Michelle Difilippantonio - profile of XFL's vice president, integrated marketing - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Brandweek, March 26, 2001 by Hilary Cassidy

She thinks on her feet and can 'run with a program'--no wonder the XFL snapped her up.

Say what you will about the XFL. Its on-field antics have done little to halt a ratings slide that has a once-glowing media ready to throw the entire upstart football league and its remaining fans into the turnbuckle. Off-field, however, there remains a story of sports marketing genius--which will no doubt be tested as officials look past next month's "Big Game at the End"--executed in large part by Michelle Difilippantonio.

Before the XFL had teams or players, its Web site was stocked with information about new hires. "All you single male sports fans, we've got the girl for you!" the site crowed, next to a picture of a laughing Difilippantonio. Someone had held up "bunny ears" behind her head, and the text revealed details like the marriage proposal she received in Texas Stadium (she said yes but later backed out) along with her business qualifications.

"I was a little surprised," said Difilippantonio. "I was expecting more of a conservative organization--I don't know what I was thinking!--but it was tongue-in-cheek and it was funny. At the end of the day we're about sports and entertaining people."

Difilippantonio, who at 35 is vp-integrated marketing for the World Wrestling Federation's XFL, can afford to laugh off the silliness because she also is recognized for her marketing smarts. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with an MBA from Harvard, she has a classical brand marketing background. During 5 1/2 years at Nabisco, she served as brand manager for Ortega, A1 Steak Sauce and Grey Poupon.

Having harbored an interest in sports, she jumped at a job offer from the National Basketball Association to mold the league's international product marketing. "Her intellect and passion for the game and our brand was contagious," said Chris Heyn, svp-NBA global merchandising group. "She is definitely someone who 'gets it,' and knows how to run with a program."

The XFL contacted Difilippantonio seeking someone who could balance sports experience with brand marketing savvy. Unsure of the league's viability, she waited until the XFL announced its broadcast deal with NBC before coming on board. "People not familiar with the WWF thought it was a risk," she said. "A lot of my friends were going to dot-coms, but I thought that was a bigger risk. If I was going to do something entrepreneurial, this would be a good experience."

Now, working closely with XFL CEO Vince McMahon and president Basil DeVito, she deals with the league's TV partners (NBC, UPN and TNN) to create and approve promotions. "We compete with every other property from Frasier to Friends to the NBA," she said. "We had to make sure they gave us a significant amount of support to drive tune-in."

She also serves as a link between the league office and the teams on local marketing issues, advising on selling season tickets (league-wide sales of 89,543 far surpassed the initial goal of 35,000) and adding promotional elements to advertising packages. As overseer of licensing and outfitting, she determined which partners to work with and engineered product sell-throughs of more than 80% prior to the season's start.

"Her ability to process information, adapt and maintain a high level of enthusiasm is exactly what we needed," said Devito. "Plus, when you're walking the halls at 8 o'clock at night and you haven't had lunch, you can find a snack or piece of chocolate in that officer."

Extra buzz notwithstanding, Difilippantonio said working within the tight timeframe of the launch was a challenge. "We asked a lot of our partners to jump through hoops and work twice as fast as [usual]." Conversely, she added, "I can have an immediate impact on what we're doing. It continues to amaze me: this organization can turn on a dime."

It may need to. The league's through-the-roof 10.3 ratings debut has plummeted to a press-time 2.8. Ironically, the XFL may be a victim of its own pre-kickoff marketing, having created such buzz that millions tuned in only to be disappointed by a schizophrenic product that fluctuated between real football and half-scripted entertainment.

"We've made significant adjustments to production, and we're doing fan research to improve our game presentation," Difilippantonio said. "Each week the telecasts have improved. Through [additional advertising] and another push from our network partners, our goal is to get people to come back and check us out."

How did I get this job? I was recruited by a former Nabisco colleague handling HR for the WWF. He said, 'I lost you once, and I want to get you back here.'

The best part about my job is...The ability to have an immediate impact on what we're doing.

Favorite brand: Nike. They invented classical sports marketing at its best and right now they're reinventing themselves.