One of the best things that you can do in your Internet Marketing activities is to establish a presence that makes you and your material instantly identifiable. I’m talking, of course, about BRANDING or creating a “style.”

To have an instantly recognisable persona or logo or style will set you apart from the millions and millions of other wannabes out there.

You will notice that I have, over a period of time now, been using two “brands,” so to speak. I refer, of course, to “TheGazzMan” on Twitter and my blog here which I have branded as the “Temple.” You may think this is corny or ostentatious of me. I don’t care. Branding works. When people hear of the “Temple” they know what it is. And when they hear my alter-ego name they know who I am too. Or soon will.

I refer also to Nikki Stephens who has established herself as the “Purple Minxy Witch” residing at her “Lair of Temptation.” Yeah, it’s outrageous and funny and clever, all rolled into one. And that is what branding is all about. Go and have a look at www.nikkistephens.com as Nikki rolls out her new look blog - purple, of course.

Moving right along…

Love it or hate it, one of the most brilliant examples (IMHO) of endless branding of “personalities” and events can be seen by watching the WWE - the World Wrestling Entertainment.

In a world full of endless negativity the WWE provides entertainment to millions of people who are desperate for an escape from the constant threats and warnings and danger messages being sent out by so-called “TV news” stations, radio stations and newspapers. They are all feeding the masses with what I call - well there are no other words for it - endless negative CRAP! And I will have a LOT more to say about this very soon. So, watch out for it.

So… BRANDING… what can we learn from the WWE? In my opinion - PLENTY!

Let’s look at the facts:

1 - Every WWE event is sold out.
2 - The WWE is watched by millions of people on pay per view TV
3 - WWE wrestlers and personalities are unbelievably popular
4 - WWE merchandising is a multi-million dollar industry

Why?

Well, it’s deceptively simple - personalities and story lines. Entertainment. So, let me ask you this… in your Internet Marketing are YOU entertaining? Coz if you are BORING then you will be like every other dead leaf falling from the tree.

In the WWE, the personalities are bizarre and the story lines are even more bizarre. But it WORKS. People EAT it up. The happenings at the WWE are outrageously rememberable.

Let me provide some well-known examples (and favourite “characters” of mine):

Hulk Hogan - the “Hulkster” as he is known is probably the most loved and iconic figure in the WWE of all time. He is a massive man with long blonde straggly hair and a matching zapata style moustache, wearing bright yellow wrestling tights and boots to match. He most often wears a red t-shirt that he rips off and throws into the crowd prior to his “matches,” sending members of the audience scrambling to retrieve it.

In his day, Hulk Hogan drove the crowds wild by taking on the biggest, baddest foes and getting “beaten up” by the likes of 7′2″ Andre the Giant, 7′0″ Big John Studd and the 500lb 6′4″ bald-headed, baby-faced, King Kong Bundy. All of those names mentioned all had their own personas and were known as “heels” - that is, wrestlers who were “bad” and who the crowds loved to HATE. (so there was passion!).

Each of these wrestlers also had their so-called “signature” finishing moves too. Hulk Hogan used to have the “leg drop” where he would jump in the air and come crashing down on his opponent with the back of his leg. This, of course, was after taking a terrible beating. Then he would just rise up, shaking his entire body, apparently impervious to pain, Then it was his turn to do the beating up which would almost always finish up with him winning by using his TRADEMARK move of the leg drop.

Hulk Hogan, via the WWE’s marketing arm, would sell everything from bandanas bearing another trademark term “Hulkamaniac” to plastic figurines to watches to towels and even mugs and cups - anything and everything, in fact.

The “Rock” - Perhaps the most outrageous “trash-talker” that the WWE has ever had. His “interviews” were full of ridiculous comments, banter, rhymes, sayings and quotes. He would often throw his head back and cry out: “If ya smell what the Rock… is cookin’!” with his tongue waggling all the way through it. I have to say, that used to make me laugh every time coz it was so utterly ridiculous. And the crowds would be sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for him to do it too. They LOVED it.

The Rock also had other equally recognisable crazy antics like the “raised eyebow”, which he dubbed “The People’s Eyebrow” and endless talking about his genitals which he would refer to as the “strudel” or the “Rock’s package.” After drawing attention to that area he would then admonish the interviewers and camera people for looking at it. It was so ridiculously funny. The Rock - Dwayne Johnson - was by far the funniest wrestler of all time and he has since gone on to star in many Hollywood movies.

The Rock’s TRADEMARK finishing move was “The People’s Elbow” where he would poleaxe his opponent in the centre of the ring, use his feet to shove the hapless opponent’s arms together, remove his elbow bands and throw them into the crowd and then commence a ritual of moves that saw him race from one side of the ring to the other jumping over the opponent up to four or five times. Then he would fire his arms and legs out in all sorts of vertical break-dancing moves like he was having an epileptic fit and finally drop the elbow on the opponent. This eventually happened after this massive amount of showmanship - which the crowd always went absolutely crazy over.

Triple H - Hunter Hearst Helmsley - One of the greatest “champions” of the modern era of professional wrestling. Also known as “The Game” with even a song written for him along with dramatic music and a light show that he would enter the stadium to. It would only take a few bars of the song to be played for most of the 1000’s of people in the stadium to rise to their feet as one.

Triple H wore his HHH brand on the backside of his wrestling tights. After strolling into the stadium and “threatening” various members of the audience he would jump up onto the apron of the ring, turn to face the screaming fans, douse his hair with water from a plastic bottle, gulp some and then spray it out in a mist at the cameras.

Triple H almost always wins every match against all comers. He manages this by using his own signature move - the “Pedigree” where he traps his opponent’s head between his knees, lifts their shoulders and then drops his knees and his opponent’s head into the canvas, supposedly knocking his opponent senseless for the pin.

There are many more examples of “branded” wrestlers, their managers and other support staff who use instantly recognisable personas, music, outfits and signature moves to TRADEMARK themselves.

Love it or hate it the World Wrestling Entertainment industry has been exciting crowds like nothing else for over 25 years now - ever since its first “Wrestlemania” event. Wrestlemania XXV has just been and this entertainment phenomena just keeps getting stronger and stronger.

Now I make no comment nor do I want any about the allegations and proof of drug taking and all the deaths of these wrestlers over the years. My commentary here is all about BRANDING and TRADEMARKING of individuals.

I invite your comments and I would be very pleased if you would pick a wrestler that has annoyed, amused, delighted or disgusted you and tell us a little bit about why that is so. You can describe outfits, traits, signature moves, outrageous sayings… whatever. But let’s keep the comments to the purpose of this post please - BRANDING.

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Filed under: Andre the Giant • Big John Studd • Branding • Gary Simpson • Hulk Hogan • King kong Bundy • The Rock • Trademark • Triple H • WWE • World Wrestling Entertainment • Wrestlemania • internet marketing

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