WWE - World's Ultimate Variety Brand?

I, like many others, grew up a devout kiddy fan of WWF. Yes, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) as we know it today was formerly a wrestling federation with the WWF brand-mark before being sued by the other WWF - the World Wildlife Fund. The early WWF days were prime with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, King Kong Bundy, Rowdy Rod Piper and the occasional star (Cindy Lauper and Mr.T to name a few) thrown in for glamour. You'd probably get smacked down by a wrestler then if you questioned the authenticity of his sport. I still do watch it every so often for its surprisingly high entertainment factor despite the cheesy dialogue and melodramatic plots.

Fast forward.

WWE senior vice-president recently paid a visit to Asia and in an interview with the local papers touted WWE as the world's ultimate variety brand. When asked, he said that WWE's huge following was based on their larger than life super-man characters and dramatic soap opera storylines woven in with wrestling. They have about 100 television personnel and creative writers in Connecticut who churn out nine hours of episodic soap opera every week. The secret to WWE's success was their merchandising plan that reaches out to as large an audience as possible he added.

I agree.

The success of the WWE range of products is very commendable. Their approach to content is very innovative if not unique. There are many copy cats. Their branded RAW and SmackDown programmes are getting paid-per-views the world over. They also have very clever merchandising grooming Hollywood stars like the Rock, Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. They've even got WWE babes in bikinis sprawled on the covers of Sports Illustrated. Hell, WWE Champion John Cenna's rap song "Bad Bad Man" ain't too shabby either and aiming for the pop music charts. The A-Team spoof video for it is quite hilarious by the way. Although one might use the word sport in this context loosely, WWE can probably boast to have the best looking Sports programme graphics and packaging on air today.

World's Ultimate Variety Brand?

I don't buy it. For now.

Good old Vinny (Vince McMahon, WWE CEO) is a smart guy but his current product do not justify the claim. In the future perhaps - if he loses the afore-mentioned creative team in Connecticut with their "Born On The Fourth Of July" sentitments. It is quite surprising that WWE has garnered a wide following beyond America considering how american-centric and xenophobic it's content is. WWE's nine hours of "episodic soap operas" a week are built on heros you cheer and villains you boo. The heros are almost always Captain America types and the villians are almost always... foreign. Foreign to America that is. Flavour of the Middle American month and American foreign policy dictates nationality, breed and attributes of the foreign villain. The latest villains are a laurel and hardy duo - a stereo-typical Arab wrestler called Muhammad Hassan and his ranting side-kick fanatic Daivari. They typically wobble into the ring, rant and ramble before getting thrown out by the mighty arm of Captain America and his Justice League (Fade in Stars and Stripes and National Anthem Now). The French have had their evil days recently - furnished with dorky accents and freedom fries. Surprise surprise. The poor Canadians are always villains. We'll blame this one on sibling or shall we say neighbourly rivalry. Japanese ninja wrestler Tajiri was a villain earlier but he is now "one of us". So begs the questions - Shall we see the Red Army Kung Fu wrestler Charlie Chan make his evil entry? Or has the might of Yao Ming's home dollar slam-dunked Villain Chan before his time?

The trend towards the "real" and reality entertainment might also prove a hindrance to WWE pursuits. "Real" combat sport entertainment is gaining phenomenal following and eating away at WWE's fan base. Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) in America and Pride Fighting Championships in Japan are gaining popular appeal with their champions and icons moving beyond cultish following. Their heros are real and so are their villains. Acknowledging the trend towards real combat, WWE have tried in short stints to woo real fighters like Mike Tyson and UFC legend Ken Shamrock into their stables. UFC DVDs now occupy almost the same amount of shelf space at HMV. Look and compare in the "Sports" section. UFC and other up-and-coming sports brands may lack the funds and sponsorship that WWE has now but they appear to have more considered and sustainable content that appeals to a truly broader audience. One must surely sniff their potential as the next big sports entertainment brand with their own breed of successful Variety Superstars.