Ideas for improving TNA. (No booking, hiring, or firing ideas)
So a couple of recent threads got me to thinking. What can TNA do to improve their product? One rule though. Nothing to do with booking, hiring, or firing. Also since they are having financial problems. Cheap fixes. These aren’t things that will make them competitive with WWE or even put much money in the bank, but things that can change the perception of the company for the better.
There was this program in New York a few years ago where they would go into bad neighborhoods and clean them up. Fix broken windows. Get up garbage. Paint over graffiti. And it worked. Things got better. People started to take pride in where they lived. So they valued it more and the neighborhoods improved. Same idea. Make the casuals and the regular fans see you as caring about the product you put out. Little things matter and they can add to your image in many ways.
1. A few changes to the TNA web site. They have no title history on their site. I know it can be looked up on wikipedia, but I think they need it. It makes it seem like their titles aren't important to them. They need a whole section detailing every title change. If some casual fan stumbles on their website they might be more impressed if they found out Christian, Kurt Angle, RVD, Jeff Hardy, Mick Foley, and Sting have held belts. Makes the company seem more big time and gives the company a legacy that lends credibility.
They need to make sure they keep things updated. Over the past few years I've noticed that if someone leaves the company they leave them up on the roster page for months. Or if someone has an image or gimmick change they don't change the profile. Look on their roster page right now. Hogan is still up on it. Gunner still has a goatee instead of his big beard. Bobby Roode cut his hair a while ago and only recently have they put a pic of him with short hair. It seems lazy not to make small changes to keep the site current.
For the PPV sub site have a history of the PPV. What happened in previous years? Show why this event has been important in the past.
2. If they move back to the Impact zone permanently, take advantage of it. Since your ring and set are in the same place it allows you to be more creative with your setup. You have more time to plan the layout. Have the staff come in and change things up every couple of months. One month have a ramp to the ring. Next month have two entrance tunnels like the old days. Then back to the regular entrance way. Maybe for one month have a six sided ring. Then back to four sides. Make it seem like you company is always changing. It will seem less stale. Someone tunes in after a few months of not watching and sees everything is exactly the same. Subconsciously they may think if everything is the same why do I need to tune in every week? You want them to think they've missed something. Perception is reality and making things look different tricks people into feeling like they are different.
3. In the Small complaint...but major issue thread WrestlingMATTERS brought up a good point. Make PPVs look different from impact. Different sets for PPVs. ring mat, rings skirt, ropes, pads on floor. Demoslasher put up a lot of good ideas on changing the look on the cheap in that thread. Have the announcers dress better. In suits or tuxes. Have the refs wear different outfits for PPV. Loopee suggested white shirts with bow ties. Maybe throw in a TNA logo on the pocket.
4. Get creative with marketing. For example, buy advertising on podcasts. Podcasts adverts are dirt cheap except for the biggest podcasts. Add promo codes for ShopTNA.com specifically for the podcasts.
5. Try to add avenues like Netflix or Hulu. No matter what they’re offered for the content, take it. It's like advertising. People get turned on to shows through Netflix. How many people caught on Breaking Bad or The Walking Dead because of Netflix and then started tuning into AMC? Like someone sees a "You watched CM Punk Best in the World. You might like TNA Best of Bobby Roode". Or they see Best of Kurt Angle and wonder what he's done since leaving WWE. Maybe they watch and get hooked. I know they have a deal with YouTube’s subscription section, but I think Netflix or Hulu would be better to grab new eyes.
So what ideas do you have?
There was this program in New York a few years ago where they would go into bad neighborhoods and clean them up. Fix broken windows. Get up garbage. Paint over graffiti. And it worked. Things got better. People started to take pride in where they lived. So they valued it more and the neighborhoods improved. Same idea. Make the casuals and the regular fans see you as caring about the product you put out. Little things matter and they can add to your image in many ways.
1. A few changes to the TNA web site. They have no title history on their site. I know it can be looked up on wikipedia, but I think they need it. It makes it seem like their titles aren't important to them. They need a whole section detailing every title change. If some casual fan stumbles on their website they might be more impressed if they found out Christian, Kurt Angle, RVD, Jeff Hardy, Mick Foley, and Sting have held belts. Makes the company seem more big time and gives the company a legacy that lends credibility.
They need to make sure they keep things updated. Over the past few years I've noticed that if someone leaves the company they leave them up on the roster page for months. Or if someone has an image or gimmick change they don't change the profile. Look on their roster page right now. Hogan is still up on it. Gunner still has a goatee instead of his big beard. Bobby Roode cut his hair a while ago and only recently have they put a pic of him with short hair. It seems lazy not to make small changes to keep the site current.
For the PPV sub site have a history of the PPV. What happened in previous years? Show why this event has been important in the past.
