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Ouch! Can business PR learn anything from boxing?

Boxing promoters are good at hype. You don’t have to be a fight fan to notice. Pre-fight press conferences have always been a stage. Muhammed Ali was a very good self-publicist, Chisora and Haye less so. Now Peterson is wading in on Khan ahead of their rematch. It starts with words. Is there anything businesses can learn from all of this?

It may not seem obvious. We are not talking about executives slugging it out at press conferences or spitting at rivals as they walk by exhibition booths (although on occasions some may wish they could).

Understanding why boxing generates interest by playing to basic human instincts is important for anyone wanting to publicise their business.

You don’t need big gloves and a shiny dressing gown either, although you can in truth wear what you like. Here we have outlined some key fundamentals…

Conflict – it’s the Ali of the PR world. If there is conflict there is a story and the media love it. If a business can generate conflict (anti-legislation, bad practice, poor execution, disruptive tech, evil pricing strategies etc) there is always opportunity.
Shock – stunts can work. Sacha Baron-Cohen is the king of stunts at the moment but boxers have been doing it for years. Ali and Fraser were at it years before Haye. Doing something different, out of the ordinary, turning ideas upside down or putting products in unusual places – this can work. Sometimes it’s worth taking a risk.
Problem – Identifying problems can work well. Pointing out weaknesses in market trends, technologies, government policy, statistics, popular notions and so on. If it’s worth knocking, knock it but you have to back it up.
Humour – Funny is good. If it’s funny it will be shared, re-tweeted and referenced. Snappy and insightful comments that have humour can also work. Although there is another rule here – if you can’t be funny, don’t try.
Solution – Boxers have solutions. Saying you will KO someone by the fifth round shows confidence, or a suggestion that said boxer is part of a dodgy betting ring and planning to fix the fight. It’s good to have solutions to problems but over-selling can lead to egg on face. Products and services need to solve problems.

[sound of bell ringing]

Endnote: Has anyone else noticed how good the Klitchko brothers are outside of the ring? They play straight and behave decently, letting others around them slap and spit and brawl. It’s a bit boring but as long as they are winning no one will care. I know some brands like this…

And finally...

Muhammad Ali vs Floyd Patterson Pre-fight hype and interview

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Comments (1)

Great points for PR pros to remember and especially useful when looking for strategic or tactical ideas beyond product- or service-related publicity.
Really like going at it from the Problem and Humor (US speaker here) angles.

Ford Kanzler posted this comment 1 year ago

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Ouch! Can business PR learn anything from boxing?

Muhammad Ali vs Floyd Patterson Pre-fight hype and interview

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