30 Marketing Lessons We Can Learn from 101 Dalmatians
101 Dalmatians is a gem, and not only due to its entertainment value, but also due to the sheer number of lessons we can learn from the movie. From a marketing point of view, this movie was a great source of knowledge, and this article, with the help of the gurus over at runrex.com, will look to highlight 30 marketing lessons we can learn from 101 Dalmatians.
The importance of establishing an emotional connection with your audience
The characters in 101 Dalmatians do a great job of getting us invested emotionally in the movie, as we find that we all are rooting for Pongo and Perdita while being strongly against Cruella De Vil, one of the greatest villains of all time. This helped make the movie popular as the viewer was emotionally attached to the characters. This should also be the case when it comes to your marketing campaigns, as you should try and create an emotional connection between your campaigns and your audience as discussed over at runrex.com.
Compelling story
The movie’s popularity can also be attributed to the fact that it was extremely compelling from the storyline to the characters. Compelling content is what will elevate your marketing campaigns and give you the success you crave. It will drive traffic and increase the chances of conversion.
Have goals
Pongo and Perdita’s goal is to find their puppies who have been kidnapped by Cruella and her henchmen. According to the experts over at runrex.com, to be successful with your marketing efforts, you will need to set marketing goals to give you something to work towards and measure success with.
Have a passion for what you do
Roger is extremely committed and passionate about his music, and Pongo even exclaims that he is married to his work. To be successful in your marketing efforts, you will need to be passionate about and love it, just like Pongo.
It’s not what you say, but what you do
As per the experts over at runrex.com, the modern-day consumer is less moved by the messages in an ad campaign and more interested in seeing a given product or service in action so that they can see how it can be of help to them. If you are to be successful with your marketing campaigns, try and offer physical evidence of your product at work and don’t just sing about romance like Roger when you have been single for the longest time.
Show that you are an expert
Sticking to Roger and his singing, Pongo ridicules him for constantly singing about romance, something he knew absolutely nothing about. In the same vein, you should show your audience that you are an expert and a leader in your field if you are to make them buy into your messages. Avoid coming across as someone who is all talk but in reality, doesn’t know what he’s on about.
Target the right people
Pongo arranges for him, Perdita, Anita, and Roger to meet when he finds out that Anita too has a dog, Perdita, and that she also regularly walks in the same park as him and Roger. They all seem to have the same interests and he sees it as a chance to start something special. Similarly, if you are to succeed in marketing, you will need to be clever in your marketing, and make sure you are targeting people with interest in what you have to offer, according to the gurus over at runrex.com.
Do your research
To find out which people to target, you will need to do your research and find out the demographics that are interested in your products or services. Follow Pongo’s lead, as he did his research to find out about Anita and Perdita.
Listen to your audience
By listening to Roger and his songs about romance, we can assume that Pongo realized that he needed some romance in his life hence why he looked to set him up with Anita. Similarly, if you listen to your customers, through social media or read reviews on products, you will discover what it is they want, allowing yourself to give them exactly that; another great marketing lesson from 101 Dalmatians.
Make things happen
Pongo doesn’t sit ad wait for things to happen, he actively moves to make them happen, setting up the double date between himself and Roger and Perdita and Anita. In the same vein, once you set up your marketing campaigns, don’t sit, and wait for things to happen; make them happen. Constantly perform some A/B testing, improve your UX, and so forth to make sure that you give yourself the best chance possible for success.
The importance of call-to-actions
Cruella doesn’t just have a passion for fur, she makes it her goal to bring it to fruition; and even has a taxidermist who skins a white tiger to make a rug for her. As per the gurus over at runrex.com, it is not enough that you have compelling content; make sure that you provide visitors with a way to follow through on their interest. The only way to do this is to have strong call-to-actions, a marketing lesson we can learn here.
Find out the aspects of your campaign which your audience likes and the ones they don’t
While Cruella doesn’t like Roger nor does she like the fact that Anita is pregnant, she is ecstatic to find out that Perdita is pregnant too. As far as marketing is concerned, there will always be good aspects and bad aspects of your campaigns. Find out those things your audience loves and nature them, and at the same time find out the aspects they don’t like and improve on them.
Be aware of what your competitors are up to or they will leave behind
Anita doesn’t think twice when inviting Cruella to their home to share their good news as she thinks she only sees her as her boss. If she knew of her love for animal fur, she would probably have thought twice about inviting her to house with dogs. According to the folks over at runrex.com, the lesson here is to always be aware of what your competition is up to. Research and find out what they are doing in terms of marketing to avoid being left behind.
