Georges St Pierre, a Social Media Legend
Turning a Fighter into a Brand
Canadian athlete Georges St-Pierre is more than a mixed martial arts UFC champ, he’s a celebrity whose brand transcends his sport.
Social media plays a key role in building, shaping and maintaining this status, with every action an opportunity to be leveraged for building fans and garnering likes. As such, superstar athlete GSP has much in common with many consumer brands today, which strive to transcend their categories and product attributes to create deeper relationships and instill loyalty.
Since people and products behave very similarly in social media as they position themselves to win followers, it’s a very personal space for brands to play in. Because it’s a 24/7 real-time proposition, it’s also a very dynamic and challenging space to manage. But nowhere is the comfort level with ceding control for digital brand management more critical than when it’s your own personal identity on the line. GSP and the Montreal-based Sid Lee team gave their experience on how to build and maintain a social persona with maximum impact (and minimal damage). The Canadian-based global agency has devised a system for planning and curating brand profiles that transforms PR into a new always-on publishing model.
GSP himself, told about how to develop an authentic brand voice that transcends platforms and truly resonates with fans.
At the end of the debate, Georges St Pierre gave his recipe of his success: every day challenge the status quo! He then met his fans at the Palais des festivals Artist Entrance and signed autographs, gently posing with kids and adults admiring his Art.
Introduced by Barbara Smith, Director, Brand Engagement The Globe and Mail. Panel: Georges St-Pierre, Mixed Martial Artist, UFC World Champion, Justin Kingsley, Vice-President, Strategy, Partner Sid Lee. Moderator: Mary Maddever, Vice-President, Editorial Director Brunico Communications
