The McGregor [marketing] Playbook 🥊
When it comes to marketing your brand, businesses can take a lot out of the Conor McGregor playbook.
It has been over a week since the famous bout between the Irishman and Floyd 'Money' Mayweather, yet social media is still dripping with articles about what is likely to happen next.
Let's make a few notes. First, McGregor - for all his MMA pedigree - was a debutant in the sport of boxing. A debutant facing off against the best fighter in this weight division the world is likely to ever see.
His fighting style was mocked universally (Google McGregor noodle arms for a giggle), he threw overhead 'hammer' punches during the match and ultimately ran out of steam before the 12 rounds was up.
A spectacle, sure, but McGregor is not the best boxer the world has ever seen. In fact, he is a far cry from it.
But now the next wave of candidates to enter the ring with him is bloating out to extraordinary lengths. Even newly-crowned Aussie star Jeff Horn has been linked to McGregor, as has Roger Federer in a dream tennis match (which, of course, is in jest).
This is a man who strutted around the world like he had won before he even entered the ring. Who mercilessly mocked the world's best and threw dollar bills at him in the ultimate insult.
He swore and swaggered better than the great heavyweights like Tyson, Ali and Frazier ever could. A debutant, let that soak in again.
And he was beaten, worked into submission by a boxer who had far more right to wear the belt than McGregor. But more than a week later, Mayweather and his 50-0 record has been left far in the rear vision mirror.
A new wave of fight fans, casual and serious, are clamoring to hear what will happen with the McGregor show next.
Why? Because the man can sell his brand. And in the modern world, business needs to be able to emulate that feat.
In a digital age of disposable posts and Tweets, the loudest and brashest will always attract the greater market share.
Being the best isn't good enough anymore, you don't even have to be the best to be the one that reaches the greatest audience.
It's a lesson for every start-up, every small to medium business enterprise: don't be the submissive debutant who can't, be the brave debutant who knows they can. Social media will line up to follow your every move.
