'The Bad Guy' Vinnie Vain
Photo: New Photography
Headlocks, suplexes, dropkicks, clotheslines & bodyslams are the core of professional wrestling, however, they are not the only element. Outside of the ring, wrestlers must be also able to manage things like branding, marketing & social media to elevate their status as best they can. For this reason, Pario recently spoke with 'The Bad Guy' Vinnie Vain, who is not only a fantastic technician in the ring but also a master of the marketing game outside of it.
In his day-to-day life, Vinnie is a father & digital marketing manager, working across a variety of industries throughout his career. Like many people involved in the wrestling industry, Vinnie grew up with a passion for the sport but realised just how few people ever make it to the big leagues, particularly wrestlers from Australia. Bearing that in mind Vinnie chose to focus on a more attainable career in marketing before eventually rekindling his passion when his circumstances in life were more stable.
STABILITY VS DREAMS
"I was always adamant on setting myself up financially & having something to fall back on," reflected Vinnie. "While I admire the ladies and gentlemen on the scene now that are making it their life... but when I got out of school it was never an option to be a pro wrestler."
His passion for wrestling may have waned briefly in his early adulthood but it never dissipated entirely. Thus Vinnie would eventually find his path leading him right back to the squared circle.
"Pro wrestling was never part of the plan but I just kind of fell into it. I'm glad I did it the way that I've done it because you're essentially taking a shot at Hollywood by pursuing wrestling... When you look at the number of pro wrestlers there are in the world & the numbers that make it, it's a very, very long shot," Vinnie told Pario. "I never wanted to be that guy who got to the age I am now & I didn't make it as a pro wrestler. Then had to try & build my life up when everyone else is 15 years ahead of you."
Although Vinnie hasn't made it to the pinnacle of the sport, in places like WWE, AEW or NJPW, he is pursuing the passion by carving his own path. On that note, Vinnie is full of gratitude for the Australian men & women who have made it to these places, because they've made it possible to wrestle regularly back here in Australia.
"I know how much effort they've put in & the sacrifices they've made to get there," said Vinnie. "They deserve all of that success & more. They're a great representation of Australia. If anything, those guys & girls have helped put Australia on the map."
MASTER MARKETer
As we mentioned earlier outside of the wrestling ring Vinnie is a highly respected & talented digital marketing executive. Over the years Vinnie has worked on a variety of marketing, most notably for major shopping centres & brands like Lonsdale.
While working with Lonsdale one particular campaign stood out in Vinnie's memory. That campaign was entitled, Real Fighters. This saw Vinnie working alongside some of Australia's top sporting personalities, such as; world champion boxer Billy Dib, legendary AFL player Dane Swan, NRL players Todd Carney & Paul Gallen, & ironwoman/fitness model Candice Warner (née Falzon).
Through working on these campaigns Vinnie grew his skill-set & came to define his vision of marketing, which he would later incorporate into his wrestling endeavours.
"Digital marketing is constantly changing. So you're constantly researching & exploring what other brands are doing? What are the latest trends in the market? And what's working," Vinnie explained. "That's the beautiful thing about it, it's a beautiful science. There are endless creative options."
Reflecting on some of his work Vinnie described it as "like watching your children grow." Which again further evidences how much passion & love he puts into it.
GRAPPLING WITH BOTH WORLDS
Having such a love for marketing was crucial when it came time to fuse his two passions, wrestling & marketing, together.
Since embarking on his wrestling journey Vinnie has been able to incorporate his marketing skill set into his wrestling career to help him capture the attention of audiences & shine a spotlight on his storylines.
"I've been able to take everything I've learnt in marketing & apply it to my brand in wrestling," Said Vinnie proudly. "If you look up my digital presence you'll see that Vinnie Vain has a website, he's got social media accounts with appropriate calls to action & even down to how I do my media/promos. It's all part of bigger marketing."
It's this latter part that is perhaps the most obvious difference for those looking in from the outside. Vinnie's promo video segments are not the stereotypical wrestling promo "talking down the barrel" of the camera & telling you what he's going to do to his opponent on a specific date & specific venue. Instead Vinnie, alongside his manager Piers Austin, has been creating narrative-driven stories that carry across multiple storylines & promotions.
"I believe by doing the promos we do, given we've got a strategic direction & we're trying to market ourselves differently, they're more engaging," Vinnie said confidently. "People want to watch the videos & say, hey, what's that about? If you've paid attention to what we've been doing since day one you'll realise it's all part of a bigger narrative.”
Follow Vinnie’s creative journey on social media at: @vinnie_vain
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