The Hearst Connecticut newspapers’ ever-enterprising Brian Lockhart listened in today on World Wrestling Entertainment’s quarterly conference call to discuss financials released earlier today. To Lockhart’s disappointment, WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon was not there as advertised; the point person was chief operating officer Donna Goldsmith.
Lockhart said that last week he had asked WWE public relations guy Robert Zimmerman whether the Linda McMahon Senate campaign had had a negative impact on the company’s bottom line. Zimmerman emailed back:
“[T]he company does not exist in a singular bubble. I am not a economics major, but there are too many variables and factors that come into play. Not sure what the numbers will be for the quarterly filing, but remember the campaign has been on for over a year now while the economy is still in the toilet – so if there is any one thing that is the cause of any negative #s, especially for a content/entertainment company, it is the economy, as past history has dictated. WWE fans know the brand and know when politicians are just dishing out BS about the company for political purposes. Hence why the ‘Stand Up For WWE’ campaign has been so overwhelmingly successful. Our fans love the brand.”
See “Vince McMahon not in on WWE morning conference call,” http://blog.ctnews.com/politicalcapitol/2010/11/04/vince-mcmahon-not-in-on-wwe-morning-conference-call/.
Just as I, like Lockhart, am curious about the interplay between the family business and the family bid for elective office, so am I curious about evidence that “Stand Up for WWE” has been “overwhelmingly successful.” But, drat, Zimmerman never returns my emails.
Irv Muchnick
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