What The Walking Dead’s ‘Negan’ Teaches Us About Marketing
Work hard to have ambassadors similar to Negan’s… but be sure to skip over the whole killing part, though.
Keep an Eye on the Competing firms
Negan was watching Rick’s group so closely that they were able to forecast exactly where the group would run and surround them in an instant. Advertisers need to do this with their competition as well. Keep an eye on what they are posting on Twitter and what new offers they are advertising. If something works well for them, it would not hurt to take a similar route.
Turn Personnel into Marketing and advertising Ambassadors
Negan’s followers are an eccentric and crazed heap, but they all serve as motivated ambassadors. Season 6 of the show focused heavily on Negan and the menace he posed, but fans never even saw his face until the last moments of the season finale. This is because his employees were powerful ambassadors.
Local business owners should take this lesson to heart. This is notably true since 80 percent of corporations with employee advocacy strategies report better brand visibility. Give workers branded t-shirts for free or share videos of them taken at work. Offer prizes to whoever recommends the greatest number of new customers or send them out to community events in exchange for a day off.
Whatever it takes, develop ambassadors like Negan’s… except for the killing part, obviously.
Create Local Relationships
In both the comics and the television show, Negan goes around to nearby settlements and makes deals with the locals. These are usually unfair to the given community, but the deal is made nonetheless. Local business owners should also make partnerships with other nearby companies. Simple things like putting the other place’s business cards in the lobby can create a working relationship.
Of all the lessons one could take from The Walking Dead, marketing and advertising is the most surprising. However, the lessons are there. And when viewers are staring pure evil right in the eye, they can at least take a few promotional lessons from the experience.