Hulk Hogan's Branding Lessons For Companies And Organizations

Forbes

24-07-2025

Hulk Hogan gestures to the audience during his Hulkamania Tour at the Burswood Dome on November 24, ... More 2009 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by)
Corporate branding and marketing lessons can come from surprising and unexpected people. Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan (his real name was Terry Bollea) was one of those people. He died today at age 71.
'Hogan was one of the earliest stars of World Wrestling Entertainment and was the face of pro wrestling's boom in popularity during the 1980s.….He was so popular, there was a name for his era of popularity—Hulkamania. Hogan parlayed that stardom into movie roles, including a memorable appearance in Rocky III,' according to NPR.
A Masterclass In Character Branding
Hogan 'was more than a wrestler; he was a masterclass in character branding. He leaned fully into an exaggerated, recognizable persona and committed to it across platforms long before omnichannel or integrated marketingwere even buzzwords. His look, tone, signature phrases, poses, and even his walk were carefully crafted and consistent. Truly, these are important key lessons for executives seeking to build lasting brand recognition,' Taylor Ketchum, vice president of Jones PR., told me in an email interview.
Hogan personified the benefits and potential downsides that confidence can play in building brands. From a leadership standpoint, Hogan exemplified how larger-than-life confidence can build a cult-like following but also how reputational risks can follow if the brand and the person aren't aligned behind the scenes when the cameras are off. His legacy reminds leaders that brand loyalty isn't built in a day; it's built by repetition, clarity and emotional connection,' she advised.
'Hulk Hogan wasn't just a wrestler; he was a walking brand decades before personal branding became the buzzword it is today. What made him powerful was not just his larger-than-life persona. It was the way he embodied a message that people could and craved to rally behind,' Contrecia T. Tharpe, chief storyteller and strategist at FayeVaughn Creative, told me in an email message.
One of the most effective ways to help build brands and marketing success is to be an effective storyteller.'Hogan proved how to build an iconic brand by owning a single story relentlessly: 'good triumphs over evil' delivered with coherence across every platform. His 1996 reinvention as 'Hollywood Hogan' was a brilliant, risky move that extended his relevance. Yet, he also showed the limits: you control your narrative until your life no longer matches it,' Jay Mandel, founder and editor-in-chief of the Marketing Accountability Council, told me via email.
It can be challenging for companies and brands to stay relevant to audiences in the marketplace. Hogan 'navigated an era defined by tightly scripted media and centralized control, where narratives could be more readily managed. However, as times changed and public trust in such carefully constructed personas waned, his later appearances sometimes felt out of step with a more discerning audience,' Mandel pointed out. 'The final lesson, underscored by his life's arc, remains: no matter how big your brand, if it stops evolving with integrity, it stops mattering,' he concluded.
To help stand out from the crowd, brands need to find appropriate ways to be noticed and remembered. 'Hogan built a character so clear and exaggerated that it became iconic. The look, the voice, the energy... It wasn't subtle, and that's what made it stick. In business, too many brands play it safe. Leaders who are willing to be bold, specific, and consistent in how they show up have a better shot at being remembered,' Sara Celotto, CEO of the Vision Catalyst, commented in an email message to me.
Hogan managed to evolve from wrestler to reality TV personality to spokesperson without ever fully stepping out of character. That's hard to do. Most brands either cling too tightly to what worked or try to reinvent themselves too often. The real magic is in knowing what part of your brand should never change and building from there,' she counseled.
Express Appreciation
Small but thoughtful gestures of thanks and appreciation can be so important for that help make a brand or business successful. Robert Bentz says he worked with Hogan for many years when he ran the wrestler's Hulk Hogan Hotline. Hogan 'did something special every year that I will always remember him for. On Christmas Day, he would call me, wish me a Merry Christmas, and thank me for the work we had done together. The call was never long and I could tell that he was calling a lot of people that day, probably one after another.' Bentz recalled in an email interview with me.
'Here was this mega-star who took the time to call his business partners who were more thankful to work with him than he was to work with us. That is leadership and showing that you truly are appreciative of your business partners, even though they are not famous,' Bentz concluded.
All the ways in which Hulk Hogan became and stayed a household brand for so long may not be a good fit for every business leader. But executives could consider adapting his strategies, tactics, and techniques that would work best for their companies and brands.