marketing strategy Archives

7 Marketing Strategies that Skyrocketed Barbie Movie to Success

Hollywood sure knows a thing or two about effective marketing, and as entrepreneurs, there’s much we can learn from their playbook. The Barbie movie stands out as a prime example of strategic marketing that played a vital role in its triumph. Everywhere I look, Barbie is there!

So, let’s dive right into the marketing strategies that made the Barbie movie shine.

TAPPING INTO TARGETED ONLINE FORUMS
One of the most impactful strategies used was identifying websites, group chats, and marketplaces specifically tailored to the movie’s target audience. This smart approach allowed the marketing team to connect with people who were actively seeking the services and experiences offered by the film. By harnessing the power of niche-specific forums and marketplaces, they greatly increased their chances of conversions, far surpassing the reach of broader platforms.

NETWORKING & OUTREACH
Building a robust resource base was a key aspect of the Barbie movie’s marketing success. The marketing team went above and beyond to connect with industry figures through various channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, email, and even support phone numbers. They crafted personalized letters, showcasing their services and attaching portfolios, which they sent out to hundreds of companies.

EMBRACING UNIQUENESS
Recognizing that Barbie is a flagship brand and a major revenue driver for Mattel, the movie’s marketing team understood the importance of creating a film that truly resonated with the audience. After all, a movie that failed to captivate viewers could have negatively impacted Barbie’s popularity and sales. Their aim was to revitalize and redefine the Barbie brand by reflecting its evolution with the times and embracing a progressive future.

EXTENDING BARBIE’S INFLUENCE
Barbie’s impact goes beyond the movie itself. The brand has been at the forefront of the Barbiecore clothing trend and has successfully collaborated with numerous renowned brands. With an impressive 23 collaborations to date, including partnerships with Cotton On, Krispy Kreme, GAP, Impala roller blades, and even Airbnb, Barbie has firmly established its presence in various industries. The relisting of Barbie Dreamhouse on Airbnb to coincide with the movie launch added another dimension to the brand’s multifaceted marketing strategy.

CREATING IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES
The Barbie movie’s marketing campaign didn’t stop at traditional approaches. They took things a step further by organizing an activation at Bondi Beach, where the iconic Icebergs pool underwent a Barbie-themed transformation. This visually captivating backdrop set the stage for a press conference attended by director Greta Gerwig and cast members Margot Robbie, Issa Rae, and America Ferrera. The Bondi-meets-Barbie Land created an unforgettable experience, underscoring the team’s dedication and commitment to the movie’s success.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

INNOVATION IN BRANDING
Innovation can be a game-changer when it comes to establishing a brand identity. The Barbie marketing team fully grasped this concept and executed it masterfully. One of their most innovative moves was the creation of an AI-powered Barbie Selfie Generator. This ingenious tool takes a person’s facial features and transforms them into a Barbie-like image, resulting in fun photos that people can’t wait to share on social media. This marketing tactic quickly went viral, capturing the attention of the meme world and generating widespread buzz.

COLLABORATING WITH MARKETING LEADERS
Barbie went above and beyond in forging an impressive array of brand partnerships and cross-marketing projects. This demonstrated the immense value of collaboration for expanding one’s footprint in a cost-effective manner. These collaborations took various forms, such as strategic alliances, joint ventures, and co-marketing opportunities.

By examining the marketing strategies employed by the Barbie movie, entrepreneurs can glean valuable insights into effective marketing techniques.

Sources: 1,2, & 3

Marketing Trap: Why Do Sexual Ads Sell?

A few weeks ago, a close friend of mine posed an interesting social psychology question. With the weight of advantage attractive people have, does sexuality or sexiness really sell?

I started researching on the topic. Various studies have shown that attractiveness possess some unfair advantage.

1. Being attractive is associated with goodness.

Dr. Ellen of the University of Minnesota discovered that ‘The more attractive the person, the better the work was evaluated. People associate being warm, sexually responsive, poised, modest, sociable, sensitive, interesting, strong, more exciting, and so on to attractive people than to less attractive people. The Halo Effect can be linked to this too.

The Halo Effect is a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about their character. It can cloud our judgement as consumers or employers.

2. Being attractive increases your chances of getting the job.

At Old Dominion University in Virginia, Dr. Thomas Cash found that attractive people were seen as more hirable and more likely to be successful at a given job than unattractive candidates with similar qualifications. This is unfair to those with comparable qualifications and wider experiences.

