Quoted By:
From Forbes;
>Sports entertainment is hot right now, but maybe not as hot as Old El Paso taco sauce. At least, that’s what the WWE is hoping. The company just announced a 10 year “multi billion dollar” deal which will see WWE superstars engage with the variety of brands under the General Mills umbrella.
>”We have been a world leader in entertainment and we’re excited to work with a word leader in food products,” explained WWE CEO Nick Khan. “Cinnamon Toast Crunch will have a strong presence at Wrestlemania, our biggest show of the year. We want people at home to feel like this isn’t an ad, this is part of the show. Cinnamon Toast Crunch will be as integral as the ring, the wrestlers, or the cameras.”
>It’s an interesting prospect for General Mills CEO Jeffrey Harmening as well. He views WWE as a direct outlet to the most important resource of any company - the consumer.
>”Imagine having a can of Progresso soup and finding out a fact about your favorite superstar. Or eating a bag of Totino’s and getting a chance to go backstage. These are concepts beyond marketing, they’re pure brand engagement and synergy between our entertainment forms.”
> Nick Khan went on to explain that the average WWE fan thrives with this kind of marketing.
>”Our fan base is passionate about the brand. If we put a WWE logo on a bottle of water, they’ll buy it. Sometimes I wish we put it on soap and deodorant. I’m kidding, of course, but you get the idea. We have a massive fan base with disposable income, free time, and lower standards than, say, a hardcore movie fan or a football fan. Not in a bad way, I just mean that they’ll gladly purchase anything we put out, they’re less picky about these things.”
>It seems like this Smackdown might be coming to your breakfast table any day now.
