MetroPCS & UFC
SITUATION: Similar to what we set out to accomplish with the USAB program, the genesis of a UFC partnership was born out of a strategy and a need to further the brand and make MetroPCS relevant to young consumers. It's no secret that in recent years we've seen the wireless industry steadily increase its content offerings in an attempt to win over and keep customers (e.g., Verizon - NFL, Sprint - NBA, etc.).
SOLUTION: The wireless category is of course a crowded space within the sponsorship world, with the big four carriers having annual budgets that dwarf that of MetroPCS. We again turned to syndicated data to figure out where the opportunities might overlap against our target (16-34-year-olds). Amongst those opportunities, we saw that the UFC over-indexed tremendously and served the necessary geographic requirements. We knew it would be a tough sell to the client though, due to the violent nature of the sport. In the end, it was the definitive research that won them over. There is overwhelming data that shows that young people are increasingly consuming and seeking out extreme sports and the UFC is at the forefront. MetroPCS needed to make a big splash to establish itself and prove that it belonged in the space with the other big carriers. At the very center of ideation and concept development around a UFC partnership, were user content offerings. If consumers could get exclusive UFC news and content only with MetroPCS, wouldn’t that make fans considers us? What started as ideas, were eventually baked into the program. Content offerings like, Inside the Octagon clips, fighter profiles, 360-degree knockout views, athlete mini-vignettes, and Battle Ready segments are just some examples of the exclusive content that is currently available for MetroPCS users.
RESULTS: Since launching UFC content on MetroStudio (Metro’s download portal) in March, 2012 user traffic has increased 16% as of 2013. MetroPCS has since signed a multi-year contract with UFC resulting in multiple broadcast spots as well as extensive in-store and social developments and increased real-time interactions during fight nights and fan participation.
