Through a strange turn of events I recently found myself at the Wizard World Comic Book Convention here in Chicago. Along with 56,000 other folks, I perused the latest independent comic book efforts, checked out the super-star artists and story-tellers, and even bought a few special titles. Of course no convention is complete without a few presentations and I attended a talk given by the big publisher Marvel (owner of the X-Men, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, and many other popular characters). Top executives from Marvel had a golden opportunity to court their fans and pump sales of their comics (and movies, and action figures) and it slipped right through their fingers…Who Are Your Taste-Makers?
I’ve heard them called Queen Bees (high school girls that set the fashion trends), Key Influencers (doctors at the therapeutic leading edge), and Early Adopters (gizmo-fanatics crucial to success of new technologies). Regardless of what snappy name you call your taste-makers, it’s likely that there is a group of people with opinions on your product category that influence other consumers’ purchases.
And if you can locate your taste-makers and convince them that your product is great, the word-of-mouth marketing is invaluable.
But Wait! These Taste-Makers Are a Jaded Bunch
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Consumers are media-savvy individuals that don’t like to be marketed to. Well, yes and no. We all know that marketing still works. But I believe you’re more likely to encounter resistance to traditional efforts (advertising, discounting, etc.) among your taste-makers who pride themselves on esoteric product recommendations. Traditional marketing targeting these consumers will just remove the product mystique they crave.
Play the Game
So, if you were a top executive at Marvel and facing a room of 2,000 avid taste-making comic collectors what would you do?
Avoid the traditional marketing pitch, because these kids will see right through your campaign.
Try arming your crowd to be even better taste-makers:
* Provide inside scoop on upcoming storylines
* Introduce new artist or story talent
* Show clips of behind-the-scenes work on ideas in germination phase
A little information to help these taste-makers retain their esteemed position will go a long way to increasing your referral business.
[Wondering what Joe Quesada, Editor-in-chief at Marvel chose to do with this time? He made a few off-color jokes, led off-the-cuff roasts of other Marvel execs, and deflected questions from the audience.]
Bottom Line:
Creatives: Taste-maker marketing takes a light hand, now is the time for subtle work that allows you to stretch design skills.
Strategists: Identify your taste-makers and how you can reach them. And when you’re faced with a room full of taste-makers, be ready to help them while avoiding the hard sell which will surely be ignored.
