XYIENCE Team Athlete Wanderlei Silva’s Personal Appearance Drive Sales for Retailers

May 7, 2010 - PRLog -- LAS VEGAS— XYIENCE’s athlete and event sponsorships are proving to have a big return at the register. The maker of Xenergy, the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), recently brought its marquee team athlete, UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva, to Albertsons in Tempe, Ariz., and Spencer’s Fresh Markets in Arroyo Grande, Calif., where he signed autographs for local MMA fans.

Both retailers report that sales of Xenergy spiked not only during the event, but also in the weeks that followed. For example, at Spencer’s, in the weeks following the event—where roughly 500 fans lined up to meet the iconic mixed martial arts figure—sales of Xenergy doubled. (Roughly 600 fans attended the Tempe event.)

“We saw the impact of Mr. Silva’s appearance quickly,” explained Gil Fierros, Central Coast Distributing’s sales manager. “Excitement about the event and the XYIENCE brand rapidly spread through the community, and the brand awareness it generated has helped to strengthen our relationship with very valuable accounts. XYIENCE is a great addition to our portfolio.”

For Spencer’s founder and CEO, John Spencer, providing a memorable experience for his customer base and community was a valuable way to build brand loyalty at a grassroots level.
“Many people showed up at the store because they could not believe such a prominent athlete would visit their hometown,” says Spencer. “Others drove up to 45 minutes from towns that are home to our other locations. We watched young martial arts students meet their hero in the aisle of our store. When you saw their faces, you knew—this is a moment that child will never forget.”

Prior to the event in the relatively less densely populated San Luis Obispo County area, Spencer’s carried the energy drink only at its Arroyo Grande location, but has since added Xenergy to its four other locations. In addition, Central Coast Distributors leveraged the success of the event and added several new accounts to its Xenergy dealer roster.

Through televised broadcasts of UFC events, the XYIENCE brand reaches some 100 million-television households in North America.  As a part of XYIENCE's UFC sponsorship relationship, its logo receives prime positioning on the mat and bumpers of the octagon. This often results in a fight's critical moments taking place on or next to the XYIENCE and Xenergy logos, and translates into millions of viewer impressions for XYIENCE.  Internationally, XYIENCE reaches more than 420 million television households via UFC broadcasts and Pay-Per-View broadcasts.

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XYIENCE is the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Xenergy, is one of the fastest-growing in its category. XYIENCE also produces supplements that provide ultimate nutrition for peak performance.