If you can get about a bazillion people to watch your marketing event, that’s not too shabby. About 10 days ago, just under 24 million viewers tuned in to watch a lengthy infomercial promoting movies and the people who make them.

Sure, most regular folks have to break into Fort Knox or shift around some of their own financial holdings to cover the cost of the snacks and tickets to see these aforementioned movies, but that’s not the point right now.

The point is – branding. And the Oscar goes to the stars who are going to use this Unique Selling Position as a member of the Hollywood elite to garner more roles in more movies. Basically, they punched their ticket to something bigger. This fits sort of like a Walt Disney quote: “We don’t make movies to make money; we make money to make more movies.” Everything is a growth strategy.

Not only that, the movies that get this Academy Award designation – even if just a nominee – win a buzz that prompts viewers to shell out the bucks at the theater (or get the streaming service for home viewing) because of their Fear of Missing Out.

On the other hand, I missed out. I didn’t see the broadcast, nor have I seen many of the movies. Branding is vital, but it only goes so far when you aren’t a part of the audience. More on that in a moment.

Several Sundays ago, I did catch quite a lot of the other gigantic marketing event of 2020 – the Super Bowl. That’s more my speed, and apparently, it was a better fit for a whole lot of other people too.

By comparison, the nearly 100 million viewers watching as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers dwarfed that little old Oscar broadcast. The teams and the players also get the branding of making it to the big game – most especially the winner – and that designation follows them forever.

As usual, the commercials got a lot of the attention, and there was a teeny tiny issue with a halftime show that a bazillion people felt like they needed to discuss online. Other than that, it was your typical group of multimillionaires on a global platform offering lessons that marketers should remember to do – and be sure to avoid. Keep reading for six takeaways.

  1. Say thank you. That’s what those 30-second speeches at the Oscars are supposed to be about. Thank the people who got you where you are. For contractors, that’s your customers. And you’ve got a lot more than a 30-second sound bite to get this done. You can say thank you in your emails, social media posts, holiday cards, follow up notes and, frankly, in person when you’re in the home.

  2. Share the credit. That’s what the coach, quarterback and MVP do after a big game. They get the spotlight, but they know it takes a team to make it happen. Give credit where credit is due, and express appreciation to everyone on your team who makes a difference.

  3. Dress the part. Perhaps you’ll want to skip the tight, revealing gown or the shoulder pads and helmet. But you still need to present yourself and your company in a way that builds your image. Uniforms should be neat and include your branding, and so should your estimate forms, invoices, vehicles, building signage and anything else that represents who you are.

  4. Be a leader. What happens when you’re the big game in town? Lots of other people want to be part of what you’ve got going on. In the case of Super Bowl advertisers, they invest their company’s bottom line in very expensive, elaborately-produced and cleverly-made commercials that show they’re a player too. Losers don’t advertise in the Super Bowl, am I right? Winners do. That’s because winners like to hang out with winners. So, step up your branding game to show your market that you’re a leader, and they’ll want to hang out with you too.

  5. Maintain your brand. You can get the momentum of good coaching and great draft picks, but playing in the Super Bowl isn’t exactly a shortcut to the next playoff season. You’ve got to do the work all over again. That’s true for your contractor brand. Don’t do something that puts your image in doubt.

  6. Remember your audience. The Oscars broadcast has never been given kudos for high entertainment value. It runs too long, and presenters or recipients can make provocative statements that cause a stir or get bleeped. When there’s a controversy, it’s not much of a surprise. This year, the Super Bowl had a little of that too in a dust-up about the halftime show. And this is where the takeaways take a turn of departure.

When it comes to your audience, don’t follow the lead of either giant event but play your best game for the people you serve. The key to good marketing is to stand out without polarizing. Unintended or not, controversy is the easiest thing to create and to share. So, when it’s time for your 30-second acceptance speech, stick to saying thank you and sharing credit, leading your market, and presenting and protecting your brand in the best light possible.

For help turning your marketing into a winning strategy, give us a call at (800) 489-9099 or shoot us an email to [email protected] to get a coaching spot. Isn’t it time you started playing a bigger game?