You can learn a lot of marketing lessons just by watching your favorite television shows. If you’re a Netflix addict like most of us, I’m sure marathoning through a popular television series has become one of your favorite pastimes. After a long week of planning and strategizing, these great shows can be a welcome break, and you may even learn a few marketing lessons along the way! Here are 5 marketing lessons from your favorite shows.
Game of Thrones: Have a Clear Goal
Most of the main characters on Game of Thrones have a clear goal or a plan of action that they’ve been following ruthlessly. This is a good marketing lesson because you should also know what you want and how you’re going to get it. Although you wouldn’t want to follow the actions of the characters on the popular HBO show, you have to admire their unwillingness to give up on their goals. If there’s something you want to accomplish by the end of the month, or even the end of the year, keep pushing forward. There might be setbacks, (although hopefully no beheadings), but you can readjust your marketing strategies and go from there.
The Walking Dead: Be Persistent and Consistent
In addition to having a clear goal, you need to remain as persistent as the characters on The Walking Dead. Since The Walking Dead is more about survival than it is about zombies, the character’s fight to stay alive is often tested. These poor characters on The Walking Dead are constantly being challenged, but have fought to overcome those challenges on a daily basis. If you want to stay alive in the marketing world, you need to find a way to stay relevant. If you’re running an email marketing campaign, for example, you can’t just send out one email and hope that people remember your brand. Being persistent and consistent will help your company come out on top.
Breaking Bad: Tell a Good Story
On Breaking Bad, Walter White had a good product, and he had a good story to go along with it. He became sought after and his story became legendary. This is a good marketing lesson because you have to remember that storytelling is the key to great branding. If you can tell a good story, potential customers will remember you and remember your products and services. Keep your core message in mind and brand your product as well as Walter White did.
Mad Men: Make Connections
Mad Men is a television show about marketing and advertising, so it’s easy to pull some valuable marketing lessons from it. The most important marketing lesson in Mad Men is to make connections and form relationships. We always see scenes of Don Draper taking his clients out or bringing them in for meetings. You might be able to bring in business through your marketing campaigns, but you really need to form a relationship with your customers if you want them to stick around. It’s not necessary for you to wine and dine your customers, but you should keep in contact with them and take the time to get to know what they want for their business. If you remain proactive and value the connection with your customers, you’ll keep the business you have.
Orange is the New Black: Learn from Your Competitors
Understanding your market and who else is offering similar products and services as you can be very important. In Orange is the New Black, the main character stays alive by gaining allies and learning from them. She also has enemies, but she learns from her mistakes and adjusts her survival strategies. If you look at the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, you can help build a strong campaign for your own company. You can also learn what makes you different from the rest. Use all of this research to make your brand stand out.
Did we miss your favorite show? What is a valuable marketing lesson you’ve learned from a television series? Share with us in the comments!