By and large, professional wrestlers are viewed as “independent contractors.” What this means is that they are responsible for covering their own food, travel, and a number of other amenities associated with life on the road. With the advent of social media, one might add “marketing” to that very list. Speaking as both a wrestling fan and someone who’s deeply involved in online marketing, watching this development over the past number of years has been fascinating.
By: Rob Sutter
By and large, professional wrestlers are viewed as “independent contractors.” What this means is that they are responsible for covering their own food, travel, and a number of other amenities associated with life on the road. With the advent of social media, one might add “marketing” to that very list. Speaking as both a wrestling fan and someone who’s deeply involved in online marketing, watching this development over the past number of years has been fascinating.
World Wrestling Entertainment, the biggest wrestling company in the world, encourages its talent to operate their own Twitter accounts. Not only does this allow fans to communicate with their favorite wrestlers, but it gives wrestlers the opportunity to showcase their personalities beyond what’s seen on television. For the sake of context, Monday Night RAW is three hours long, a stretch of time that cannot be easily used to develop all of its talent. As a result, Twitter has become a secondary avenue for promotion.
One of the best examples of this would be Kevin Owens, one of the more popular stars on WWE’s current roster. Owens is portrayed as a “heel,” the wrestling term for villain. In late March, someone tweeted to Owens, playfully requesting, “words of indifference lacking compassion and empathy,” following surgery. Owens’ response was, in true heel fashion, “You’re fine, shut up.” After following his account – in addition to many others – it’s safe to say that pro wrestlers have become their own marketers, whether they realize it or not.
This is especially true when you move away from big companies like WWE, shifting your focus to independent organizations. Those who aren’t signed to any one promotion fit the aforementioned “independent contractor” status best. Go to any independent show and you’ll probably find wrestlers at individual tables selling autographs and t-shirts. It’s also likely that they will be on social media, posting or tweeting their availability, as well as means of contacting them for the rates they charge. Not everyone is contracted by a major organization, which means that they have to sell themselves.
Of course, wrestlers can be creative with how they do this, especially on social media. Owens, as mentioned earlier, practically operates his Twitter account in character, which makes it more entertaining. This isn’t to say that all accounts follow this logic, as others are more personal by comparison. Damien Sandow, for example, leaves his TV character at the door. Unlike his egotistical “Intellectual Savior” character, Sandow exhibits a gracious, professional attitude to his fans with each message he sends. One could call him an underground Twitter hero for this reason. Whether it’s in character or completely outside of it, consistency on social media usually attracts the most attention.
Fellow pro wrestling fans, do you share the sentiment that these athletes function as their own marketers? Please leave any and all thoughts below in the comments!
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