(And How Your Brand Could Learn A Thing Or To From This Multi-Billion-Dollar Franchise)
The final piece of the puzzle known as the Avengers: Endgame just fell into place and it makes entertainment history with a record number of moviegoers paying good money to say goodbye to the Avengers. The Marvel fan base has been rising continuously with people from all ages and backgrounds feeling the enthusiasm.
Still, Avengers is much more than a story about superheroes. It is a decades-long saga that has just now reached its boiling point. But it is not only about watching the moving pictures. It is time to take a step back and see how Marvel grew into a recognizable brand, infiltrated not only in entertainment but also other spheres of our lives.
Build Your Brand Through a Story
In everyday life, good stories sell well. That’s the reason why newspapers rush to be the first ones to publish a story or buy the rights to exclusive photos that nobody else has.
When you think of superheroes, you might think that at the end of the day, the long-awaited Avengers: Endgame is just another one in the line of many. But if you look deeper you will soon enough understand the case is not such.
What makes Marvel the master of the art of content his the ability to develop the characters in new, exciting and unique ways. There isn’t really one superhero that you can say it is the ultimate one. Everyone has their preferences.
Things are similar to content marketing -you can’t simply go in one direction and expect everyone to like that. Grow your brand through your content by exploring new ideas. You loyal customers will appreciate the new perspective.
Use Different Formats
Marvel was aiming to offer something for everyone. Their brand mostly grew over the last decade by embracing different storytelling format since at the end of the day – not everyone has the same preferences.
Some people find comic books too old school for them, so they would rather watch a movie. For other people, movies are not enough – which is why Marvel protecting their TV shows such as Daredevil and S.H.I.E.L.D. While their products are mainly in a digital format, they also don’t fall behind on merchandise and action figures – highly sought-after items for collectors.
When you are telling the story of your brand, you also need to use different formats to ensure maximum exposure. One type of content is not enough anymore – write articles, do an infographic, YouTube videos and encourage social engagement across all channels.
Take a Holistic Approach
If you are a younger fan of Marvel, you would be surprised to learn that characters such a Thor, Loki and Dr Strange historically were the less popular and underdeveloped Marvel characters. While DC pushed their most popular Batman and Superman, Marvel chose to focus on the “unsung heroes” and give them a chance to shine.
The end result? – A massive Universe where we got to learn a lot about each character before having all of them merge into culmination.
When it comes to your brand, you also need to take a holistic approach. Pushing your most popular products might bring fast results. However, investing in your less known products will be profitable in the long run and you are giving your customers the chance to try something new. Use your most popular products as a wind in your back, but never limit yourself only to a few of them.
Plan Long Term
Every successful strategy takes time to plan and execute. Only visionaries know that looking into the future and projecting where you want to be will eventually get you there if you work smart.
Announcements about the Marvel films were out even before the movies went into production. Even now, Marvel has released statements that confirm future releases, some of them going as far as 2022.
Your business needs a solid plan in place as well. But planning needs to be strategic and not only visionary. It also requires adjustment along the way.
Don’t be afraid to speak about things that might happen in a few year’s time. Sharing your vision with your customers can strengthen your relationship with them but also give you valuable feedback about what they want to see from you.
Take Risks
LOS ANGELES, USA. April 23, 2019: Ken Feige, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner & Mark Ruffalo at “Avengers Endgame” cast handprint ceremony (via Shutterstock)
Calculated risk is a part of the business world, yet sometimes it pays off to take a gamble. One of the most beloved Marvel heroes – Deadpool is known for his sassiness. Marvel embraced the idea of creating a superhero who is different than the remaining ones and launched a social media campaign about the release of the film.
And Deadpool is not your average superhero – he lacks the serious approach of Dr Strange or the lavishness of Tony Stark. This distinctive hero persona was a gamble that paid off for Marvel, yet it wasn’t just a lucky outcome.
Every business takes a certain approach to their strategies, but every once in a while it is good to take a risky move and surprise everyone. Such risky campaigns, if done right, can go viral, ultimately bringing you a lot of exposure and new possibilities.
Being a business superhero is not the easiest thing in the world, but it isn’t easy to go after Thanos who has all of the infinity stones either! It takes courage, planning and creativity. If in doubt, just ask yourself what would our favorite superhero do! They won’t just sit and let the time go by, would they?