If you have ever fantasized about returning to your childhood home…
If you have ever run away from your problems only to find yourself again in a surprisingly home-centric way…
If you have ever longed for a relationship-based world where your passion and uniqueness could save the everyone, then you are probably a fan of Studio Ghibli.
Made famous by films such as “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Howl’s Moving Castle,” Studio Ghibli is an animation standard. And, if you follow popular culture, you know that Studio Ghibli Fest is happening now!
As a fan of animation, illustration and any other type of graphic art I can go and experience, I recently attended a screening of the long-time favorite, “Kiki's Delivery Service.” “Kiki's Delivery Service” debuted in 1989, but is still highly relevant in today's world. Why? It's a coming of age tale that isn't bound by space and time's rules.
So what can we as marketers learn from Studio Ghibli Fest, and in particular some of the most popular movies by the Studio’s creators?
1. Nostalgia is an Easy Win
One of the major reasons why Studio Ghibli (or its distributor, namely GKIDS) is able to put money into nostalgia runs (regularly) is because it consistently makes money. Why? It's because the heart of their movie content touches actual hearts! It speaks to a simpler time in life when a central issue can be solved with genuine helpfulness or kindness (many things can be solved this way). Namely, it brings people back to their childhoods.
Not that I'm saying all things can be sold or marketed using nostalgia, but it is a powerful force. Marketers are often told to look for client "pain points" and Studio Ghibli does just that for its audience. It reaches deep into their need to reconnect with their past and pulls out food for the soul. It makes viewers feel young again. It fills a void and Amazon carts with DVD and Blue-ray purchases. Take note!
2. Timelessness is Effective
While there are some hints as to when Studio Ghibli films are set (older phones, certain train types and architecture), the focus of the films is on a timeless aesthetic and quality of life. This choice makes their films very relatable to an audience of all ages. If you want your marketing to appeal to the masses, one way is to aim for timeless. Hit on feelings and concepts as opposed to times and dates.
Other successful examples of this concept include “Fahrenheit 451,” “The Catcher in the Rye” and “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”
3. Care Works
When you take in a Studio Ghibli film, the love and care it took to produce is evident. That painstaking craftsmanship is even more obvious when you visit the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. I had the pleasure of walking through the space on a recent visit, and the artistry is on a whole other level. Let me explain...
This image is part of the outside of the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan, outside of Tokyo.
For those who haven't been, you simply must go because, first of all, there are no pictures allowed inside the walls. The air of mystery alone makes it coveted. However, once you are inside the hallowed halls (for a bargain price of under $10 per ticket!), you will find interactive elements, detailed exhibits outlining the way things were executed and even exclusive animated shorts shown in a small-scale theatre. Basically, you feel that you have entered one of the films. The experience is incredible.
But back to marketing...
Sometimes clients and the marketers who work with them have a hard time selling something because they just don't care about it. My best advice is to find something, anything worth caring about and spider out your strategy from there.
Does the company have a "boring" product with an impressive team behind it? The team is the product. People will always need products, but if they have options, they will choose the one they care about most. Be worth caring about and show that care in the execution of every campaign you put your stamp on.
4. You Can Upcycle Content
Studio Ghibli Fest is not new (the example Google search graphic below shows three years of Fathom events). And, as I mentioned previously, “Kiki's Delivery Service” is from 1989!
When I attended Hubspot’s INBOUND a few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a breakout session about upcycling content. Not recycling, but upcycling. If you have great content, you can keep putting it out as long as you have a new audience or a new delivery method. Studio Ghibli Fest has two: long-time fans and those who are experiencing the films for the first time. By declaring a certain time period as Studio Ghibli Fest, the company is able to boost their lifetime sales and re-engage existing fans. Win, win!
5. Cross-promotion is King
Yes, yes, content is also King. We can all be Kings and Queens. But, now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s talk about how Studio Ghibli is killing it when it comes to cross-promotion.
One: In the theatre, they advertise the other Fathom Events before you even get to see the production you paid for. Yes, this is standard, but hitting a market that is already engaged with more sweetness is sure-fire strategy. It’s why abandoned cart campaigns work so well on the web!
Two: Studio Ghibli partnered with retailers! For instance, they got together with Hot Topic to launch a line of limited edition clothes and accessories during the events, but they didn’t stop there! To boost sales, they promoted the fact that if you brought your movie ticket into a physical Hot Topic location, you could get a discount on goods. However, that goodness shouldn’t go one way, which is why Hot Topic put the word out on their website that a ticket from the films was the best possible coupon available for fans. Both businesses are actively benefiting! It’s a beautiful thing when marketing symbiosis happens!
--
There are, of course, other ways to market.
You can create timely content like a news outlet.
You can be one-of-a-kind (beware, that is usually fleeting).
You can build out a strategy based entirely on topping other peoples' metrics.
You can do all of those things, but remember, the above tips (in combination with a well-designed SEO strategy and promotion) will help you create evergreen content. Be relevant for the long-haul and reap the benefits!
Hey! Speaking of promotion (I am not a promoter of this event...but I DO love it…), here’s a link to the rest of the Studio Ghibli Fest movies via Fathom Events, click below!
