If you’re one of the 223 million Netflix subscribers today, chances are you’ve seen or heard of the new series, “Wednesday,” which follows the iconic and charmingly sadistic sister sibling from The Addams Family. Most known from the 1991 film, the fictional family originated as a cartoon series published in The New Yorker but has since been adapted to television, video games and more. This series breaks away from depictions of the peculiar family and turns its focus on Wednesday and her journey into young adulthood from the incredibly distinct imagination of Tim Burton. Her character in the new Netflix series has taken the nation by storm. She’s not your typical protagonist – she’s an outsider with a deadpan sense of humor that is uniquely charming. Here’s what I learned from Wednesday Addams that can be applied to your digital marketing strategy.
1. Be Different/Find Your Niche
It may be obvious, but it’s worth discussing because it is essential to Wednesday’s identity: be different. In the opening scene of episode one, the camera floats above Wednesday’s slicked-back black hair and head-to-toe black
outfit as she glides through the halls of her high school. She parts the sea of conventional and indiscernible students while she draws in glances of judgment, fear and distaste. Not only does she appear starkly different from all her peers, but she has an intensely morbid worldview that she makes known with nearly every witty remark. She also shows interest in the readings of Machiavelli, doesn’t own a smartphone because she refuses “to be a slave to technology,” and knows how to repair an espresso machine because of the mechanical similarities to the steam-powered guillotine she built at the age of 10 to decapitate her dolls more efficiently. Do you need any more proof that she’s not your average teenage girl?
In an article by The Artifice, the different television adaptations of Wednesday’s character are analyzed to explore the answer to the question, “Why is she such an appealing character?” The writer shares that audiences look for a plot that is entertaining, logical and original. They go on to write, “if the story is engaging, this is already a good thing, but what would be even better? If the characters were just as fascinating as the story and in tune with the themes used by the storytellers. The construction of a character depends on the author’s, how they actually fit in the universe, and how they get to develop and evolve.” Wednesday’s character engages the audience in her many layers: she is smart, irreverent, socially awkward but confident and sometimes very sweet. According to TechCrunch, the new Netflix series “surpassed 1.02 billion total hours viewed” in the first three weeks it was available for streaming. “This means it’s now the second most popular English-language series on Netflix.” It’s safe to say the distinctiveness of Wednesday Addams pays off.
Why Is It Important To Find Your Niche Market?
The digital marketing landscape, just like in television, consists of an incomprehensible amount of content floating around as well as an incredible amount of consumers. Cutting through the noise is essential for reaching your target audience and gaining success. Finding your niche market, according to HubSpot, is “a way to stand out from competitors, and it helps your brand establish positive recognition within the market. Your business can become an authority in your industry for that niche audience — ultimately attracting more customers to your product or service.” Wednesday Addams is unlike any other fictional character, at least in the mainstream media, and her great success can largely be attributed to meticulous storytelling and careful planning to make her a well-rounded and lovable character despite her grim reaper-esque identity.
HubSpot goes on to share some compelling information:
Whether you’re starting a new business or scaling an existing one, niche marketing is an effective way to establish your brand’s positioning. By focusing on a small audience, your business will be able to stretch its resources further and bring in customers who are closely aligned with your offerings. Those are the people who need your product most and are therefore most likely to convert and remain loyal customers.
To further improve chances of conversion and customer loyalty, you may get even more granular and specifically reach out to the departments within those target businesses who would benefit most from your printers and scanners, such as marketing or admin. These are the people who understand the benefits of your product and the challenges it resolves.
Starting small is how you establish yourself in your market. Then, as your business scales, it’s natural for your niche market to grow. In fact, Harvard Business Review says large markets can evolve from niche ones. By aligning your products or services perfectly with a small group of current and potential customers, you encourage word of mouth and positive reviews which can carry your business into a larger, potentially more profitable market.
Finding your niche market will require introspection into your business goals, but ultimately streamline operations and lessen your direct competition, according to Forbes.
2. Look To The Future
Throughout the series, Wednesday is plagued with visions of the future that help her avoid danger and eventually help her solve the tumultuous investigation of the homicides around town. I know you don’t have the same supernatural abilities to aid your marketing strategy, but staying ahead of new trends and ideas is crucial to your digital marketing success in a constantly evolving landscape.
According to Xara, “trends allow businesses to break the boundaries of the market. Trends put forward new ideas and opportunities. And trends allow brands to communicate their values in a diverse manner.” Below are three specific reasons your company needs to look for trends, as shared by Xara:
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Trends keep your brand fresh
Embracing the trends as they arrive has the power to add value to your brand story and help you stay top of mind
with your audience.
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Trends bring brand values to the forefront
“Each brand aims to create enough context in order to shape customer perceptions and drive brand loyalty. As such, each strategic decision it makes is a reflection of the brand values that can be traced back to the brand manifesto.
And since brands cannot communicate their manifesto on an ongoing basis, trends represent a meaningful opportunity for brands to reinforce their brand identity and stay relevant in front of their audience.”
