3 Marketing Tips We Can Learn from Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens premiered last night, but it’s been a hot topic for months already. If you saw it opening night and just can’t get enough (or you’re trying to keep yourself busy while waiting for your showtime this weekend), we’re here to help.

As marketers, most of us will never know what it’s like to promote a product or brand that becomes as popular as the Star Wars franchise. That’s okay. There’s still a lot we can learn from the marketing – and the movies – themselves.

#1 – It’s never too late to redeem yourself.

Sometimes, even the most popular products go wrong. Jar Jar Binks was not only in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, he had a huge amount of screen time. Fans still flocked to see Episodes II and III, and despite their mixed reception, people were so eager to buy tickets to The Force Awakens that they crashed Fandango and the local Alamo Drafthouse websites the night they were released.

The lesson: mistakes are inevitable, but if you have a solid reputation to build on, a few blunders won’t lessen your customers’ enthusiasm.

#2 – Get others to do your work for you.

According to Target Marketing, Disney has chosen not to invest a typical budget into The Force Awakens. Instead, they’re allowing partners to do a lot of the advertising for them, counting on car manufacturers, toy companies, grocery brands, and others who are invested in the movie’s success to spread the word about Episode VII.

The lesson: don’t be afraid to bring in partners and get help marketing. Marketing sponsorships, for instance, can be a great way to get others to assist in building your brand or promoting a specific product.

#3 – Tap into your audience’s sense of nostalgia.

People love things that remind them of years gone by. For many fans, The Force Awakens is so compelling because it brings back childhood memories of beloved characters, days spent engaged in make-believe light saber battles with friends, and action figures that used the Force to battle the Dark Side. If the new movie is done right, it will not only give viewers something to enjoy in the moment, but it will bring back those happy memories, too.

The lesson: remind your customers of something they used to love or give them a modern spin on a cherished blast from the past. Everyone loves a little nostalgia!

Could your marketing campaigns benefit from some Jedi mind tricks? Email us for a consultation, young padawan.