The Muppets are one of the most recognizable and appreciated groups of pop culture characters, and their style and antics demonstrate fantastic marketing principles.
Taking center stage across multiple television series and nearly a dozen feature films, the Muppets have been a pop culture staple for almost 60 years. While their unique, colorful characters and endearing styles are amusing for both children and adults, the dynamics of the Muppets both on screen and off screen show the effectiveness of some great marketing principles.
Consider these five marketing tips you can learn from the group:
1. Have a Familiar Style. You can easily distinguish a Muppet from any other type of puppet or character, even if you’ve never seen it before. That’s because the Muppets share a common, recognizable style—and your business should do the same.
2. Get the Dynamics Right. The Muppets mesh well together, even the ones who don’t always get along. Your team should be a diverse blend of resources, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and quirks.
3. Keep Trying. Most of the Muppets’ movies revolve around them facing some sort of rejection or hardship, then working hard to overcome that. Their tenacity and commitment to success serve as good models for marketing campaigns, which may flourish or fizzle.
4. Get with the Times. The Muppets have changed throughout the decades to stay modern and relevant. Your brand needs to evolve as well. Stay consistent, but never let your brand become obsolete.
5. Interact. The Muppets are known to cross into other universes and interact with myriad characters from other franchises. Your brand shouldn’t be a stranger! Interact with your customers, your partners, and any potential business associates. It will pay off.
If you liked this entry in our “marketing tips to learn from _____” series, be sure to check out our entries on Iron Man, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Terminator, and Lex Luthor, too!
