He was “The Greatest.” Muhammad Ali, who suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, died June 3rd, at the age of 74. His skills in the boxing ring were the stuff of legend. He won the heavyweight title three times and his bouts with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman are considered some of the best in history. He was criticized for being brash, converting to Islam and vilified for refusing to be drafted during Vietnam. That changed. American society and the world would embrace him. He transcended the world of sports, became the most recognized human on the planet and one of the most beloved.
Boxing as Branding
Ali was also one of the first athletes to recognize his viability as a brand, and he became a genius at marketing.
He borrowed his boasting, egotistical style from the world of professional wrestling. His taunting of opponents, and pre-fight bravado were all for show, designed to increase box office sales. His mouth was his social media.
Ali helped create his own legend, lived up to it, and left us with some great lessons in marketing.
Here are five marketing lessons from Muhammad Ali:
- Tell the world about your accomplishments. You may be “The Greatest,” but how is your market going to know if they aren’t told?
- If you’re going to boast, back it up. If you claim to be the best then you better offer the best.
- Don’t be afraid to lose. Most of Ali’s loses were outside of the ring, but he managed to get back up and rise victorious.
- Make your words memorable storytelling. Everyone knows that Ali could “float like butterfly, sting like a bee.” What’s your story?
- Love your audience. Ali was approachable, never refused an autograph and gave his fans his time and respect. What does your audience mean to you? Make sure they know it.
Ali was a unique man with a champion “product” who knew how to make himself stand out. That is marketing at its finest.
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