3. Being attractive is associated with wits.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that teachers assumed attractive students to be more intelligent and have parents who are more interested in the child’s education.

4. Being attractive is a sign of health.

In an Australian study, researchers morphed photographs of young adults so that their faces were perfectly symmetrical. In general, the symmetric version of each face received higher health ratings than the normal image.

5. Being attractive boosts your political ratings.

A study in Finland found that both male and female political candidates who look better than their competitors are more successful.

6. Beautiful people lure more consumers.

A professor and head of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Mr. Tom Reichert, once said that “Advertisers use sex because it can be very effective.”

“Sex sells because it attracts attention. People are hardwired to notice sexually relevant information, so ads with sexual content get noticed.”

Interestingly, some young men actually think that think Axe body spray will drive women crazy. Brand impressions are shaped by the people who advertise them. In essence, Hanes offer the same thing as Calvin Klein. However, the latter has “sexiness” stringed to it. That is what many customers want!

On to modern times, sex sells in form of the pictures posted by Social Media influencers. To the viewers who see these images, it can put a pressure on keeping up with the same standards of beauty. Having high standards of beauty can lead to insecurity and depression.

You must remember that we do not see what happens behind the scenes. We do not see the countless hours spent on post-production to capture a flawless model. Not to mention, many Social Media influencers revolve their lives on the brands they advertise.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Know that these people are human too. Outer beauty has its perks, but it is superficial. As long as you are aware of your authentic self, you will not be swayed by marketing traps. This does not mean that you will undermine models or influencers. Instead, we must celebrate beauty and individuality!

5 Mind Tricks That Restaurants Employ To Make You Spend

There are important things to consider while designing a new restaurant’s interior and its minor details such as the menu. One thing is for sure – you are building a business to boost your income. You may consider employing these Psychological tricks to help your sales.

#1: DROP THE DOLLAR SIGN

What I told you that you can entice your customers to spend more with minor alterations? Yes, it is possible! Simply drop the dollar signs found on your menu. Customers become more aware of their spending when they are bombarded with currency indicators (i.e., $ or S$).

Research suggests that customers who were given a menu without “$” significantly spent more than those who received a menu with currency indicators in them. You may write out the price in words too (e.g., ten dollars). These techniques reduce the negative feelings associated with paying.

#2: TRIGGER THE FAMILY TIES

The Asian culture puts a great value on the closeness of family. Most of us work to aid our family members’ expenses. Restaurant owners and managers can use this unified value to their advantage by tailoring their brand.

You may either put the “names” of the relatives on the menu or on the establishment. Having “grandma’s soup” or “uncle’s supreme burger” on the menu can add a hint of nostalgia. While, you can name your establishment something similar to Papa John’s Pizza or Auntie Anne’s.

#3: PUT THE APPETIZING COLORS

Whenever you are out to eat, you see wonderful colors that vary from the lightest to the darkest shades. It is no secret that colors can impact one’s spending. The sight of it automatically stimulates you and increases your memories, color-motivated behaviors, and social influences. For instance, green is associated with nature and other elicit relaxing feelings. It is used by cafes that want people to sit down for a long time. Just take a cue from Starbucks!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

From the logos to the interior, two colors seem to stay at almost every fast food chains. These two colors are red and yellow. Red and yellow stimulate appetite, which probably explains why your stomach starts to make noises as soon as you see the yellow arches or the red logo. You cannot resist spending more inside!

#4: PLACE EXPENSIVE DISHES FIRST

Previous research showed that customers scan through a menu and focus their attentions on the main course. With this in mind, you may influence the fixation of their eyes. Put the expensive dishes on the first page. People are likely to order the first few items that they are drawn to. You may add colorful pictures to tempt your customers with the dishes’ delectable flavors.

This technique works because of the Primacy Effect. Primacy Effect, in Psychology, is the tendency for the first items (presented in a series) to be remembered better than the rest. Another reason why this is effective is the utter comparison between the expensive dishes and the rest of the menu. The succeeding dishes seem to be reasonably priced compared to the aforementioned. People will pay more for good deals!

#5: MAKE YOUR FONTS FANCY

The beauty premium is the idea that attractive individuals receive higher salaries compared to the other side of the spectrum deemed as the “ugliness penalty”. Physical appearance is crucial to boosting a restaurant’s sales too. Having attractive fonts can add an irresistible tone to your menu and branding.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

You can highlight dishes using different colors or fancier fonts. The addition of pizzazz to the visual presentation increases its perceived specialty. However, high-end restaurants tend to avoid this technique. They tend to stick to minimalism as they do not want to appear “tasteless”.

