Avengers, Assemble.
The Marvel fandom is one of the biggest fandoms to exist and is ever growing 🌱.
Owned by Disney, Marvel Studios stands up above the rest when it comes to superhero movies. Their evolution from comics to big screen 🎞 looks smooth, as is their evolution from being a movie studio to a brand itself. With classics like Superman (1978) and Fantastic Four (1994) in hand, Marvel took a modern turn and re-launched with X-Men in the year 2000, following with Spiderman in 2002. They have kept the audience enticed in this world of superheroes 🦸♀️🦸♂️ ever since.
No doubt, the studio spends a whole lot of money 💰 in marketing of movies under it, but a large part of it also has to do with some classic subtle moves they play every now and then. Take Deadpool (2016) for instance, which is not only the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time but a whole genre of superhero movies where the protagonist breaks the fourth wall and talks 🗣 to the audience.
The scale at which Marvel operates is huge, but that does not mean their strategies would not apply to start-ups or small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Here are 4 strategies extracted:
1️⃣ Know your audience
Marvel Comics have been quite popular before the movies came and had quite a fan base. They still do. Hence, they had to make sure that they give their comic 📖 audience a sense of nostalgia by keeping a similar base, but also attract 🧲 young audiences with the use of graphics when Marvel ventured into movies. They have both now, and Marvel never fails to deliver although the fandom can get a little crazy 🤪 sometimes.
What entrepreneurs can learn from this is that the young audience who keeps up with technology 📱 can follow through if their product is good. However, you have to ensure that it reaches every age group to get the impact you want. You have the product, but what is the point if the customer does not even understand 🤔 how to use the product?
2️⃣ Keep them excited
You know they are a true fan when people stay back at the end of a Marvel movie through the credits. It might seem a very simple thing to do, but the numbers increase 📈 every time. As a result, that is a loyal customer right there. What Marvel does here is that they build suspense 😯 which compels the audience to come back and watch the next movie by giving away a small 🤏 piece of information at the end of each movie - a teaser.
Then, you watch another and then another, each giving away a piece of puzzle 🧩 leaving the room for the fandom to talk, discuss and make whatever they want to make of it. To build that level of loyalty, one should remember that this can only come with time, no matter what you do. You have to trust 🤝 your customer too and ease them into using your product or service. Re-launch with a new angle to it by keeping up with technological innovations.
3️⃣ Build a relationship
The similarity between the core of Batman Vs Superman and Captain America: Civil War, making two beloved superheroes fight 👊 against each other, escaped no one. Both were great movies and both outdid themselves when it came to graphics and animation. Still, the impact Civil War has was much stronger 💪 when compared to that of Batman Vs Superman, and it is all because of the connection Marvel has built with their audience over the years.
What entrepreneurs can learn from here is how Marvel has slowly built a relationship with their audience. Even though they might face criticism every now and then about loopholes 🕳, these fans do come back. Give something to your audience that will make them stay. Your product will be tested, and it will stay only if it is worth their time ⏳.
4️⃣ Let them talk
The marketing strategy that went behind Deadpool is just enigmatic. Releasing a superhero movie on Valentine’s Day 💝 was a risk Marvel took and boy, did they succeed or what! Marvel promoted the movie as a Romantic 🥰 movie rather than the obvious, with Deadpool even making an appearance on Tinder to keep people talking.
Marvel laid the bread 🍞 crumbs and the audience followed. Using social media as a tool, they invoked serious discussions, promoting movies through the word of mouth 👄. Brand awareness does not take money to build. It requires communication, not advertising. Advertising is the paid form of communication and if you cannot spend there, look for alternate ways of talking about your business. Be it word of mouth, choosing a catchy name, or even using online mediums.
Are you a Marvel fan? Well, now you are able to use some of these tips and strategies to give your business a boost - the Marvel-Way 👇👇👇😎!
Reference:
Kochar, R. 2016, July 6. 4 Marketing Lessons From Marvel Movies. Entrepreneur.
