The Challenge
The surging popularity of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) had led to impressive growth and a high public profile for both the company brand and its superstars. But the success has not been without detractors. As WWE itself concedes, "Our content isn't for everyone."
WWE approached APCO to help improve public perceptions and present a positive, responsible image to appeal to politicians, the media, parents, advertisers and the wider community. WWE is a responsible programmer and civic-minded corporation, but was having difficulty getting these attributes across to the right audiences.
The Solution
- Develop educational and political grass-roots programs to engage young people in socially responsible activities.
- Educate key political and community influencers about WWE's socially responsible activities.
- Demonstrate WWE's commitment to empowering parents to make informed choices about children's television viewing.
APCO leveraged WWE's popularity with young people by engaging young and first-time voters in the political process through Smackdown Your Vote!, a voter registration program in partnership with MTV, Project Vote Smart and the National Association of Secretaries of State.
The program included:
- Media outreach around a series of public events to raise the profile of the campaign, including attendance at Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
- Working with high school "ambassadors" to hold sign-up rallies in high schools across the country.
- WWE college scholarships for those student ambassadors with the most ambitious voter registration plans.
- An interactive website to provide information on WWE show content and empower parents to make informed decisions about their children's viewing.
|
 |
In addition, APCO designed a campaign to introduce WWE executives to key Members of Congress and address misconceptions about WWE and its programming.
The Result
The campaign was a confirmed success in terms of engaging young people in the political process and communicating WWE's positive messages.
200,000 new voters registered across the country and Smackdown Your Vote! received positive coverage from the national media, Members of Congress and youth organizations. Participation in the national political conventions opened constructive dialogue between WWE and policy makers. The parents' interactive website is a valuable resource in the United States and beyond for those who wish to educate themselves about WWE's programming.
Services Provided
- Coalition building
- Community affairs & strategic philanthropy
- Creative services
- Issue management
- Media relations
- Online communication
- Positioning
View all APCO services
Back to Case Studies
Back to Americas Case Studies
|
APCO has helped us build relationships with various constituencies important to our business, from educators to elected officials. The campaigns APCO developed for us added tangible value to our business and helped us use our immense popularity to encourage young people to become more engaged in their communities and in other positive endeavors.
