Marketing Genius-Barbie, First the Dreamhouse, and now this!?
Marketing at its best, leave it to Barbie. Regardless of your affinity for Barbie and Ken, you cannot deny the genius of the marketing campaign that launched the Barbie Movie. A search on Google for the "Barbie Movie" creates a screen spectacular that keeps us coming back to see it again and again. Brilliant Barbie, absolutely brilliant!!!
The marketing behind this movie is leaving all marketers reeling. I had to know more, so I went deep to get the details. How do you get millions of adults running to the theater dressed in pink, Instagramming the proof? Here are some lessons in marketing provided by none other than Barbie.
Go Beyond the Obvious
It is a movie about a childhood toy, but is it? The producer decided early on that her vision would go far beyond the obvious. The focus was on creating an experience that could be shared by all. The reach extended beyond the movie; it enveloped a culture and inspired a collective celebration of all that is pink.
Our culture likes to feel something. It is why we choose Target over Walmart, and proudly relish a French accent when pronouncing the name "Tarjay." Even the mundane task of picking up laundry detergent while carrying a Starbucks can make us feel special.
We are in the midst of this very thing in our industry. Going beyond the obvious is one of the many definitions of commercial strategy. Creating a strategy that extends beyond the marketing funnel to optimize fully is the course we are on.
From awareness to conversion, how do you expand the reach? You do it by thinking beyond the expected result. In this case, the expectation was a movie about Barbie; the result was a culture coming together awash in pink.
Budget is not your Boundary.
Barbie got our attention early on, beyond the movie trailer. I saw the trailer and thought how grateful I was that I would never have to see it. And then, the marketing got my attention, and I was a fan. My initial inclination was to revel in the execution, believing it was due to a huge budget. As I continued to pay attention, it became clear that the awareness was not within the marketing budget or plan. Here are three tactics that you can execute without a $150M budget:
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Commercial Teams Expand the Reach
To stand out, avoid being seen as a common item. Instead, focus on the antonyms of "commodity," such as "luxury," "scarce," and "dream." By redefining the opposite of what's usual, we can promote something that is not needed for everyday use, is in short supply, and is imagination or desire that can't be bought with just money. Creating a brand that sets itself apart requires creativity.
This is how you can make it happen in your organization:
It is All About the Results
Vision and execution have created a phenomenon that we will be talking about for years. Additionally, the conversion is record-breaking. According to The Guardian , "Barbie has outperformed all expectations, breaking box office records for the most commercially successful film by a female director, bringing in more than?$356m ?(£276m, A$527m) worldwide during its opening weekend."
We can build our dream house without a million-dollar budget. Be a doll and create a commercial strategy that puts your company and products "in the pink."
I am obsessed, so you don't have to be - Lori Kiel
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Building Alively, Your Healthspan gamechanger. Ex-Booking.com leader, Masters Runner & Travel Industry Expert. Let's Connect!
1 年It’s quite the phenomenon. I’m my life as an example, 7 moms (all working women) went to happy hour and to see Barbie on a Wednesday night. Between Taylor Swift, Pink and Barbie the ladies are having a heck of a fun and expressive year!!
Helping women in hospitality communicate with clarity + confidence | Global Speaker on a mission to eradicate self-doubt | TEDx Speaker Coach | Podcast: Ignite Your Confidence | Bestselling Author: Trust Your Own Voice
1 年So good, Lori!!! You’ve given me lots to think about. ????