MMS GS Tori Eurton

Noel Beaulieu
19 Apr 201707:55

Summary

TLDRTori Orton, VP Creative at Zing Promotion Group, shares her journey in sports marketing, highlighting her diverse experience from equestrian to professional wrestling. She details the successful campaign for WrestleMania 24, which involved creative tactics like building wraps and airport greetings, resulting in record-breaking attendance and pay-per-view sales. Orton advises aspiring marketers to follow their passion, think outside the box, and gain hands-on experience to excel in the industry.

Takeaways

  • 🏆 Tori Orton is the vice president of creative at Zing Promotion Group, with a diverse sports marketing background including equestrian, drag racing, IHL hockey, golf, and professional wrestling.
  • 👨‍👧‍👦 Her initial exposure to sports marketing came from her father, a professional equestrian, and her brother, where she helped market their horse show operation and find sponsors.
  • 🎨 Her first job in sports marketing was with an ad agency in Atlanta as an account executive for the Atlanta Knights, an IHL team and a farm team for Tampa Bay Lightning.
  • 🔥 Zing Promotion Group is a full-service promotional marketing agency specializing in brand activation and consumer engagement through various strategies.
  • 🏆 In 2008, Tori's agency was involved in promoting WrestleMania 24, a major WWE event, which she considers one of the top campaigns in her career.
  • 📈 WrestleMania 24 was a record-breaking event with over 75,000 attendees at the Florida Citrus Bowl and over six million dollars in ticket sales.
  • 🎨 The marketing campaign delivered over 16 million impressions and utilized various tactics including projection media, building wraps, and transportation branding.
  • 🌆 A unique marketing approach was taken to welcome visitors to Orlando with a 180-foot logo and brand ambassadors in the airport, dressed in red boxing robes to promote the event.
  • 🏨 A 'go home' strategy was implemented targeting tourists, involving 25 hotels with brand ambassadors, bag tags, and in-room promotions to extend the event's reach.
  • 💡 Tori recommends following one's passion for success in sports marketing, as exemplified by Chris Russo, a well-known sports broadcaster.
  • 🤔 She advises thinking outside the box for non-traditional sports marketing opportunities and encourages gaining experience through internships or volunteering to land a job in the field.

Q & A

  • Who is Tori Orton and what is her role at Zing Promotion Group?

    -Tori Orton is the vice president of creative at Zing Promotion Group, a full-service promotional marketing agency specializing in brand activation and consumer engagement.

  • What is Tori Orton's background in sports marketing?

    -Tori Orton has a sports marketing background that spans over 20 years and includes experience in equestrian, drag racing, IHL hockey, golf, and professional wrestling. She started her career in sports marketing with an ad agency in Atlanta as an account executive for the Atlanta Knights.

  • What is the significance of Zing Promotion Group's work with WrestleMania 24?

    -Zing Promotion Group's work with WrestleMania 24 was significant as it was a huge success, breaking records with over 75,000 attendees at the Florida Citrus Bowl and achieving over six million dollars in ticket sales.

  • What was the budget for the promotional campaign of WrestleMania 24?

    -The budget for the promotional campaign of WrestleMania 24 was about a quarter of a million dollars.

  • How did Zing Promotion Group create buzz for WrestleMania 24?

    -Zing Promotion Group created buzz for WrestleMania 24 through various tactics such as projection media with larger-than-life images of wrestlers on building sides, complete building wraps, wrapped buses and trolleys, and a 180-foot logo on a field visible to arriving visitors.

  • What was the unique approach taken by Zing Promotion Group for the WrestleMania 24 airport arrival experience?

    -Zing Promotion Group leased space near the airport with a large logo and had brand ambassadors in red boxing robes greet guests in the baggage claim area, infusing a boxing element into the wrestling event.

  • What was the 'go home' strategy implemented by Zing Promotion Group for WrestleMania 24?

    -The 'go home' strategy involved partnering with 25 hotels to have brand ambassadors on site, providing bag tags, waterless tattoos for children, and encouraging visitors to tune in to the event from home since they wouldn't be there for the live event.

  • What are the three recommendations Tori Orton gives to students interested in a career in sports marketing?

    -Tori Orton recommends following one's passion, thinking outside the box for non-traditional sports marketing opportunities, and gaining experience through internships or volunteering.

  • How did Tori Orton's father and brother influence her career in sports marketing?