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Trends reinforce your brand positioning statement
Keeping up with trends supports your brand’s relevancy, and this requires adapting to the preferences of your potential and current customers. If your brand is at the forefront of trends, it’s important that “brand positioning efforts are aligned and in sync with current beliefs and priorities. This is not only for marketing purposes but also for service delivery and reputation management. Trends offer clear direction and provide a great way for businesses to have a firm sense of the brand’s current and future direction.”
In order to “break the boundaries of the market,” British Library shared tips on how to go about a thorough market analysis:
- Keep track of industry influencers, publications and news
- Absorb up-to-date industry research and trends reports
- Make the most of digital tools and analytics to assess industry behavior
- Listen to your customers
- Observe your competitors
Additionally, HubSpot recently shared a massive article revealing the top marketing trends of 2023 and how they have changed since 2022. Let these inform and strengthen your strategy!
3. Try Something New
Throughout her time at Nevermore, Wednesday goes on a date, tries new hobbies, befriends several of her peers and reconnects with her family. Wednesday eventually learns that being open to those things not only helped her solve the mystery and save many lives but gave her something to look forward to in the next academic year.
In digital marketing, trying new avenues for growth aids in success. This could look like a new social media platform, revisiting your strategy, rebranding or simply looking to trends to better your marketing. Short-form video content and influencer marketing have engulfed the content landscape on social media platforms. If you’ve hesitated to join in, ask yourself why. Algorithms favor videos under one minute, which is why short-form video has the highest engagement rates. Teenagers like Wednesday Addams have inherent needs they are not always aware of, such as social and emotional security — something she instinctively rejects throughout the series. If your business needs are not known or clear to you, dialing back and identifying your goals will help you strategize for success in the new year.
4. Be Authentic
Wednesday doesn’t realize this at first, but it’s obvious to the audience how her peers have shown up for her throughout the investigation and her time at Nevermore. Despite Wednesday being cold and distant, people see something in her that they like and care for, and admirably seek Wednesday’s friendship. Wednesday awkwardly accepts in her own special way, learns to let her guard down and sacrifices her edgy persona at times to grow her friendships and protect those around her while remaining true to herself. She learns that friendship is meeting people halfway, and Wednesday’s unlikely best friend happens to be her polar opposite. They complement each other well.
Social media is a pillar of digital marketing. One of the best ways to ensure long-term success is by building authentic relationships and driving customer loyalty, without being something your brand is not. In an article by Three Girls’ Copy Editor, Heather Cooper, she explains the importance of being authentic in your social media, sharing that authenticity promotes brand loyalty, and that needs to be a priority in addition to growing sales because:
- 82% of companies agree that retention is cheaper than acquisition.
- 56% of consumers stay loyal to brands that “get them.”
- Increasing consumer retention by just 5% boosts profits by 25-95%.
“Additionally, Blog2Social shares with us that ‘91% of people are willing to reward a brand for its authenticity via purchase, investment, endorsement or similar action. Sixty-one percent of these people will either purchase or show increased purchase interest from authentic brands.’”
Social media is notorious for being a toxic place full of debates (or fights) about various hot topics. At times the negativity can cause people to remove themselves entirely from platforms to gain back some peace of mind. Because of this toxicity trend, it’s important that brands set themselves apart from the crowd and become a respite for their tired consumers. Consumers want to see that a brand cares about them beyond a sale, and that in turn will go a long way in creating strong brand loyalty.
Heather’s article provides actionable tips for how to formulate a successful strategy for creating authentic content as well as provides examples of social media posts that have been distinctly successful with an audience.
5. Be Adaptable
Wednesday began at Nevermore with the plan of escaping the academy for outcasts. She felt closed off from the potential of an accepting atmosphere and the prospect of friendships. She finds comfort in scaring or insulting her peers. When she begins to break out of her shell, we see a side of her that can do things for others out of the kindness of her heart — but mostly out of the desire to investigate the mysterious deaths around campus. When she finds herself in an awkward situation where she is expected to attend the Rave’n Dance, she reluctantly agrees and surprises her peers with an iconic, solo dance number. Her attendance somewhat hinders her ongoing investigation of an on-campus criminal, but her character development is heartwarming as she lets her guard down over the course of a sleuth-free evening. Over and over again, viewers witness Wednesday adapting to her environment and being open to situations she is initially uncomfortable with.
In your marketing, things don’t always go according to plan. The market changes, mistakes happen and unforeseen circumstances occur. Adaptability is key to tackling those spur-of-the-moment adjustments with grace and ease. In an article by Forbes, they acknowledge that “it’s difficult to not feel like the plans you work so hard in creating must be set in stone. That’s why before you even get started on any project, flexibility should be a priority.” The article goes on to list strategies for being adaptable in your marketing approach:
- Prepare long in advance
- Accept changes than attempt to avoid them
- Move quickly when needed
- Craft responses thoughtfully and appropriately
- Improvise when the time is right
Do You Need Help With Your Digital Marketing?
Who would have thought the 2022 reimagination of Wednesday Addams could inspire five marketing tips for your business? As you can see, digital marketing is a complex and evolving landscape, necessary for business growth and success. Contact Three Girls Media today for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation to see how we can help you design a strategy to fit your needs and budget! Our team of marketing and PR specialists is ready to get started today!