Mayweather-Marquez: Getting the word out  

If the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view promotion isn’t successful, as some predict, it won’t be for lack of trying.

The promoters -– Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions –- and HBO have unleashed a marketing campaign that might be unprecedented in the sport, by both traditional and cutting-edge means.

And their efforts aren’t meant solely for the Sept. 19 fight; they intend to take advantage of new ways to communicate in order to reach a larger audience and help the sport grow.

“Oscar De La Hoya was the engine of the sport for well over a decade,” Mark Taffet of HBO said on a conference call that also featured Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. “He recently retired, which gave a number of us in the sport the motivation and impetus to prove the sport can continue to be vital and grow.

“… To do that, we need to utilize new outlets. We’re confident we have the right formula.”

Golden Boy and Mayweather have used traditional means of getting the word out, including news conferences. And HBO’s 24/7, a popular reality series designed to sell the fight, is in its sixth carnation.

That was only the start, though. As Schaefer said, “Where ever you turn, you’re going to see the fight one way or another.”

Promos are appearing before movies at 170 theaters across the country, which will show the fight live. Hotels are running promos on their default channels, meaning it could be the first thing you see when you turn on the TV. And, of course, HBO is airing commercials.

Sponsors have displays at retail stores. Tecate is offering customers rebates that can actually exceed the pay-per-view cost ($49.95). And the number of sponsors –- AT&T, Tecate, Dewalt, Affliction, Quaker State, Southwest Airlines and more –- is striking, particularly considering the past.

“When we formed Golden Boy Promotions five years ago, there were virtually no sponsors left in boxing,” Schaefer said. “What we had to do was start from scratch. I think there were a couple of beer brands left. Other than that, there were no significant sponsors. We had to get companies interested in the sport, convince them how great boxing is, that it’s not as bad as they thought or heard about.

“We’ve been developing relationships. And we’ve done a good job.”

The promoters seem to have broken new ground by using contemporary technology in an attempt to expand the sport’s fan base, particularly to young people who are more interested in Mixed Martial Arts than boxing.

For example, the weigh-in on the day before the fight -– hosted by comedian George Lopez -– will be shown live on AT&T mobile phones. Affliction, a trendy clothing company, is selling Mayweather-Marquez T-shirts before the fight as well as at it. HBO believes 24/7 reaches younger viewers in a way that hits home. And iTunes is including the favorites of Mayweather and Marquez on its celebrity playlists.

It’s all part of a plan to sell the event and grow the sport in the most up-to-date means possible.

“Hunger to Go Younger,” Taffet said. “That’s our mantra. We wear it every day on our sleeve every day as we push the sport forward.”

Some observers expect the Mayweather-Marquez promotion to fail, at least relative to other big events.

They acknowledge that Mayweather has been involved in some of the biggest pay-per-view events but only as the “B” side to opponents like Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. They doubt whether he can carry a promotion.

And, they say, Marquez doesn’t help much. He has a fan base among Mexicans and Mexican-Americans but that will go only so far in terms of pay-per-view buys. Plus, UFC has a pay-per-view event the same night as the fight.

Schaefer was asked whether poor pay-per-view numbers would be particularly disappointing in light of the massive marketing campaign. He doesn’t seem to be worried.

“We feel very comfortable with the tracking of the big fight, the big showdown,” he said. “It’s a great card top to bottom. We have the right marketing behind it. I’m not really worried about being disappointed. And I don’t think anybody will be disappointed.”

Source: ringtv.com