Sources: 1 ,2 &3

4 Times That Fast Food Chains Stole Your Money

When fast food chains offer their tasty meals, they go beyond advertising on television and social media. They employ different marketing strategies to entice the consumers into spending their hard-earned cash on the spot. Just take a look at their slogans!

Burger King once used the slogan: “IT JUST TASTES BETTER”. They provide no further explanations as to why their burgers and products tastes good. They simply implant this idea because they are business-oriented people. On that note, here are the 4 Times That Fast Food Chains “Stole” Your Money:

1. TEMPTING STORE FRAGRANCES

It is no secret that smell can induce cravings. These cravings can later lead to spending money.

Some companies (like ScentAir) are in the business of copying the natural scents of different food such as grilled burger, cinnamon bun, and popcorn. They sell these scents to companies that want to enhance the overall aroma of their stores. It works because smell can actually make your food taste better.

Dr. Brian Wansink once said: “it [odor] definitely makes the dining experience much more attractive to people, but unfortunately it also makes you want to get the fries instead of the salad.”

2. OVERWHELMING BUNDLE PRICE

Seeing me sip a cup of soda is a rare sight but, I always fall for the “bundle price” marketing trick regardless of that! Bundle pricing occurs when the company sells 2 or more products as a package with an intent of saving the customers’ money. Fast food chains habitually engage in this strategy which they refer to as “value meals”.

Currently, Burger King is offering value meals that come with burgers, cheesy fries, and sodas for only S$4.95 each. How can you not fall for a price that is significantly less than the amount of each item separately?

Image Credits: burgerking.com.sg

One drawback is that the portions are lesser than the usual.

3. APPETITE-ENHANCING COLORS

Interestingly, you can combat how colors affect the way you eat by controlling your own plate. Researchers at Cornell University found that when they reduced the contrast in their plates and tables or in their plates and the food itself, people tend to serve themselves less food. To eat less, pair your white plate with your white table-cloth or a blue plate with a blue table-cloth.

4. ENTICING HEALTHY FEATURES

With the continued advocacy against obesity, consumers have been warned about the health risks of various fast food joints. Some companies heard this plea and incorporated healthy options to their menu. These companies came up with low-calorie ice creams, fruit bowls, veggie wraps, and salads.

Included in these said companies are McDonald’s and Burger King. Let us take Mac’s “Chicken McNuggets® 6pc Delight 500 Meal with Dasani Drinking Water” as an example. I was impressed with the website as it showed the nutrition facts, allergen information, and food sensitivity. In fact, the amount of cholesterol is this meal is only 59 mg!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

My friends at the fitness studio who are always on the go will enjoy this seemingly healthier option. Well, you know how popular healthy detox and other healthy alternatives are in the Singaporean social media.

Sources: 1 & 2

Rude Service Make You Spend More on Luxury Goods

When it comes to designer and high-end goods, we want to have what we cannot afford. And, a sales person with a snobby attitude only adds the extra kick of exclusiveness.

A recent study by the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business showed that customers who are treated with poor service are more likely to buy something as long as the brand is adequately renowned and luxurious.

The study entitled “Should the Devil Sell Prada?” had its participants to imagine that they are interacting with different kinds of sales associates. Then, they rated their feelings (i.e., desiring to buy or not to buy) toward the associated designer brands. Interestingly, participants reported increased feelings of want after being treated badly.

The eagerness to buy the item increases as the desire to be exclusive and to be judge positively sets in. This goes to show that people want to prove that they are capable of buying the luxury item and that they are worth more than the salesperson might think.

Darren Dahl, the co-author of the prior study, said that the outcomes were based on a combination of factors.

1. RIGHT KIND OF STORE

Image Credits: angelo via Flickr

In order for the “snob effect” to work, a sales person must accurately represent an upscale brand. For instance, being arrogant in a Gucci store works more than being arrogant in a 7-11 store.

2. RIGHT KIND OF LOOK

Another factor in whether or not a customer is swayed by a poor customer service is the sales associate’s appearance. The sales associate must play the part of a high-end brand ambassador decked out with their own brand’s product/s.

Image Credits: Steve wilson via Flickr

As the song by Jimmy James called “Fashionista” goes: “you have to show a look, have a look, or give a look.” Faces should be pleasing or attractive.

Hence before buying a designer item, rethink whether you can really afford it, whether you really want it, and whether you are trapped in the service’s “rude spell”.

Source: AOL

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