Beetlejuice Brands

Shanita Akintonde:

Hi, this is Shanita Akintonde, professor, author, career coach, and marketing shero.

In this special edition of my podcast series, I hope to add a little magic to the broadcast, a little poof to the podcast, and a whole bunch of holla to the ween because that's what you expect from your favorite marketing shero, right?

So let's get down to brass tacks. You know, the spooky and juicy in today's brown building toolkit. In this episode, we're going to take a deep dive into that cult classic and one of my all time favorite films, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice... Okay, I'm going to stop there because we all know what happens if you say it three times. And for those who have no idea what I'm talking about, well, where have you been? Under a rock? On another planet? Or perhaps, you were just in vitro, as in you had made it to this planet when the film first debuted.

Regardless, today is your lucky day, or afternoon, or evening, depending on when you're listening in. That's right, today's podcast is just for you and it is called Beetlejuice Brands, and it's all about what brands can learn from behaving like, you guessed it, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice... Shh, don't say it three times.

So let's address the elephant or, in this case, insect in the room. You're probably saying to yourself, marketing maestros, "Why is Professor Shanita Akintonde referencing Beetlejuice? I mean, we know that she loves movies and all, and in several of her previous podcasts, she's referenced them." Such as in Just Keep Swimming there was a Finding Nemo reference. Or Wolf Brands where I talked about Pulp Fiction. Or Pulp or Fiction, What Brands can Learn from Jewels during Times of Crises, Part One and Two, two more Pulp Fiction references. Short Brands, I talked about the film, Little Rascals. And so, You Want to Build a Brand, Frozen. And that's just to name a few.

Yet, despite my penchant for the parallel, the analogous and creative connections, isn't Beetlejuice still the last person... Make that ghost to use as a branding expert by yours truly? Well, I am glad you asked my mummified marketing maestros. Y'all know I had to add a little something, something to your names for this episode so that we could stay within the theme.

Now, let me surprise you with something else. Beetlejuice has more in common with successful brands than you may realize.

MUSIC:

Day-o, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day-ay-ay-o.

Shanita Akintonde:

I went really low there, did y'all catch that?

MUSIC:

Daylight come and me want to go...

Shanita Akintonde:

Back to the podcast.

So buckle up because by the time we're done with this episode, you're going to walk away with 10, count them, 10 Beetlejuice branding lessons for building an unforgettable brand complete with real-world examples. I will call them Beetlejuice Branding Boogies because every time you see the Beetlejuice character he looks, to me, like he's doing a little shimmy. So are you ready to put on your marketing shoes? That's another one of my previous podcast marketing maestros. That one is always pumping me up when I go back and take a listen, which I suggest you do as well, but not now because we are back to this podcast. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, what? Brands.

MUSIC:

Come, mister tally man, tally me banana.

Shanita Akintonde:

Okay, I got my accent a little confused on that one, but you get the gist.

All right, let's get ready to learn from the ghost with the most. Here's Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number one, be unapologetically you. Beetlejuice is not a people pleaser. He's loud, messy and 100% himself. Brands like Old Spice understand this concept. Just think of their quirky offbeat commercials. By embracing their over-the-top humorous approach, Old Spice successfully repositions itself to move from obscurity to being instantly recognizable, including an entirely revamped packaging project and endorsements from cool celebrities. These strategies not only improve their sales, but also prove that being different often reaps higher rewards than playing it safe.

Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number two, use repetition. It's the entire state of mind. Go on Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. They motivated me 'cause I listened to that song before I did this podcast episode. Any who Beetlejuice's name is summoned through repetition, and this trick works in branding too. It's more than the rule of three, although that's working here too y'all. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice... Shh, don't say it three times. It's something more.

Nike does this with its iconic, Just Do It slogan. Apple does it with the Think Different. After seeing and hearing those taglines so many times, those phrases are forever linked to those brands in my mind and those of many others, including many of you marketing maestros, I'm sure. You can't think of the phrases without thinking of their products. And that's what we're talking about with Beetlejuice like-minded brands. The takeaway from that is if you reinforce your message with consistency, it works whether it's a tagline, color palette or signature product repetition cements your brand's presence.

Moving on to Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number three, we're still talking in this episode about Beetlejuice brands and the tips I'm giving you so that you can adopt some of the traits to apply them to your products, goods and services. Number three is be bold not blah. Beetlejuice's whole MO is being bold. And want to know something? It works. His free will captures attention of others around him in ways that no one else can. One brand that shares this take by being somewhat sublime in other ways is Taco Bell. They're bold, fun, and sometimes crazy approach to marketing. Remember those Taco-themed weddings in Las Vegas that I unpacked in my previous podcast entitled Wedding Brands? No? Then, go back and take a listen. But back to this podcast once more. Taco Bell's creative approach keeps customers and competitors on the cutting edge and makes people remember them.

Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number four, master the art of surprise. When Beetlejuice pops up, it's usually unexpected, but it's always memorable. Brands like Apple, put a ring on this strategy, insert Beyonce's voice here. Surprise product launches, unexpected product features and sometimes y'all, these are things that we didn't even realize that we needed until they told us. And limited edition items create buzz and keeps customers coming back. Brands that wow know how to be unpredictable and to use being unpredictable in a way that predicts results as in Beetlejuice bucks.

