It would be virtually impossible not to recognize the highly impactful launch of the newest installation of Star Wars. Looking beyond the phenomenal, no doubt buzz-worthy release though, as brand strategists we identified a few insights from the franchise’s success generation after generation that mature brands can learn from.
Relevancy
Successful films are few and far between in today’s world, but Star Wars has maintained it’s relevancy for nearly 40 years after the release of it’s original film. Contrary to what you may think, it hasn’t been The Force driving that but we can save that debate for another conversation. Brands who are able to evolve but continue to resonate with their audience while reaching new audiences have a higher chance of longevity, not to mention brand loyalty. So the question becomes, how does my brand maintain relevance in an era of consistent change? A strong brand is one that remains relentlessly curious and persistently moves forward at the pace of their audience. Beyond thinking up new ideas and being nimble to change, the brands that are succeeding are the ones who maintain a strong focus on the customer, uncovering insights and tapping into customer behavior to understand their changing desires. So you see it isn’t The Force, it’s the data. Restoring and rejuvenating brand value starts with understanding the data.
Storytelling
We recently published thoughts on repositioning brands through content curation and compelling storytelling. Every brand has a story. Star Wars continues to captivate the world year after year leveraging in meaningful ways through compelling and emotional storytelling. The ability to connect emotionally through content has become the force driving most Marketing Strategies and is a critical piece in maintaining your customers attention in this digital age. Stories and great content are what make understanding your brand’s position more clear to your customer. Great content is a catalyst for meaningful relationships, long-term relationships that keep your customer coming back for more and fueling advocacy. Focus on delivering great content and “They’ll soon be back, and in great numbers.” Obi-Wan Kenobi
Leveraging Brand History While Moving Forward
Whatever side of the force you favor, a great brand will prevail over the years, but many have stumbles along the journey. When Star Wars launched Episodes 1, 2 and 3 many fans questioned the off traditional brand positioning of those films, but die hard fans still lined up to see the films as they will this Thursday. An evolving brand always runs the risk of being stretched too far by new ideas and potential brand equity erosion. The core essence of a brand needs to remain intact while moving forward to continue to grow and thrive. Brand evolution with great results takes time but a solid foundation with a new robust strategy that clearly defines goals, positioning, offerings, audience, message, and delivery opens gates that will keep your brand young and your customers lining up.
Star Wars teaming up with Disney brings this blog to it’s final thoughts. If you’re pondering what’s next for your brand – don’t go at it alone. We won’t encourage you to unlearn what you have learned but leverage your foundation to bring you into next.
“Difficult to see, always in motion is the future …” – Yoda
Tomorrow is here. If you’re ready to take your brand to next we would love to chat with you. – Shana Lloyd