How Can Superman Save Your Marketing?

How Can You Have Superman, The Man of Steel on Your Marketing Team?

How would you like to have 170 million dollars in your bank account before your new product even launched? Well, if you’re the new Man of Steel movie you’ve already raised $170 million in brand partnerships before the movie even appears in the theaters. Talk about having star power!

This 75 year old hero sets the standard for building a dynamic new product launch. What can we learn from this movie and apply it to our small and midmarket marketing efforts?

I’ve got three strategies that help you become a superhero in your markets.  If you employ these strategies you will be flying to the top of your markets faster than a speeding bullet.

The first strategy is think about what you are trying to market. Not what you’re selling.  What does your product mean to your clients or customers? In the case of Man of Steel, they’re sharing a story that’s been told for generations.  Every year grown men and women dress as their favorite superheroes for Halloween. We all want to believe we can fly. How do your products tap into our most primal desires or fears? If not, why not. If yes, how do we help magnify these emotions with our products? Consider adding emotions to your marketing to stand out in your markets.

The second strategy is be willing to let your stories evolve over time. I’ve been in so many organizations where they have so many sacred cows I feel like I’m back on the farm in Smallville. Take time to evaluate how to update your story to fit into our current times. Great storytelling is both an art and a science. Notice what others are doing and then consider how you might apply these ideas to your own marketing.

Recently Hollywood has begun using a number of older movie technologies and special effects to make their ideas seem timeless. This could mean going back to black and white or using many other older special effects to captivate their audiences. Explore how you might use this in your own business development efforts.

It’s not always updating your image, but looking at how storytelling is changing and keeping up with these changes. Take time to learn how the great storytellers continue keeping you involved in the story. Your stories need to evolve if you hope to keep you audience interested. When the first Superman movies came out, one of their key fascination factors was you believe a man can fly. Today, we not only believe they can fly but that they can enrapture us with their story and action.  We are all in the entertainment industry today. It’s time to upgrade your storytelling skills.

 The third strategy is less is more. When you’re choosing who to partner with, choose partners that create synergy between you, the partner, and the community. Man of Steel partnered with such leading brands as Chrysler, Nokia, Wal-Mart, US Army, Warby Parker glasses, and many other leading consumer goods companies to produce great experiences for their key target markets. Well over 100 products are featured in Man of Steel movies. Wal-Mart went as far as setting up a preview night for their customers before the movie shows in theatres Nationwide later this week. Several Wal-Marts I checked with had sold out of tickets to the event. By the way, a special thank you to Wal-Mart Superman who provided me with tickets so I can see the movie this Thursday night.

When you think of your community, who are the most active customers in your target markets? How might you increase their experiences dealing with your brand in these different environments? Breakthrough sponsorships are here to stay and are only limited by the creativity and customer experience you can create for your clients. Are you looking for potential partners in your community?

How do you avoid the kryptonite in your market? This is easier than you might expect. Make sure you create an outstanding customer experiences. Avoid overhyping your experiences; work to make your customers the hero in your promotional efforts.  Work to create a community who want to share their experiences with family and friends.

We will see you at the movies on Thursday night; I’ll be the guy in the horn rimmed glasses.