THE PROBLEM
MMA athletes are not just fighters—they're also entrepreneurs and creatives, managing their careers as small businesses. Beyond training and competing, most professional athletes have to figure out how to build, maintain and grow their personal brands and engage fans while staying true to the raw, authentic essence of MMA. .
RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN
Challenges
How will we build a brand that focuses on authenticity and inspiration?
How do we manage marketing needs of a small business as a creative?
How will we create a professional online presence?
How do we make sure we meet business objectives as an entrepreneur?
Design Process
Understanding the User
User Research
Business Objectives
Starting the Design
Paper Wireframes
Feature Ideation
Refining the design
Mockups
Wix CMS BUILD
Understanding the User
Qualitative Research
User Story: Athlete
As a professional athlete, I want a responsive website that allows fans to easily access information and explore my brand, I also want potential brand partners to have a seamless experience discovering partnership opportunities, fostering collaboration and mutual growth.
User Story: Brand Enthusiast
As a brand enthusiast i want an easy way to potentially collaborate with my favorite athletes brand, as well as an easy way to support /get to know my favorite athlete.
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build a brand that focuses on authenticity and inspiration
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use traditional, organic, digital, Viral, and influencer marketing experience to handle creative needs of a small business
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Establish a professional online presence
Business Objectives
Starting the Design
Paper Wireframes
Feature Ideation by screen
Refining the Design
MOCKUPS
Wix CMS BUILD
Feature Breakdown
Social Commerce
BRAND DESIGN PROCESS
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Define the Brands Purpose and Vision
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Understand your Audience
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Create a unique brand identity
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Develop Value Proposition
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Build an online presence
6. Collaborate and Build Community
7. Merchandise and Branding Extensions
8. Collect Feedback and Iterate
9. Stay authentic and Consistent
10. Measure Success
STARTER DESIGN 2017
LOGO DESIGN 2021
Mission Statement:
To inspire athletes and entrepreneurs to live passion-driven lives .
Vision Statement:
to create a blueprint for a path where every individual can boldy embrace their passions achieving fulfillment and success in both life and work
Target audience:
Athletes, Entrepreneurs, Athletes Team
Brand values:
Passion, Inspiration, Resilience, Community, Excellence, Empowerment
COMMUNITY EVENTS
MERCHANDISE
QR CODE DIGITAL MARKETING
We created branded merchandise that doubled as QR code marketing tools, including bags, shirts, jackets, hats, and bottles. We also set up an e-commerce shop for athletes on the website and established social commerce, ensuring all requirements were met to monetize social platforms effectively.
BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
INFLUENCER MARKETING
FOOD & BEVERAGE - BURGER KING
TECHNOLOGY - KOJI
PR + MEDIA
MARKETING
MMA MARKET HISTORY
Mixed martial arts (MMA) has rapidly emerged as one of the fastest-growing sports globally, captivating audiences with its blend of skill, strategy, and raw athleticism. Over the past decade, MMA has seen exponential growth, with major promotions like the UFC & Bellator expanding their reach to new markets and drawing record-breaking pay-per-view numbers. I couldn't help but notice a significant factor in this rise is the way fighters have adeptly branded themselves, leveraging social media and personal narratives to build loyal fan bases and create lucrative opportunities both inside and outside the cage.
Experiential Marketing
Content Marketing
How will we build a brand that focuses on authenticity and inspiration?
We built a brand centered on authenticity and inspiration, driven by a passion for creating meaningful connections. Live event experiential marketing played a key role in increasing our exposure, allowing us to effectively share the mission and vision. Additionally, we leveraged content marketing to foster fan engagement and deepen their connection to the brand. We aim to inspire people using storying telling, content creation, and highlighting our struggles, confidence, failures, and triumphs.
CONCLUSION
The overall authentic approach to airclaxton's brand development has strategically positioned the athlete for future growth in both the sports and tech industries. By focusing on marketing and brand growth, we've not only laid the foundation for success within MMA but also opened doors to collaborate with other like-minded brands and companies that share a commitment to passion and innovation. This approach ensures that the brand remains authentic and impactful, resonating across multiple sectors and creating valuable opportunities for the future.