    -Tori Orton's father was a professional equestrian, and along with her brother, they spent her childhood marketing their horse show operation and finding sponsors, which influenced her career in sports marketing.

  • What is the definition of 'zing' in the context of Zing Promotion Group's work?

    -In the context of Zing Promotion Group, 'zing' represents the passion and zest for all that they do, reflecting their commitment to igniting consumer engagement.

  • What was the result of Zing Promotion Group's work on WrestleMania 24 in terms of impressions?

    -Zing Promotion Group's work on WrestleMania 24 delivered over 16 million impressions throughout the month of the campaign.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 Sports Marketing Success Story

Tori Orton, Vice President of Creative at Zing Promotion Group, shares her journey into sports marketing, which began with her family's equestrian background and evolved through various sports marketing roles. She highlights her first significant sports marketing job with an ad agency in Atlanta, working with the IHL's Atlanta Knights. Zing Promotion Group specializes in brand activation, focusing on consumer engagement through marketing partnerships, media promotions, and experiential events. Tori's crowning achievement was the successful promotion of WrestleMania 24, which broke records at the Florida Citrus Bowl with over 75,000 attendees and over six million dollars in ticket sales. The campaign delivered 16 million impressions and utilized innovative tactics such as building wraps, vehicle wraps, and brand ambassadors in airports to engage both local and tourist markets. The summary showcases the creative and strategic efforts behind a major sports entertainment event.

05:02

🎓 Career Advice in Sports Marketing

In the second paragraph, Tori provides career advice for aspiring sports marketers. She emphasizes the importance of following one's passion, citing the success of Chris Russo, a sports broadcaster who transitioned from a Poli Sci major to a top broadcaster by pursuing his love for sports. Tori also encourages thinking outside the box for non-traditional sports marketing opportunities, such as new media technologies, sports event marketing, and sponsorships. Her final recommendation is to gain hands-on experience through internships or volunteering to build a foundation for a successful career in sports marketing, whether in traditional or non-traditional sectors. The summary captures the essence of Tori's guidance for students looking to break into the sports marketing industry.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Sports Marketing

Sports Marketing is the practice of promoting sports events, teams, and athletes through various channels to engage fans and attract sponsorship. In the video, Tori Orton discusses her extensive career in sports marketing, highlighting her work with various sports including equestrian, drag racing, and professional wrestling. It is a central theme as it defines her professional journey and the essence of her expertise.

💡Brand Activation

Brand Activation refers to the strategies and tactics used to bring a brand to life and engage consumers with its products or services. In the context of the video, Orton's agency specializes in brand activation, igniting consumer engagement through various promotional activities. An example from the script is the agency's work for WrestleMania 24, where they created buzz and supported the pay-per-view event through various marketing efforts.

💡WrestleMania 24

WrestleMania 24 is a specific event mentioned in the script, representing the WWE's flagship professional wrestling event. The video discusses the successful marketing campaign for this event, which took place at the Florida Citrus Bowl and broke records with over 75,000 attendees and significant pay-per-view and ticket sales. It serves as a prime example of effective sports marketing and brand activation.

💡Impressions

In marketing, impressions refer to the number of times an advertisement or promotional content is displayed or encountered by an audience. The video mentions that the campaign for WrestleMania 24 delivered over 16 million impressions, indicating the extensive reach of their marketing efforts.

💡Projection Media

Projection Media is a technique used in advertising where images or videos are projected onto large surfaces, such as building facades, to create a visually striking impact. The script describes the use of projection media in the WrestleMania 24 campaign, projecting images of professional wrestlers onto buildings to attract attention and create buzz.

💡Building Wraps

Building Wraps involve covering the exterior of a building with a large advertisement or image. In the video, the agency used building wraps to promote WrestleMania 24, creating a strong visual presence and engaging both local and tourist markets.

💡Brand Ambassadors

Brand Ambassadors are individuals who represent a brand and its values, often at events or in marketing campaigns. The script mentions brand ambassadors dressed in red boxing robes at the airport, greeting visitors and infusing a boxing element into the wrestling event, which demonstrates the use of brand ambassadors to create a memorable and thematic experience.

💡Tourist Strategy

A Tourist Strategy in marketing aims to attract visitors who are traveling to a particular location. The video describes a strategy for WrestleMania 24 that involved partnering with hotels and using brand ambassadors to engage with tourists, encouraging them to tune into the event even if they were not attending it live.

