The wrestling business is all about promotion and making sure that people know about the product, and nobody has done that better than WWE over the years. This is the reason that the company has been on top of the industry for as long as it has, with fans often having something to hook them in.
Over the years, WWE has used some disgusting promotional tactics such as the death of a wrestler, but when the creative team puts their minds to things they can come up with great ideas. There have been some fantastic, and genuinely creative ideas at times that have helped keep fans hooked.
10 White Rabbit
WWE has recently showcased how good it can be when it taps into true creativity with the White Rabbit clues that eventually led to Bray Wyatt returning to the company. Showing QR codes throughout the shows that led to fans having to search for clues online was unique, and it engaged the audience.
Things then spread virally through the internet, such as how WWE started the entire situation by playing a song at live events. The buzz was palpable, and it led to a huge rating spike or the company, showcasing that the teases grabbed people's attention.
9 Millennium Man
When the world was heading into the new millennium there were a lot of speculation and rumors about what would happen, with some believing the world would end. WWE decided to smartly tap into that as they began running a countdown clock to that point, teasing fans that something would happen.
Of course, that eventually led to the debut of Chris Jericho, which remains one of the greatest segments in company history. Fans were left wondering what it could be at the time, and having him interrupt a segment with The Rock instantly made it worthwhile and created a new star.
8 Diva Search
The Diva Search was another clever promotional tool from WWE, guaranteeing fans would be seeing future WWE Superstars as they tried to earn a contract with the company. It was something different from what the company had ever done, but it worked out perfectly in trying to get attention to the product.
Fans loved the series and the idea of it, and while some people had complaints about not focusing on the in-ring aspect of the business, this decision did bring a lot of great wrestlers over the years.
7 Tough Enough
Tough Enough was another great promotional tool like the Diva Search as it focused on future talent looking to break out in the business. This blended professional wrestling with reality television, and it proved to be incredibly popular with wrestling fans who would watch the show and then also view the regular television product as well.
It was a clever concept that allowed fans a peek around the business, showcasing the importance of training and how people learn. It was a popular series, and there's no doubt that it was a unique idea.
6 Total Divas
Some fans might just see Total Divas as a reality series that was completely separate from WWE, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Vince McMahon knew exactly what he was doing when he agreed to that television series, as putting a WWE product on E! was always going to bring eyes to his product.
It got a whole new group of people interested in professional wrestling that may never have cared before, as they tuned in to see what the women on the show were actually doing inside the ring. It helped grow WWE, and made the likes of The Bella Twins and Lana into even bigger stars.
5 Announcing WrestleMania's Main Event A Year In Advance
When The Rock first returned to WWE, fans were all hoping it would lead to a match with John Cena as he was the top name in the company at the time. However, few people thought that WWE would announce the match a year ahead of time and make fans wait that long.
That is exactly what they did, and while it was very risky due to the chance of injury, it worked out perfectly. Fans were gripped by the idea throughout the entire year, with the two men doing enough to keep people hooked throughout that entire run.
4 Tapping Into Reality
At the time when Edge and Lita's affair broke out, WWE likely thought it was a PR nightmare which is why Matt Hardy legitimately ended up losing his job. However, when the fans got behind him the company opted to put on a storyline as they'd never done before, using real-life issues to bubble over into the product.
Tapping into the dirt sheets when they were starting to become popular, having them air their grievances on online phone-ins, fans were hooked with everything that went on. It might not have been the main event angle, but it was creative and made the best of a bad situation.
3 CM Punk Walks Out
The rise of CM Punk was an incredible one, and the build to Money in the Bank 2012 was incredibly creative. WWE openly admitted Punk's contract was running out, and he wasn't re-signing it, which led to the pipebomb and some great promo segments with Vince McMahon.
Of course, that spilled into his unforgettable match with John Cena where he won and literally left with the WWE Championship. Fans all tuned in to see what would happen, and while WWE arguably brought back Punk too soon, it was still a clever promotional tool.
2 WWE Network
Nowadays the WWE Network has been phased out in certain areas of the world due to other deals the company has put in place, but the streaming service truly was a groundbreaking situation at the time. Putting all the wrestling content into one place, with fans having to pay a monthly fee was a wise move.
Vince McMahon was ahead of the curve on this one, seeing that streaming was going to be the next big thing, which has been the case with the likes of Netflix and Disney+. WWE got ahead of most by creating this, and while people had concerns at first, it proved to be a great idea that worked perfectly and helped promote the company.
1 Cyber Sunday
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Every PPV is an important one for WWE, but the creation of Cyber Sunday put a great twist on things as the fans were put in charge. The idea that the audience could dictate how the night went was a clever one, being able to vote on match stipulations, or sometimes who would be in the encounter itself.
It gave fans a reason to tune in because they could have a direct impact on what was happening throughout the night, and audience participation is always a popular thing. Considering the rise of social media, it is very surprising WWE hasn't brought this event back, as it would certainly be a hit.