Vince McMahon: Heavyweight Champion of Branding

The guy has an incredible knack for building brands. By cultivating different images and personas for each of WWE’s weekly TV shows, monthly pay-per view events and stable of wrestlers, McMahon constantly reinvents his company in order to stay relevant. The cartoonish heroes vs. villians story lines of 1980s gave way to an edgier product in the '90s. Now WWE has moved back towards more family friendly shows, often "guest hosted" by celebrities like William Shatner and LeBron James.

Last year's WrestleMania generated $64 million in revenue from pay TV, gate receipts, sponsorships and merchandise sales, including 350,000 DVD sales. That's more gross revenue than the Indianapolis 500 and the per-day average of the NBA Finals and Bowl Championship Series. The company's core strength: McMahon's willingness to take risks (and not just in the ring where he’s grappled with the likes of Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin). Granted, not all of them work out; remember the XFL or World Bodybuilding Federation? But with wrestling, he’s had the Midas touch. NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol once called McMahon, “The greatest promoter since P.T. Barnum.”...More?

source: forbes.com