💡Elevator Wraps

Elevator Wraps are advertisements that cover the interior walls of an elevator, providing a captive audience with a close-up view of the ad. The script mentions the use of elevator wraps in hotels as part of the WrestleMania 24 marketing campaign, creating an immersive experience for guests.

💡In-Room Premiums

In-Room Premiums are special items or services provided to guests in their hotel rooms, often as part of a promotional campaign. The video discusses in-room premiums as part of the WrestleMania 24 strategy, which could include WWE-themed items to enhance the visitor's experience and association with the event.

💡Wake-Up Calls

Wake-Up Calls are a hotel service where a guest is called at a specified time to wake up. In the context of the video, WWE Superstars provided wake-up calls to hotel guests as part of the WrestleMania 24 campaign, adding a personal and engaging touch to the marketing efforts.

Highlights

Tori Orton, Vice President Creative at Zing Promotion Group, discusses her sports marketing background.

Orton's initial experience in sports marketing was with her family's equestrian business.

Her first professional job in sports marketing was with an ad agency as an account executive for the Atlanta Knights.

Zing is a full-service promotional marketing agency specializing in brand activation.

The agency's expertise includes marketing partnerships, media promotions, brand ambassadors, experiential events, and social media activation.

Orton was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in January 2008 for her work on WrestleMania 24.

WrestleMania 24 broke records with over 75,000 attendees at the Florida Citrus Bowl and over six million dollars in ticket sales.

The campaign delivered over 16 million impressions throughout the month.

Innovative tactics included projection media with life-sized images of wrestlers on building sides.

Complete building wraps and transportation wraps were used to engage both local and tourist markets.

A unique on-approach arrival strategy was implemented for visitors to Orlando.

Brand ambassadors in red boxing robes greeted guests in the airport, integrating a boxing element into the wrestling event.

A 'go home' strategy was used, partnering with hotels to engage tourists who were leaving after the event.

In-room premiums and wake-up calls from WWE Superstars were part of the hotel partnership strategy.

Orton emphasizes the importance of following one's passion for success in sports marketing.

She advises thinking outside the box for non-traditional sports marketing opportunities.

Orton recommends gaining experience through internships or volunteering to break into the sports marketing industry.

Transcripts

play00:03

[Music]

play00:06

I'm Tori Orton vice president creative

play00:09

zing promotion group my sports marketing

play00:11

background is actually happenstance the

play00:14

past 20 years in my marketing career

play00:16

have been infused with sports from

play00:19

equestrian drag racing iho hockey to

play00:24

golf and professional wrestling my

play00:27

father was a professional equestrian

play00:29

along with my brother we spent many

play00:33

years of my childhood marketing their

play00:36

horse show operation and finding

play00:37

sponsors for both my dad and my brother

play00:39

but my first real job in sports

play00:42

marketing was with an ad agency in

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Atlanta and I was the account executive

play00:46

for the Atlanta Knights which was the

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IHL team in Atlanta which was a farm

play00:51

team for Tampa Bay Lightning creative

play00:54

scene is a full-service promotional

play00:57

marketing agency we specialized on what

play00:59

we call brand activation so we really

play01:02

ignite consumer engagement with the

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things that we do our expertise ranges

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from marketing partnerships where we

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align two brands together two media

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promotions where we leverage media buys

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and get further extension throughout the

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country with media promotions - brand

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ambassadors Street teams experiencial

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events and social media activation zing

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is the perfect word for our agency it is

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the definition of the passion and zest

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for all that we do January 2008 I was

play01:37

inducted into the Professional Wrestling

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Hall of Fame not really our agency was

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engaged to help with WrestleMania 24

play01:48

which is WWE Superbowl event that

play01:50

happened to come to Orlando at the

play01:52

Florida Citrus Bowl March 2008 our job

play01:57

was to create buzz in the market as well

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as support the pay-per-view so it was an

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interesting mix because our client was

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the pay-per-view client in a market

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where there was a live event so we had

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to work in tandem with what was

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happening in the market for

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live event to make sure that we didn't

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compete with that message in the

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marketplace we got the call in January

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of 2008 the event was in March we had a

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lot to do in a short period of time with

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a budget of about a quarter of a million

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dollars not a big budget not a small

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budget but we had to make it go as far

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as we could in that period of time but