Moving on to Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number five, create a signature visual identity. Beetlejuice and visuals are synonymous. For starters, his black and white pinstripe suit is adorbs and smart brands understand the importance of their fits as well. Take another marketing insight staple brand, I talk about Coca-Cola a lot, which I'm not sure why I do because I personally prefer to drink Pepsi. But giving proper homage to all successful brands, Coca-Cola falls into that category. It owns its classic red and white color palette and its bottle shape. The spritz soda's distinct visual identity is so iconic, in fact that even without the logo, you know it's a Coca-Cola bottle. Holla.

Here's Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number six, cultivate a distinct brand voice. Having a distinct brand voice speaks volumes, pun intended. Beetlejuice has a voice that you can never forget. It's raspy, playful, and sometimes a little naughty. Your brand needs a similar unforgettable voice.

I follow a lot of influencers on social media for this reason. The ones who catch my attention the most are the ones who use wit and sass and, of course, I don't believe in below the belt activities, so it must be covered in class, but that doesn't mean boring. And I also follow folks who have a hilarious conversation with themselves and others, much like I do with you all on each and every one of these Marketing Insights podcasts.

Y'all still with me? We're talking about Beetlejuice brands, we're over the halfway mark. We're moving on to number seven with just three more to follow it. Here's Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number seven, embrace mystery to build surprise. At the end of the day, no one knows exactly what Beetlejuice is going to do next. That kind of unpredictability works wonders for boyfriends... I mean, brands. Tesla often hints at future innovation without revealing too much. Also, works with boyfriends. Generating huge anticipation and speculation among its fans. The mystery builds excitement and that excitement builds loyalty.

Here's Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number eight, leverage the power of scarcity, just like we're about to do because we only have two more points to make after this one. Don't always be available all the time marketing maestros, Beetlejuice isn't. Remember, you have to call his name three times to get him to show up. The extra effort required to reach him makes him seem that much more special. Top tier players like Rolex or Mercedes create the same sense of exclusivity, you know the kind that sits on the top of Maslow's hierarchy, that self-actualization island. That's what we're talking about here.

Here's Brand Boogie number nine, have fun with your brand. I'm going to pause for a minute because I hope you all get this from me in each episode of these Marketing Insights podcasts that I'm privileged to host marketing maestros, I'm inching closer to number 50. This podcast is number 49, and I have a lot of fun with you all in each and every one of these episodes, and I hope that you do too.

I wanted to demonstrate in these episodes that having something important to say and having a good time while sharing it are not mutually exclusive activities. You can share things, be smart and have a good time in the process. So I hope you are liking these podcasts, sharing them when you hear them, going online and subscribing, telling your friends and your foes to do the same. Because I would love to continue to do this podcast with you all for 50 more episodes. So please continue to do that. Send me your comments, your thoughts, your recommendations on topics, I'm very open to that. And that way we can continue to grow together.

So moving on to lesson number nine again, this is brand... Or Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number nine, have fun with your brand. If Beetlejuice teaches us anything, it's that fun and mayhem can go hand-in-hand. Brands like Doritos embody this idea by encouraging innovative thinking, innovative product use, creativity and imagination in their products. So I personally love the chili flavored Doritos. Their marketing campaigns, which often involve fire, demonstrate this. In addition, their playful spirit overall makes them a brand loved by both kids and adults.

And here we are at the grand finale that I know you've all been waiting for, and that's Beetlejuice Brand Boogie number 10, build community through action. You may be surprised that I'm talking about doing something constructive in the vein of Beetlejuice, but listen to this, Beetlejuice thrives on interaction. He's literally summoned by people saying his name. But for brands like Starbucks and others in this category, they take that to a different level. If you haven't checked this out, there's a whole study on the brand of Starbucks that calls themselves, the brand does that is, the third place as in home, work and then you're at Starbucks. It's deep. There's a whole psychology behind it that is really a masterclass on branding.

But back to this podcast. For the Starbucks brand and community, both of those things are intertwined. It's at the crux of their brand value wheel. Those are my words, not Starbucks', but I'm sure they would agree with me. There are pros and cons, however, to this approach, as I've also discussed in past podcasts. But in terms of Beetlejuice brands, Starbucks stands out because of its rewards program, seasonal drink releases, and its social media presence as a whole, all of which encourage people to engage and connect with each other and the brand.

So there you have it, 10 takeaways, AKA Beetlejuice Brand Boogies, that can help you better brands, AKA build Beetlejuice brands. The main takeaway from this podcast is that fun works. And when you take yourself too seriously, your customers don't want to pick up what you're putting down. But to be sure to align things correctly, sync your frivolity with focus to ensure that the fun aligns with your brand's values. Much like humor, fun works when it's used intentionally. The same things happen when you are being bold and loud as in repeating your message in a measured manner that ensures your audience has to remember it.

Y'all still with me? Let's keep going. Build a visual identity that's unmistakably [inaudible 00:16:58], whether it's your color scheme, your logo, or your typography or some combination therein make it so recognizable that your audience knows it's you before they even see your name.

In essence, the spirit of Beetlejuice is all about how to make your brand stand out just like I try to do in each and every one of my Marketing Insights podcasts, like this very special edition entitled Beetlejuice Brands.

Thanks for joining me on this spooky but insightful journey today. Until next time, which will be our best time. This is Shanita Akintonde, professor, author, and career coach signing off. If you enjoy listening to these podcasts, be sure to describe or describe them yes, but subscribe on your favorite platforms such as Stitcher, iTunes, Apple Music, Audible, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Be sure to like them and subscribe wherever you hear them.

Connect with me on LinkedIn at Professor Shanita Akintonde or follow me on Twitter at _ShanitaSpeaks. That's at _S-H-A-N-I-T-A Speaks. Bye-bye.