• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, March 2, 2012

At first blush, WWE might not seem like a global brand.

But with a second look, it’s obvious why it boasts a massive international reach — the stories and characters of professional wrestling are rooted in the classic battle of good versus evil and that tale translates easily across continents. That’s why wwe has become a formidable global brand with programming broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages reaching more than 500 million homes around the world. In the third quarter of 2011 alone, it held 64 live events domestically and 15 internationally, reaching about 425,000 fans in person.

WWE also has set up shop around the world, too. It’s headquartered in Stamford, Conn., and has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo. Why so many?

Because the company believes global success depends on executing locally and understanding each local market, explains Ed Wells, senior vice president and managing director for international operations at WWE. “This local office presence is fundamental to our local level operations. We also work closely with local broadcast partners and officials to provide localized program edits addressing unique cultural and political needs and sensitivities,” he says.

Russia is one of the newest countries on wwe’s expansion roster. The media giant will bring its first live tour stop to Russia in April when wwe Raw World Tour visits Moscow for the first time with stars including John Cena, who recently inked a deal with Fruity Pebbles, Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, Kelly Kelly, Eve, CM Punk and others. The tour follows wwe’s launch last year on Russian tv.

WWE plans to expand into Abu Dhabi in the first quarter as well with live events. Look for more international expansion throughout the year, Wells said. “WWE continues to enjoy a strong appetite for our live events and maintains a regular touring schedule. In fact, 2012 marks our 20-year anniversary of touring in Germany. Beyond that, Brazil, India and China are a priority.”

In addition to live events, wwe has been particularly savvy in new media. wwe now offers mobile programming in more than 40 countries and operates local language Web sites in 16 markets including Japan, China, India, Germany and France. The company’s social growth in 2011 spread across borders — wwe has five local market Facebook pages and seven local in-language Twitter feeds, key marketing tools for the international business, he says. Then there’s the company’s partnerships with leading online video sites YouTube as well as Hulu.    

But this would all be for naught if the brand itself didn’t translate. And it does.

“The product, like action films, requires no translation and crosses borders easily,” says Joshua Katz, partner at marketing company Buzztone and a TV branding expert.

Indeed, the characters of wwe have reached across cultural barriers, both on tv and in person, Wells said. “At the heart of wwe programming is the timeless and borderless storylines about clashes between good and evil. No matter the language, this message translates, and our audiences can readily identify with these characters,” Wells says, adding that WWE’s talent development programming is actively seeking talent in countries including Mexico, Japan, India, the UK and many others to help reach global audiences.

That multicultural focus has aided the brand globally, Katz adds, because it gives audience members someone to cheer on. But the heart of WWE’s success, he says, has also come from holding true to a few simple branding principles such as “singular vision, consistency and knowing both the product and the target market.”