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I'll start with results WrestleMania 24

play02:39

was a huge success it broke records it

play02:43

broke records with the Florida Citrus

play02:45

Bowl we had over almost over 75,000

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people in the Citrus Bowl

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it broke pay-per-view records as well as

play02:54

ticket sales over six million dollars in

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ticket sales so from a success

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standpoint the event was successful our

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work in particular delivered over 16

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million impressions throughout the month

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it was a really fun campaign to work on

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I would actually put it as one of the

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top in my career WWE as a entertainment

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company was a wonderful client to work

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with and some of the tactics that we put

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in place range from projection media

play03:25

where we had larger-than-life

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professional wrestlers on sides of

play03:28

buildings to actual complete building

play03:32

wraps on the side of our local links

play03:34

transportation building

play03:36

we had buses wrapped we had trolleys

play03:40

wrapped so that was really an

play03:43

opportunity for us to touch the local

play03:45

market as well as the tourist market we

play03:49

created an on approach arrival for all

play03:53

the visitors to Orlando

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we actually leased space near the

play03:56

airport where we had a 180 foot logo on

play04:00

a field on approach we had pilots and

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flight attendants actually welcoming

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passengers to Orlando home of

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WrestleMania 24 but we took it one step

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further we had brand ambassadors

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actually located in the airport in

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baggage claim they were dressed in

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red boxing robes because the title match

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was Floyd man made whether who is a

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boxing champion he's a lightweight

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champion who was facing one of WWE stars

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so we had infused that boxing element

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which was a little unexpected for a

play04:38

wrestling event into that so they

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greeted all the guests we also had a

play04:43

tourist strategy March is a huge

play04:46

visitation time for Orlando so that we

play04:48

knew we had to tap into the tourists

play04:50

base that was here so we had what we

play04:53

called a go home strategy where we

play04:55

partnered with 25 hotels where we

play04:59

actually had brand investors on site

play05:01

putting bag tags on luggage waterless

play05:05

tattoos on children sending them home

play05:08

with a little piece of Wrestlemania

play05:10

inviting them to tune in because they

play05:12

weren't going to be here for the live

play05:13

event so it was really a non-stop full

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action marketing approach we partnered

play05:22

with the partner hotels with elevator

play05:25

wraps so that when you got on to the

play05:27

elevator and the doors closed you were

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greeted with in-your-face wrestlers to

play05:33

in-room premiums to actual wake-up calls

play05:35

from WWE Superstars so all in all it was

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a huge success we turned it around very

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quickly but it was all well worth it

play05:43

because it was a great event client was

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happy we were happy and we were able to

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do some one-of-a-kind promotional work

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three things that I would recommend to

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students to have a career in sports

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marketing would first and foremost be

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follow your passion and success will

play06:01

follow case in point is Chris Russo who

play06:05

is a well-known sports broadcaster Chris

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Russo had a show called Mike and the Mad

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Dog not sure if you're familiar with

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that mad dog was on WFAN in New York

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City for many years after his stint with

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WFAN he actually has his own show on XM

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serious but the reason I tell that story

play06:26

is Chris followed his passion in sports

play06:29

Chris went to Rollins College here in

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Winter Park Florida he was my husband's

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roommate he was a Poli Sci major

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but his passion for sports led him from

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commentating sports games at Rollins

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College to being one of the top sports

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broadcasters in the country second would

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be think outside the box for

play06:46

non-traditional sports marketing

play06:48

opportunities so look beyond sports

play06:52

organizations and franchises the things

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such as new media technologies sports

play06:58

event marketing and execution -

play07:01

sponsorship to selves so you may not

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think of that from a marketing

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perspective - perhaps working with a

play07:09

sports camp Country Club or club team to

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a sports competition destination not

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unlike ESPN's whitewall of sports so

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those are places for you to look beyond

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the normal organizations or even news

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media or publications so those would be

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recommendations then I would have and

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then lastly would be jump in jump in and

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get experience whether that's interning

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whether that's volunteering but really

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you need that experience and once you

play07:41

have that experience you will land a job

play07:46

in sports whether it's non traditional

play07:48

or traditional so I wish you best of

play07:50

luck as you begin your journey

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Related Tags
Sports MarketingWrestleManiaCreative StrategyBrand ActivationEvent PromotionAtlanta KnightsMarketing CareerProfessional WrestlingConsumer EngagementOrlando EventIndustry Expert