Tomorrow is the official release date for The Force Awakens. But you know that already. Because Marketing.
The marketing for this film has been a bit different than, for example, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Where the MCU is all about getting people excited about the spectacle, and not really holding much back, Star Wars has been all about keeping a lid on things. Even though there have been over a dozen different television commercials, a teaser and 2 full length trailers, plus 2 international trailers, we’ve really only seen a tiny bit of the film, and I don’t really know what to expect. I think I have a better idea of what will happen in Captain America: Civil War, and that doesn’t come out for almost 6 months. I know it’s not quite apples to apples, since one is (loosely) based on well known source material, but it’s still a very different type of marketing.
I’m not saying one is right and one is wrong. I think each approach has a place. But it’s interesting to compare, and see what we can learn.
So what do they have in common?
- Both are based on well known franchises with established track records
- Both are owned by Disney
- Both are totally geek movies
- Both are huge blockbusters, sure to be among the biggest grossing movies of the year, if not all time
- Both have a fortune to spend on marketing
And with those vast similarities, you’d think they would have a pretty similar marketing strategy, but they didn’t at all.
I say all that just to say this: I love Star Wars.
But seriously, the real point is that marketing is almost never a one size fits all. No matter how much you think two things are the same, your marketing should be tailored just for you.
Now I’m going to watch the trailers again.
