Assignment no 9: Making MMA top 5 popular sport PC Comments: This is interesting. I like the implication of cunning, thought, and maybe politics being involved. Interested to see where this goes.

Fascinating? Yes. Long lasting? No. Scary and disgusting? Yes. Loveable? No. Energy? Yes. Way forward? No. PC Comments: What am I looking at here? This is bizarre! Slightly worried about what I'm going to find on the next slide.

Step 1: New mindset - INCLUDING INSTEAD OF EXCLUDING Stop marginalising MMA: make it less violent and more acceptable through new rules and new mindset. Less macho, more mucho. Position: IT IS ALL ABOUT NOT GETTING INJURED. ONLY THE SMART MAKE IT. Switch from focus on violent fantasy - things you never could get away with but you find thrilling – to everyday reality. Remove all excessive wording like cage blood fist last man standing and all short stop K1 etc. Its all part of the macho lingo. PC Comments: This is difficult to understand. You present an solution without really framing the problem in a way that helps me understand why this solution might work. The idea - it's all about not getting injured suggests to me that you haven't done your research. "Remove macho lingo" why? Who is your audience?

Step 2: Bringing the old target group along Develop the existing users according to new mindset – it is not merely an action-oriented sport with testosterone as the driving factor. Let the MMA grow up, have some wrinkles and mature. It is about dignity. Loose the tail – the ones who are in it only for kicks. Position as a social sport – something that you can discuss and share your experiences of with others. Create one organisation - but keep the different disciplines. In fact, let the old users be the ones who can lead the development in finding new disciplines to add. Create a vast series system - from Pro to Amateur. First rule of the Defence Club: You DO talk about the Defence Club. Second rule: You DO talk about the Defence Club. PC Comments: Don't buy this. Why is there no dignity now? MMA is as much about offence as defence. I'm still missing insight.

Step 3: Common awareness Create a public reaction – debates etc. - regarding safety and security. Message: The world is becoming more and more unsafe. You need to be able to defend yourself. But that doesnt mean that we want violence to become more common. Its also about creating a need to get more knowledge about martial arts and other defence techniques so that prejudice is fought. In a sense, the strategy here is to create fear. But also to create understanding, tolerance. PC Comments: This is hard to follow. I'm not clear if this is a strategy to get more people training, or more people watching. Or both.

Step 4: New target Focus on reaching new users: women, kids. Message: MMA is about Defence. It is about safety. But it is also a tolerant and playful sport. The ambition is more to have a safe and healthy everyday than success. Strategy: Meet them where they are; schools, work and leisure activities.Get in gyms and yoga classes. Arrange lunch time training. The health factor: Push rituals and inner values in the martial arts. Push the all-round training factor. Connect to health and beauty - connectc to make up stores etc. PC Comments: You're thinking about audience here which is good. And there are some good executional ideas. But I'm still unclear about how this is going to help me achieve the objective in the brief.

Step 5: Commercial partners Contact a major sports company, an insurance company, a gaming company and a fashion/beauty company and make their combined marketing budget yours. But more importantly - make their customers your new users. Most equipment and merchandise in this sector lacks style and design. Here is a huge potential, both when it comes to give certain partners access to this group and the interfaces - clothes, arenas etc. But it is also very important when it comes to the re-identification - bye bye tigers, flames and smoke - hello more modern and contemporary style and graphics. PC Comments: Unclear what you are saying - why is this a good idea? Why would they want to be associated with MMA? What has MMA got to do with style? "Bye bye tigers"????

Step 6: Involve the global audience (and users) Make a web-tv channel that broadcasts the vast and massive series system – with the global audience as live web judges. This enhances the entertainment edge. PC Comments: Okay a media solution. But zero context or analysis. You don't convince me why this is a good idea. Why will this make MMA more popular than one of the other top 5 sports?

Step 7: Part of the everyday Just like there often is a section about cooking in each morning TV show, there should be a part about MMA. In travel shows, in newspapers. The idea is to make MMA something that isnt just sports. And from here you just go on: MMA amusements parks… Scheduled defence training in school… MMA accessories next to the milk at Tescos… PC Comments: Once again you don't tell me how we create this change, therefore it's hard to judge. Though I do think it would be a little surprising if Richard and Judy had a regular MMA slot, just after their book club. While someone always comes up with the 'amusement park' idea in brain storms, it never normally makes the final presentation. Deflated and odd ending.