2. If they move back to the Impact zone permanently, take advantage of it. Since your ring and set are in the same place it allows you to be more creative with your setup. You have more time to plan the layout. Have the staff come in and change things up every couple of months. One month have a ramp to the ring. Next month have two entrance tunnels like the old days. Then back to the regular entrance way. Maybe for one month have a six sided ring. Then back to four sides. Make it seem like you company is always changing. It will seem less stale. Someone tunes in after a few months of not watching and sees everything is exactly the same. Subconsciously they may think if everything is the same why do I need to tune in every week? You want them to think they've missed something. Perception is reality and making things look different tricks people into feeling like they are different.
3. In the Small complaint...but major issue thread WrestlingMATTERS brought up a good point. Make PPVs look different from impact. Different sets for PPVs. ring mat, rings skirt, ropes, pads on floor. Demoslasher put up a lot of good ideas on changing the look on the cheap in that thread. Have the announcers dress better. In suits or tuxes. Have the refs wear different outfits for PPV. Loopee suggested white shirts with bow ties. Maybe throw in a TNA logo on the pocket.
4. Get creative with marketing. For example, buy advertising on podcasts. Podcasts adverts are dirt cheap except for the biggest podcasts. Add promo codes for ShopTNA.com specifically for the podcasts.
5. Try to add avenues like Netflix or Hulu. No matter what they’re offered for the content, take it. It's like advertising. People get turned on to shows through Netflix. How many people caught on Breaking Bad or The Walking Dead because of Netflix and then started tuning into AMC? Like someone sees a "You watched CM Punk Best in the World. You might like TNA Best of Bobby Roode". Or they see Best of Kurt Angle and wonder what he's done since leaving WWE. Maybe they watch and get hooked. I know they have a deal with YouTube’s subscription section, but I think Netflix or Hulu would be better to grab new eyes.
So what ideas do you have?
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move impact to salt lake city or somewhere that will give them crowd reaction like tonight consistently
keep having episodes like tonight well-written and no big screwups in execution
keep having episodes like tonight well-written and no big screwups in execution
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2,770 Posts
Ha! Mentioned Guilliani's New York campaign. You know, that was based on social psychology. People really do care more if the joint is clean then they do if it's dirty.
What a refreshing thread. All great ideas, bro. Would help TNA a lot. I especially like the changing, ever different impact zone. And I especially like having a six sided ring and then not having it.
I don't think anyone else ever thought of that. LIke, in LIFE.
Props, man.
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9,614 Posts
Thank you. I had only heard of the clean up program recently and the idea really impressed me and put the idea in my head for the thread.
The thing about the ever changing impact zone came from trying to come up with reasons that going back there doesn't have to be bad thing. The great thing about shooting on a sound stage is you can always change it.
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2,885 Posts
Production changes:
1. Borash and Todd back on commentary during the first hour
2. A new hexagon ring with a greater diameter than the WWE's ring
3. Rebrand the promotion with one name and give the television show(s) a separate name
4. Focus on variety in targeting new demographics by crowning the company's first black world champion (post NWA), hiring masked luchdores, and hiring masked Japanese wrestlers
5. Focus on variety of wrestling styles-- you have the classic style wrestlers like Roode and Aries, you have amateur/Olympic style wrestling with Kurt Angle, Mo, and Rampage; and in the next year you have an influx of lucha and Japanese talent
6. Focus on variety in format with a mix of women's matches, men's tag, heavyweight, open weight (light heavyweight vs super), and women's tag
7. Start filming a 90 minute second show for Mondays at 6pm Eastern
8. Turn the lights down over the audience like WCW did
9. Bring in new people for creating new merchandise:
a. Masks worn by masked wrestlers
b. Foam hands for Hardy, Anderson (holding the mic), AJ Styles (dual foam hands), and more
c. Better graphics for shirts for Anderson and Hardy (see WWE's merchandise for them)
d. Glowing ****, anything that can be sold that will glow when the lights are turned off over the audience (including foam hands)
1. Borash and Todd back on commentary during the first hour
2. A new hexagon ring with a greater diameter than the WWE's ring
3. Rebrand the promotion with one name and give the television show(s) a separate name
4. Focus on variety in targeting new demographics by crowning the company's first black world champion (post NWA), hiring masked luchdores, and hiring masked Japanese wrestlers
5. Focus on variety of wrestling styles-- you have the classic style wrestlers like Roode and Aries, you have amateur/Olympic style wrestling with Kurt Angle, Mo, and Rampage; and in the next year you have an influx of lucha and Japanese talent
6. Focus on variety in format with a mix of women's matches, men's tag, heavyweight, open weight (light heavyweight vs super), and women's tag
7. Start filming a 90 minute second show for Mondays at 6pm Eastern
8. Turn the lights down over the audience like WCW did
9. Bring in new people for creating new merchandise:
a. Masks worn by masked wrestlers
b. Foam hands for Hardy, Anderson (holding the mic), AJ Styles (dual foam hands), and more
c. Better graphics for shirts for Anderson and Hardy (see WWE's merchandise for them)
d. Glowing ****, anything that can be sold that will glow when the lights are turned off over the audience (including foam hands)
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22 Posts
Create a Xbox 360/PS3 Application to watch all the latest news/Videos/Discount Deals at Shopzone/PPV Discounts if you watch through xbox/ps3 app and Latest episodes of impact 5 shows back.
