Brand lessons from Marvel: Get customers engaging and eager for more.
The movie ended, and not a soul in the theater moved a muscle.
The credits rolled: 30 seconds… one minute… 5 minutes… Still, nobody stirred in their seats.
If you’re a Marvel fan, you know this is not an unusual scene.
Marvel is a brand that’s known for weaving multiple movie and television properties together.
Each stands on its own merit but is also tied to the bigger picture of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) told over many years through many shows and movies.
And fans know that hints, clues, and teasers will be dropped for future movies and shows during the end credits.
They are the only movies where you’ll see a theater full of people glued to their seats long after the show ends.
And this, my friend, is the power of brand storytelling.
Marvel not only knows how to tell a great story via one individual TV show or movie, (I know, I know, it’s subjective- especially if you’re NOT a superhero fan. But for the sake of this exercise let’s assume you are, K?), they’ve mastered telling massive, interwoven stories across hundreds of characters and storylines.
People aren’t glued to their seats at the end of a movie- even though they’re beyond ready for a bathroom break, or to stretch their legs- because they think the marvel logo is really cool. Or even because they were so gobsmacked by what they just watched.
They’re sitting around waiting for more because Marvel as a brand has baked intrigue, surprise, and a little breadcrumb trail following right into their product.
This is bigger than telling a great story or making a blockbuster hit.
It engages their fans beyond the event (in this case, an afternoon at the movies.)
It sparks conversation, endless YouTube “What does it all mean??” videos, and excitement for the next movie or TV show release.
This is branding and storytelling that turns the audience from passive viewers into active participants.
And THAT’S what good branding & marketing could and should be doing for you too: It gets your audience interacting and engaging with you, your products, and your services.
Here’s an exercise you can do this week:
Pull out a sheet of paper or a blank google doc and start making some lists.
Are you currently telling stories, or dropping little moments of surprise and delight for your audience, customers, and clients? How?
Are- or can- any of these things become the “thing” that you’re known for among your audience? (They don’t have to, it’s just an added bonus if they do!)
How can you ramp up or lean into these things even more?
Nothing on the list? Don’t fret! You can start right now by jotting down some ways you’re going to START doing this. (And then you know… actually doing some of them.)
Marvel is used as an example above, but there are so many more.
Here’s a few more Brand Storytelling examples to get your juices flowing:
Taylor Swift released “Taylor’s version” of her albums, and including extended songs with mini-movies. Fans not only get these extra nuggets of long-time favorites, but by purchasing, streaming, and sharing “Taylor’s version” songs, they also feel like active participants in Taylor’s empowering reclamation of her song library.
Target partnering first with big-name designers, and now fashion and lifestyle bloggers to create unique, limited-edition lines of product. These partnerships have positioned Target as the leader in hip + exclusive low-priced designer goods. Most of these special collections sell out within hours or days of being released. And even though they’re reasonably priced items, they instantly become status pieces for design enthusiasts who are in the know.
Kleenex sent care packages to people who used “sick” hashtags. Within 1 to 2 hours of the "sickly" posts, a "Kleenex Kit" filled with Kleenex brand get-well items was delivered to the sick people. 100% of the recipients posted about their Kleenex surprises.
In-And-Out Burger becoming THE fast-food destination for tourists and locals alike in Southern California. The not-so-secret, secret menu that expands the very simple, limited standard menu, lets patrons feel like snarky insiders. (Animal style, protein style, Flying Dutchman, or mustard grilled extra toast, anyone??)
Alright, now that you have some inspiration to get you going, what will you do to start engaging and surprising your audience? Even small things- like hand-written client welcome notes can get the ball rolling.
Let me know how you’ll start (or expand!) in the comments.
Meet Sarah
Sarah is an award-winning Designer, Creative Director & Brand Strategist for billion-dollar companies turned entrepreneur. She’s passionate about empowering solopreneurs and small business owners with tools and inspiration to build the lives & businesses of their dreams.