{"id":107502,"date":"2017-09-19T09:18:37","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T09:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/?p=107502"},"modified":"2017-09-19T09:19:36","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T09:19:36","slug":"defender-to-contender-or-marketing-stunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/defender-to-contender-or-marketing-stunt\/","title":{"rendered":"Defender to Contender or marketing stunt?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Betfair has announced former footballer Rio Ferdinand is to become a professional boxer. The \u2018Defender to Contender\u2019 project is backed by the betting company and currently making national headlines.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Betfair has gathered boxing experts to train Rio Ferdinand so he can attain his British Boxing Board of Control licence and become a belt-winning fighter.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s a clear history of sportspeople switching specialisms (Andrew Flintoff to boxing and Chris Hoy to motor racing), Betfair has a track record in this field, previously helping Victoria Pendleton become a professional jockey in the \u2018Switching Saddles\u2019 campaign.<\/p>\n

This latest campaign is<\/em> a marketing stunt \u2013 the coverage Betfair has received this morning is phenomenal because Rio manages to transcend traditional media boundaries \u2013 but it is also a genuine story with real consequences. It\u2019s a stunt for Betfair, but for Rio \u2013 this is real.<\/p>\n

At 38, having had a long and physically demanding career, most people wouldn\u2019t choose to be punched in the face to advertise a company. Rio Ferdinand is serious about qualifying for his British Boxing Board of Control licence before going on to train and compete for a belt.<\/p>\n

Rio said: \u2018When Betfair approached me about the Defender to Contender challenge, the chance to prove myself in a new sport was a real draw.<\/p>\n

\u2018Boxing is an amazing sport for the mind and the body. I have always had a passion for it and this challenge is the perfect opportunity to show people what’s possible. It’s a challenge I’m not taking lightly – clearly not everyone can become a professional boxer – but with the team of experts Betfair are putting together and the drive I have to succeed, anything is possible.\u2019<\/p>\n

That makes this the perfect marketing stunt.<\/p>\n

Betfair has found a celebrity endorsement without it being a straight up paid-for promotion and they have an ongoing stream of advert-worthy content as Rio is tracked through his new-found career.<\/p>\n

Win or lose, Betfair has successfully aligned itself with sports, sportspeople and professionalism \u2013 showing it can gather world class experts to turn a footballer into a \u2018contender\u2019.<\/p>\n

And as a bookmakers, it is also securing future events to bet on.<\/p>\n

Check out Rio Ferdinand\u2019s Contender to Defender launch video below:
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