Start a reading program with schools where kids would write a essay about their favorite TNA character. TNA could give free tickets to a class of students. It would help fill in the seats. TNA would gain through merchandise sales off the class.
Offer Free tickets to Active Military and Government Employees. I think this is a great thing wwe does. It helps fills in the seats. It allows active military to do something with their family when they are back home. And the company gains from merchandise deals and good publicity.
Create a Bash at the Beach Type Event from Hogan's Beach in Tampa Florida. Market it as the place to be during Spring Break each year. Try and get a deal going with MTV and VH1 to help promote it to get live bands playing. TNA could market it as you never know what past or present superstar could show up. They could do a fan axxess weekend where fans could come and have there autographs signed by tna wrestlers and past wrestlers of the sport. Get a few legends to take part. They could do charity dinners where fans could bid to have dinner with their favorite tna star. Throughout the weekend the wrestlers would take part in celebrity golf events and other fund raising events for the city of Tampa. With VH1 Help they could have a Eric Young Spotlight segment. Where cameras follow Eric around over the weekend throughout the events taking place. The nightlife of the weekend would showcase music and dress as your favorite past wrestler contest. Maybe a drinking contest Hosted by OBD and James Storm. I'd Finish the weekend off with a PPV Event from the Beach. To help promote the event I'd offer discount packages to college Fraternities and sororities and market it as the place to be during spring break.
I'd create a Live Viewing Party Segment on Impact. Using Tout fans would send videos to Impact wrestling telling them how they are excited to have impact coming to their area. WCW use to do this back in the day. Impact wrestling would have a contest going each week where they would choose from the tout videos a viewing party to crash. I'd Send guys out like Eric Young with some knockouts to Impact viewing parties to watch impact with the fans across the country. Before and after matches you get the fans reactions to the show. It would be great for the tna youtube channel.
During the summer I'd do a TNA invades Spike Marketing event. I'd have the TNA wrestlers show up on Spike Tv Shows. Take Wipeout I'd have the TNA stars compete against one another on the show. Inkmaster would have a TNA star getting a new tattoo. Etc... I'd even throw in comic con in there. I'd have the tna stars do interviews on spike about their favorite comics. I'd create a comic book about jeff hardy battling villains and being a wrestler on the side. At the comic con introduction Id have Hardy paint some pictures to be sold. This would at least get TNA wrestlers name out there and be a great addition to IMpact wrestling new "Where action never ends" Program.
Start a reading program with schools where kids would write a essay about their favorite TNA character. TNA could give free tickets to a class of students. It would help fill in the seats. TNA would gain through merchandise sales off the class.
Offer Free tickets to Active Military and Government Employees. I think this is a great thing wwe does. It helps fills in the seats. It allows active military to do something with their family when they are back home. And the company gains from merchandise deals and good publicity.
Create a Bash at the Beach Type Event from Hogan's Beach in Tampa Florida. Market it as the place to be during Spring Break each year. Try and get a deal going with MTV and VH1 to help promote it to get live bands playing. TNA could market it as you never know what past or present superstar could show up. They could do a fan axxess weekend where fans could come and have there autographs signed by tna wrestlers and past wrestlers of the sport. Get a few legends to take part. They could do charity dinners where fans could bid to have dinner with their favorite tna star. Throughout the weekend the wrestlers would take part in celebrity golf events and other fund raising events for the city of Tampa. With VH1 Help they could have a Eric Young Spotlight segment. Where cameras follow Eric around over the weekend throughout the events taking place. The nightlife of the weekend would showcase music and dress as your favorite past wrestler contest. Maybe a drinking contest Hosted by OBD and James Storm. I'd Finish the weekend off with a PPV Event from the Beach. To help promote the event I'd offer discount packages to college Fraternities and sororities and market it as the place to be during spring break.
I'd create a Live Viewing Party Segment on Impact. Using Tout fans would send videos to Impact wrestling telling them how they are excited to have impact coming to their area. WCW use to do this back in the day. Impact wrestling would have a contest going each week where they would choose from the tout videos a viewing party to crash. I'd Send guys out like Eric Young with some knockouts to Impact viewing parties to watch impact with the fans across the country. Before and after matches you get the fans reactions to the show. It would be great for the tna youtube channel.
During the summer I'd do a TNA invades Spike Marketing event. I'd have the TNA wrestlers show up on Spike Tv Shows. Take Wipeout I'd have the TNA stars compete against one another on the show. Inkmaster would have a TNA star getting a new tattoo. Etc... I'd even throw in comic con in there. I'd have the tna stars do interviews on spike about their favorite comics. I'd create a comic book about jeff hardy battling villains and being a wrestler on the side. At the comic con introduction Id have Hardy paint some pictures to be sold. This would at least get TNA wrestlers name out there and be a great addition to IMpact wrestling new "Where action never ends" Program.
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276 Posts
Can someone just sticky this topic already. No offense to the poster above but this is almost the exact same post from the last time this topic came up and it gets tiring reading the same thing over and over again.
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