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 Editor's Note
"Winning Moves" is a bit like the cobbler's children—it has to play second fiddle to my clients. Ideas for articles ricochet about my head, waiting until I'm in front of the keyboard with time for this missive before the bells start ringing and the lights start flashing. However, I've been so excited about this article for weeks that I actually started telling my clients about it. By telling them, I was forcing myself to write it—soon!
Three years ago, my husband and I took my parents to see "Mamma Mia!" in Washington. We had a fabulous time and were beaming when we left the theater. We got the soundtrack on the spot, and it's been a favorite ever since.
The prominence of "Mamma Mia!" in our household was renewed with the arrival of our (truly fabulous) au pair, Anne. She had seen "Mamma Mia! The Movie" with one of her friends her first week in the US, and she was a new fan, excited to know we had the soundtrack. So the soundtrack is now played a lot more often. Dutifully ensconced in my office on beautiful days, I can hear "Mamma Mia!" blasting out in the yard as the boys are happily playing and dancing with Anne. (How can I not smile?)
What is it that makes "Mamma Mia!" so irresistible? So brilliant? I have a theory and, wouldn't you know, it has to do with marketing.
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Molly Hughes Wilmer
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Feature
The Brilliance of "Mamma Mia!"
You have to admit that "Mamma Mia!" is clever. It's clever on multiple levels. And some of that cleverness we can bring into our own businesses.
"Name of the Game"
It was incredibly bright to take disparate songs from the same band and bring them together into a plot line. My mind was bowing in reverence throughout the show every time I realized another nuance from the songs was interwoven into the plot. I had to smile at the complicated puzzle that was behind this fun, happy show. (Puzzles and their themes are another topic for an article … stay tuned.)
"Super Trouper"
Another important ingredient to the success of "Mamma Mia!" is the songs themselves—catchy, sing-along hit tunes from the seventies. That era is enjoying a bit of retro appeal these days, so while many of us can nostalgically remember when these songs came out, they actually have a coolness factor to the younger set. And the songs are sing-able. While some of us don't have to dig too deeply to bring up the lyrics from our past, the songs are easy to learn and to sing along to. They are happy, easy songs.
"Dancing Queen"
But there is one special thing about the musical "Mamma Mia!" that ensures you are grinning when you walk out the theater. When did you last go to a show where you were invited to stand up and sing and dance along with the cast? For the whole "Mamma Mia!" performance, you are chair-dancing, and then the vibe finally erupts when you are invited to let loose and take part in the performance. I didn't see anyone sitting down in the Warner Theater during the finale. That is a brilliance that I admire wholeheartedly!
"Thank You for the Music"
The movie makers get it, too. They've released a sing-along version that is airing in select theaters. And there are stories of audiences in theaters not just singing, but also dancing along. That's what it's all about: participation equals the big wide grin effect.
"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
When people can participate, the interaction becomes two-way, the audience can begin to take ownership, and they become more emotionally engaged. Emotional engagement is a key component of building brand loyalty. Haven't you heard people declaring their loyalty to a dress, a restaurant, a salon, a ski resort, even a new cell phone? "I love it!"
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"
Participation can take many forms. There are classic tools like surveys and contests. The internet has opened up new opportunities for participation in web sites that draw you in to play games, create your own martini glass, give feedback on movies, reply to blogs and interact using other social networking tools.
Other recent participation trends include the patriotic and cancer bumper magnetic ribbons and the rubber bracelet craze that started with Lance Armstrong's "Live Strong" campaign. These follow a rich tradition of political buttons and bumper stickers.
"Knowing Me, Knowing You"
Retailers have long focused on how customers interact within their locations. One furniture retailer I talked to recently is going to begin a privately branded delivery service, so that they have control over the customer participation at the critical point when customers take possession of their long-awaited furniture. (I can just imagine it: "Ma'am, you do not need to lift this heavy chair that I've driven up here from Maryland for you. However, if you'd prefer to move that antique vase out of the way yourself, I completely understand.")
"Take a Chance on Me"
A key part of customer/audience participation is making it voluntary. No one wants to have to respond to a gimmick. People voluntarily walk in your store, go to your web site, watch your YouTube video, forward your email, or wear your bracelet.
"The Winner Takes It All"
It's our job to make the idea of participation so appealing, so exciting, that they are literally dancing in the aisles.
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 What Can You Do?
"I Have a Dream"
First, listen to the soundtrack. Then, think about how you can excite your customers about your company and your offering.
Think about times when you've been on the audience side of a customer participation experience.
What do you do that allows your customers, your audience to participate? (Other than paying you, of course.) