Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is using the mobile channel to engage fans as part of its multichannel marketing strategy.

TNA Wrestling has selected direct digital marketing service provider Knotice Ltd.?s on-demand Concentri software to power a complete direct digital marketing strategy that spans the email, mobile and PC Web channels. Concentri is designed to bring the historically fragmented data environment and the content execution together into one software platform.

?Over the past year, TNA Wrestling has worked on building our text database by encouraging fans to sign up for mobile alerts,? said Dan Stevenson, director of marketing at TNA Wrestling, Nashville, TN. ?These mobile alerts were both national and regional in scope.?

Fans receive text blasts about TNA events in their area, discount codes on tickets and merchandise, voting for matches, backstage passes at non-televised live events, as well as exclusive news.

In a year, TNA has grown its database to more than 100,000 fans.

Concentri Mobile will give TNA the ability to reach more specific targets that extends its reach over and beyond the TNA Web site and weekly TV show.

Concentri Mobile will also give TNA more elements to review in order to make the decision on who and when it targets consumers.

?It will create a better one-on-one connection to address our fans? wants and needs,? Mr. Stevenson said.

TNA Entertainment LLC?s TNA Wrestling produces the "TNA iMPACT!" show, which airs every Thursday night on Spike TV.

TNA features Hulk Hogan, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, Sting, Mick Foley, "The Samoan Submission Machine" Samoa Joe, "The Boss" Bobby Lashley, "The Blueprint" Matt Morgan and TNA Knockouts.

Knotice specializes in direct digital marketing, interactive marketing communications that can be addressed to a specific individual through process automation and targeting to increase relevance and improve performance.

In addition to TNA Wrestling, Knotice clients include casual footwear manufacturer Crocs (see story), national restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse and drug store chain Duane Reade.

TNA Wrestling goes mobile
The target demographic for TNA?s mobile initiatives is professional wrestling fans and adult males 18-49.
According to TNA Wrestling, it is extremely important for the brand to keep its communications targeted and consistent across any digital experience its fans may have, including mobile.

With that goal in mind, TNA tapped Knotice?s Concentri for its universal profile management system, a direct digital marketing data mart designed to store any type of marketing data in one location for segmentation and targeting.

The ability to create one segment and then coordinate relevant email, mobile and Web communications out of a single software platform is helping TNA to create a consistent and relevant fan experience across channels.

Message relevance is important in order to avoid violating any fan loyalties.

The ability to coordinate relevant messages across multiple digital channels lets TNA Wrestling tap into existing enthusiasm and open a two-way dialogue with their fans, according to Knotice.

?Knotice addresses TNA?s geotargeting and demographic marketing needs,? Mr. Stevenson said. ?It also allows TNA to house all its databases?Web site, email and text?under one roof.

?It gives TNA complete control of what goes out, when it goes out and to whom it goes out to,? he said.  

Mobile marketing is very prevalent in all of TNA?s marketing initiatives.

TNA utilizes mobile marketing in non-televised live events, pay-per-view events, television programming on Spike TV and merchandise specials.

Mobile marketing has been integrated into the marketing checklist, along with email blasts and street team activation for communicating with TNA?s fans.

Mobile marketing will also be utilized for all TNA corporate initiatives.

?We have used mobile to notify fans of events taking place in their area, including the utilization of information gathering while they are at the event, for example, offering the chance to win backstage passes by texting to TNA mobile,? Mr. Stevenson said.

TNA has also used mobile marketing as a weekly tool to remind fans when TNA Wrestling is on TV and offer a preview of the show.

Pay-per-view reminders, pre-sale codes and ticket discounts have all been sent out via mobile.

?Exclusive merchandise codes as well as news of upcoming products have been a big hit,? Mr. Stevenson said. ?We have even utilized text messaging to assist in storylines of our show to give fans the inside info on what just happened in the show or who was backstage.?

TNA?s other uses of mobile marketing include announcing corporate initiatives, new Internet programming and poll voting. 

TNA incorporates a plug for its SMS alerts into every TV show.

?TNA is a great example of marketers realizing how mobile can be a cornerstone of their overall direct digital marketing approach,? said Bryce Marshall, director of strategic services at Knotice, Akron, OH. ?They did not come to Knotice with a mobile marketing problem they needed to solve.

?In fact, the discussion started with email and on-site targeting,? he said. ?There was this ?a-ha!? moment when they realized they could expand their mobile marketing capabilities and integrate these tactics with their established direct digital marketing approach.?