Ryan Reynolds flipped an acting career into a brand factory. And he’s made $350M along the way.
But he’s not following a script.
He’s writing his own. Over and over again. With wild success.
Here’s how he does it.
→ Ryan starts acting in the 90’s, doing sitcoms and romcoms.
→ In 2016, he levels up to Marvel stardom in Deadpool.
→ In a gutsy move, Ryan negotiates a small paycheck plus a chunky backend if it does well.
→ Deadpool is a hit. That chunky backend is $22M. His biggest payday so far.
And then he puts the cash to work.
Fast forward to 2018. Ryan’s at a bar. Sipping a Negroni. It’s good. Really good.
He asks the bartender why the drink is so tasty.
It’s the gin. Aviation Gin to be exact.
Ryan sniffs an opportunity. And jumps on it.
He buys a stake in Aviation Gin, reformulates the drink, and throws his weight behind the brand. Growth explodes.
In 2020, Diageo scoops up the company for $610M.
Score one for Ryan. Onto the next.
In 2019, Ryan buys into Mint Mobile. It’s a low phone carrier.
Then he pulls a rinse-and-repeat. He throws in some cash, tweaks the marketing, and hires himself as the front man.
Four years later, T-Mobile buys Mint for $1.35B.
Another win. But our boy’s not done.
In 2020, Ryan buys an obscure soccer club called Wrexham. It’s a head scratcher. But then it all makes sense.
He turns it into a reality show. About a guy who bought an obscure soccer club.
And that guy’s name is — wait for it — Ryan Reynolds.
I don’t know how the soccer team is doing. But Ryan will do just fine.
At the core, Ryan’s a value-add investor with a marketing superpower.
He spots an asset and buys into the action. Then he builds a customer community to rally behind the brand. And drives up the value.
He did it with Deadpool. And Aviation Gin. And Mint Mobile. And Wrexham.
I’ve got a feeling he’s not done yet.
marketing #growth #brand
P.S. At Influicity, we build Customer Communities that drive growth. I love showcasing people like Ryan who demonstrate how it’s done. For the full blueprint, hit the link in my profile.