Dear Chase,
I'm a 90s kid. I grew up on two things:
1. Waiting for freezies to melt in the summer so I could drink the juice out of the plastic bag
2. Watching John Cena throw a bad guy off a ladder into an announcer's table on live TV
I've been a wrestling fan all my life.
I started watching in 2008, took a break in 2012, but never fully lost interest.
Even after learning that match outcomes were scripted, I still admired the entertainment and storytelling behind it.
Last night, I watched a documentary about Vince McMahon, the man who ran WWE for over 40 years.
For four decades, he convinced both kids and adults that grown men in tights pretending to beat each other up was must-see TV.
Talk about a marketing genius.
Keeping a show at the top for 40+ years is an impossible task.
There are maybe 10-15 people in the world who have ever done it successfully.
The one way Vince pulled it off?
He always kept a finger on the pulse of culture.
He created storylines that reflected what people were already thinking and feeling, making WWE feel relevant in every era.
Here's an example:
In the late 80s and early 90s, one of WWE's biggest stars was The Iron Sheik, a wrestler who played the perfect villain.
The audience already saw him as the bad guy, so Vince leaned into that story.
I mean, people would literally throw stuff at the ring when he was in there.
They saw him as more than just a "heel." He was the villain.
And Vince wanted to peg him in a match against one of WWE's heroes since he knew it would get the people going.
So, who was the hero in this instance?
Hulk Hogan.
The big, tall, charismatic, all-American hero that people rallied behind.
The rivalry was massive.
Main event day rolls around. 40,000 fans are in attendance to watch this match. Millions tuned in at home.
Every time Sheik was on the mic, he'd do nothing but antagonize Hulk and the fans.
They made it look like Hogan was the underdog.
Even though he was the guy people wanted to see win, Sheik was so dominant against every other wrestler that people honestly feared Hogan would lose.
After a 20-minute brawl, Hulk Hogan hits a leg drop, knocks out The Iron Sheik, covers for the 3 count, and wins.
The crowd erupts.
That match transcended wrestling.
It was a storyline that tapped into what people were feeling at the time and turned it into entertainment.
It was one of the defining moments that turned wrestling from a niche sport into a mainstream cultural phenomenon.
All because Vince McMahon understood what his audience cared about and incorporated it in his storytelling.
Now, how do you tie this lesson into your own marketing?
You need to figure out what your audience is already paying attention to, what trends are shaping their world, and how to tie that into your messaging.
Two quick examples:
- A fitness brand could position itself around the shift toward longevity-focused health trends. Think Bryan Johnson's company, Blueprint.
- An AI company might capitalize on the biggest conversations happening right now. Think AI agents and everything that goes along with it.
The key is to stay plugged into what's happening beyond just the specific problem your product solves.
Vince McMahon didn't invent the idea of good vs. evil.
He just recognized what people were already invested in and gave them a version of that story to rally around.
Do the same, and your marketing won't just be effective. It'll be unforgettable.
Yours truly,
Alex
Sent from my InfraRed Sauna | 
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