What you can learn for marketing a small business
What’s your favourite film?
For the record, we love Shawshank, both Top Gun films and anything Tom Clancy related…
What’s your favourite long-running TV programme?
Nigel was brought up on EastEnders, Corrie and Emmerdale Farm (as it was called in the old days), but only until he left home!
How are they different?
Now think about how these two programmes differ..
- One-off (let’s ignore the probable sequel for now) vs. weekly event
- One if much longer than the other
- Effectively unlimited budget vs tight budgets (Titanic cost $200m to make if you were curious. Eastenders has a £250K per episode budget)
- No real deadline vs very strict deadlines
- Keep filming until its perfect vs. get it to good enough
- Stunning film from the 1st to the last minute compared to some great episodes and some not so good.
- Both have a strong audience
Whatever you think of these programme choices, there are stark differences between them. Now compare the marketing of your small business to these two. Which is your approach?
The Titanic Approach
Mostly filmed in Mexico and costing £200m, Titanic took 8 months to produce, starting on the last day of July 1996. Originally meant for release in July ’97, it did not hit screens until December. Technical challenges, a perfectionist director (James Cameron) and even a spiked clam chowder meant delay after delay. Once released it became the highest grossing film of all time and is still ranked 4th.
Do you focus on one thing and will not release it until it is perfect, even if that means nothing goes out in the meantime? Imagine a social post that goes viral for a week. If you asked someone to name a film, even though it’s estimated that 85% of Americans have seen the film (probably similar stats around most of the world), would Titanic be one of the first 2-3 films they mention?
The EastEnders Approach
Filmed on a production set in Hertfordshire, the team responsible has produced 4 episodes a week since 1985 on a budget that is currently around £250K per episode. Episodes typically take no more than two days to produce and are filmed 6-8 weeks in advance to keep everything on schedule. Every episode gets around 3.5m viewers.
Do you work to produce the best you can on a regular and consistent basis, knowing and accepting that sometimes what goes out could have been better? You’re producing marketing that is seen by your target audience regularly, and they keep coming back. If you asked someone in the UK to name a soap, they would say either Coronation Street or EastEnders – maybe Emmerdale.
Where we going with this?
As a small business owner, you’ve probably not got $200m lying around. You may not have £250K either, but you will have some budget, in time or money. You are far better off producing marketing that is always good enough and sometimes outstanding, that is seen regularly across your target audience. If you get brand recognition with many other people, even better.
The Titanic approach ties your money up for a long time and means nothing goes out to maintain brand awareness during that time. Whilst you may then produce a Titanic or Avatar, you may also produce an X Men: Dark Phoenix and lose big.
If you need a hand with moving to an EastEnders approach, get in touch.