Expect challenges
Just like Perdita and Pongo had their puppies kidnapped, you should expect challenges as far as marketing is concerned. Things won’t always run smoothly and you will run into challenges and bad results along the way; expect it, it comes with the territory as far as marketing goes.
Persevere
Pongo and Perdita, as well as Roger and Anita, don’t succeed initially in their attempts to find and bring back their puppies and have to persevere before eventually succeeding. Similarly, you will need to persevere through tough times and make sure you don’t give up on your marketing efforts according to the experts over at runrex.com.
Patience
You will also need to be patient as results may take time, which is a common theme in 101 Dalmatians. Results may take time to manifest, and patience may be required as success when it comes to marketing can sometimes take time.
Show your audience you care
When Cruella offers Roger and Anita 7,500 pounds to sell her the puppies, they decline, showing Pongo and Perdita just how much they care about them. Similarly, if you can show your audience you care and value them, then your marketing efforts will bear fruit. According to the brilliant folks over at runrex.com, offer personalized services, reach out to them personally, and so forth to show you value them.
Get help
Cruella knows that she doesn’t have the skills to steal the puppies so she has her henchmen, Jasper and Horace, do it for her. Similarly, if you feel like you need help to get the best out of your marketing efforts, don’t be afraid to seek it out and bring in marketing experts.
Security
In the age of digital marketing, consumers are worried about cybersecurity and whether their private data will be secured when they visit your website and transact with you online. Assure them that you have security handled and your marketing efforts will bear fruit. Don’t be like Anita, Roger, Pongo, and Perdita who went for a walk in the park and left the puppies unattended to.
Know the right channels to reach out to your audience
Pongo uses the twilight bark to propagate the message that their puppies have been kidnapped via dogs and other animals. The marketing lesson we can learn here is the importance of knowing and using the right channels to reach out to your audience. Whether it is social media, email, SEO among others, make sure you are using the right channels.
Get the right people and tools for the job
According to the gurus over at runrex.com, when you are building your marketing team or deciding which tools to employ, make sure you get the right people and tools for the job if you are to succeed. Don’t be like Cruella who hired the wrong folks in Jasper and Horace, who had the stolen puppies broken out under their noses.
Creativity and innovation are important
Cruella’s attempts at re-capturing the puppies are thwarted by some creative moves by the puppies who are small but very resourceful. If you are to outdo your competition, some of whom may have more resources than you, then you will need to be creative and innovative in your strategies and solutions.
Teamwork
The dalmatian puppies, 99 of them as discussed over at runrex.com, can defeat Cruella and her crew through great teamwork. For your marketing efforts to bear fruit, make sure that every member of your marketing team is pulling in the right direction.
Humor
101 Dalmatians is filled with lots of funny moments, from Cruella being dumped into the pigpen to the bad guys being sprayed by a skunk when in the back of the police car. It helps in keeping the audience engaged and contributes to the movie’s popularity. Similarly, try and incorporate humor into your content to engage your audience and your marketing campaigns will benefit.
Find gaps in your industry and fill them
When Roger and Anita discover that the other 84 puppies have no home to go to, they decide to step in and adopt them. According to the gurus over at runrex.com, the marketing lesson here is discovering where the gaps are and positioning yourself as the brand to fill them. Find the consumers in your industry without a home and “adopt” them.
Start conversations
The title 101 Dalmatians was an immediate conversation starter among viewers as it was now immediately apparent where the 101 was coming from. It got viewers talking and it has since become a popular trivia question. Try and do the same with your content and campaigns; start conversations among your audience to generate a buzz and interest in your brand.
Gate your content
As discussed over at runrex.com, the concept of gating content is one that is gaining traction in the marketing community and one you should try and leverage when possible. In this movie, to know where the “101” in 101 Dalmatians comes from, you have to watch the movie.
Be ready for better results than you expected
Roger and Anita were expecting 15 puppies, they ended up with 84 more bringing the total to 99 puppies, and 101 Dalmatians in total. When it comes to marketing, you may get far better results than you expected, and you need to be ready to adapt, and even scale up just like Roger and Anita had to move to a bigger house.
Repurpose and reuse content
101 Dalmatians has been remade over the years as is discussed over at runrex.com, as Disney knew they had compelling content and they weren’t afraid to reuse it. This is an important marketing lesson, and one Disney regularly teaches us; to not discard good old content but to repurpose and reuse it.
Influencer marketing
Over the years, the cast of 101 Dalmatians has been an impressive one, bringing in film legends such as Glenn Close. This has ensured that there is always buzz around the movie and shows just how effective influencer marketing can be when done properly.
The above are some of the marketing lessons we can learn from 101 Dalmatians, with more on this and other related topics to be found over at runrex.com.