A lesson from Hollywood on building a mass American Brand.

My entire family has been watching The Madalorian religiously since it began a few weeks ago. This is no easy task - we don’t agree on much TV/streaming content (the exception being The Great British Bake Off which i will perhaps discuss in another post.)

The Madalorian’s success is not limited to my family - its surged to streaming success quickly, beating out previous streaming leader Stranger Things.

And its break-out “aww”-eliciting co-star currently has more social media clout than any of the 2020 Dem presidential candidates. link

This is an instance where the folks in Hollywood have quickly done what we in the marketing world strive to do everyday - create a meaningful brand that is embraced by all of America.

In marketing lately we are obsessed with personalization, targeting, data-driven behavioral segmentation, etc. And don’t get me wrong, these are great tools to reach and engage people. But underneath this seems to be an admission that it’s too hard today to create a mass brand that is relevant to everyone. “People are too different.” “The country is too divided.” etc.

That’s why I’m calling out what Hollywood (really Disney and Jon Favreau) has done here. The Mandalorian is an impressive exercise in modern-day, mass brand building. They have given America a new cultural touchstone that bridges the gaps in a divided america. They have given us something new to (happily) discuss over Thanksgiving dinner. Something to lean into, to share, to explore common delights rather than expose fault lines.

Bravo.

The article linked below does a nice job of dissecting the reasons why. Some of the reasons are geeky - Star Wars esoteria or film nerd stuff. But some have broader implications for Brand marketers, speaking truths about culture and community. “The perfect balance of fresh and familiar” is certainly one. Worth a read:

https://screenrant.com/mandalorian-disney-best-star-wars-project-yet/