There’s something appealing about the TV series Mad Men.
What marketing tactics can you pick up from Mad Men?
Maybe it’s the glamour of the 1960s or the magic of Hollywood that lures people in. I’m not sure why I got caught up in the drama about an ad agency in the heart of Manhattan, but I’m glad I did.
As I consumed Mad Men (binge watching it on Netflix in order to catch up to the current season), I noticed four aspects of the ad agency’s marketing strategies that could benefit any company.
1. Creativity – This could seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes things need to be rejuvenated. For instance, the team gets tasked with creating a new campaign for Western Union’s telegram service. But who uses a telegram anymore? Telephones are the new way to keep in contact. Well, with some teamwork, the ad agency came up with the phrase “Ignore a telegram? You can’t.” Even something outdated can become interesting again with a creative spin.
2. Know your customers – Keeping up with the latest trends is very important. If you’re unaware of what’s going on in the world, how can you possibly market to it? In Mad Men, they create a commercial for Patio Cola using the beginning of “Bye, Bye, Birdie.” This was a hit stage play and film at the time and a sure way to garner interest for the beverage. Unfortunately for Sterling Cooper, they couldn’t hire Ann Margaret, and their client was too picky. This still doesn’t change the fact that they understood what was popular at the time and attempted to use it to their advantage.
3. Teamwork – No one can do everything alone. Bouncing ideas off of coworkers can help spark even better ideas. Two heads are better than one, right? Mad Men shows this time and again, either with Don Draper and Peggy Olsen, or when the ad agency’s competing copywriters, Paul Kinsey and Peggy, realize they work better together than separately. Take your coworkers’ advice (or at least hear them out) and you can come up with better, stronger campaigns.
4. Personal touch – Whether it’s in your social media or when you’re pitching an idea, utilize personal experiences to make connections with the customer. It shows that you understand the product you’re trying to sell, because you’ve actually used it. Don uses the tactic of loading a Kodak carousel with his family’s photos while giving a presentation, and knocks it out of the park, scoring the ad agency a very large account. He understands the products purpose, why it’s good, and shows why you should want it too.
You may not be trying to sell cigarettes or airlines like the characters in Mad Men, but there are definitely some useful ideas to extract from the hit television show. Are there any tactics you’ve picked up from the program?
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