samsung has recently
moved to capitalise on the UFC opportunity
with a partnership announced in May that will
allow fights to be live-streamed through their
new GEAR VR headsets.
In short, the UFC is a promising and relatively
untapped market for sponsors, presenting a
tremendous opportunity for brands looking to
align themselves with a sport that encapsulates
innovation within the mainstream; as long as
their values align with the UFC and they can
summon best-in-class activations to make the
most of the platform. And yet, no matter how
accepted it becomes in the mainstream, this
bloodthirsty sport will always be a punch too
far some brands to step into the Octagon.