Another Talk About Marketing…From A Galaxy Far, Far Away

It’s time to talk about Star Wars again, more specifically, it’s tie-in products. Which swarm over store shelves like a pack of TIE Fighters.

Now, from the little I know of the economic process of franchise building, merchandise can do a lot for both profits and visibility, at least in regards to a few select companies including Hasbro and Disney.

And Star Wars is perhaps the greatest example of this. Who doesn’t own at least one toy lightsaber or a character in doll form? Not many Star Wars fans I know, that’s for sure. And, in fact, this article was inspired by my current reading of Chuck Wendig’s somewhat controversial novel: Star Wars: Aftermath, which I picked up at the Target in Clearwater Mall.

And the existence and prevalence of this got me thinking about brand loyalty, and how it is perhaps one of the strongest methods of marketing and advertising available. Because it creates a loop.

Allow me to explain. Say that you—as a nerdy, and awesome adult—showed your child Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Countryside Mall (which you totally should have) and afterwards they wanted a toy for it. Which you probably gave them.

And from there the child is more likely to watch the movies as they come out, and then want new products to match up with it.

The Beauty of Tie-In Products Is That They Practically Market Themselves.

This phenomenon can even be infectious—as one kid on the playground swings a lightsaber, possibly against the wishes of his teacher, and now all the kids want one. And then want to see the movie.

And on and on and on. I dare say you went through a similar cycle when you were a child and saw Star Wars: A New Hope.

It’s a brilliant tactic, even if a little concerning at times. And fascinating to observe. Especially in this case, when it relates to the revitalization of one of nerd culture’s biggest and most influential intellectual properties.

If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work on The Hive, or at his website: www.coolerbs.com