Here’s what Spiderman can teach you about marketing.
I got dressed up as Spiderman last week for my daughter’s 5th birthday.
Her classmates went nuts when they saw Spiderman!
ALL of them knew who Spiderman is.
But how on earth does Spiderman get that much brand recognition?
How is it that a class of 5-year old kids ALL know Spidey?
It got me thinking.
Some research will show you just how much of a financial powerhouse Spiderman really is:
Spiderman is worth $1.3 billion a year
He is the world’s most marketable super hero.
He sells more merchandise than the Avengers, Batman and Superman combined!
Here’s the marketing lessons I feel we can learn from Spidey:
1- Identify With Your Target Market
Spidey identifies with his audience.
Although possessing superpowers, he is constantly fighting the realities of life just like the rest of us: He has financial pressures, problems with his love life, a boss that gives him a hard time at work.
The list goes on.
I mean, that’s like all of us right? We all struggle with many of the same problems that Spidey does.
We feel like he is one of us.
Spiderman Marketing Lesson 1:
Are you researching and identifying with the pains and struggles of your audience? Do you really understand them and are speaking to their pain points?
2. Spiderman Aspires For Something More
Despite his constant struggles, Spiderman is constantly striving to stand for something higher.
He has a purpose in life…one that says, “With great power comes great responsibility” and he strives to live that out as a superhero (despite the fact that he is often broke or struggling with some big personal issue).
His fans are inspired by his example and what he stands for.
Spiderman Marketing Lesson 2:
Does your brand and company stand for something more than just what you sell?
Does your company have strong values that you don’t compromise on?
Do your customers feel that they are somehow making the world a better place by choosing your product over others?
3. Spiderman Has a Great Story
Most people know how Peter Parker became Spiderman; he was bitten by a radioactive spider.
Many fans also know how he was using his superpowers for the wrong thing at the start.
And that his misuse of power, and his selfishness resulted in his Uncle getting killed.
There are also many other elements of the Spiderman story that build on each other, and reinforce his character as Spiderman.
All these help Spidey successfully weave a web of stories that empower his ‘brand’.
Spiderman Marketing Lesson #3:
Does your company and brand have a great unique story? Or do you simply just appear as a ‘me-too’ commodity brand to your customers?
4. Spiderman Feeds Our Fantasies
Most of us, like Spiderman, have to live with the constant stresses of daily life.
Work, family, and other life pressures take a toll on us.
Deep down inside, we are all looking for a fantasy or a way to live out our fantasies.
Spiderman represents an outlet for many of its fans, to live out their fantasy of being a superhero.
He helps many of us to live out their wild dreams and fantasies of being a superhero, and saving the world from bad guys.
Even it if the escapism just lasts for a little while.
It’s the same reason why football and soap operas are addictive, because it gives its viewers a chance to escape from reality for a short while.
Spiderman Marketing Lesson #4:
Does your brand and product help your customers ‘escape’ their reality and help them enjoy a small part of their fantasies or dreams? If not, can you perhaps communicate your product in a way so that it does that?
In truth, there are many other lessons we can learn from Spiderman.
But I feel if you can truly grasp these 4 lessons, it can have a dramatic impact on your bottom line.
By applying these lessons, perhaps you can be a ‘superhero’ in your industry!
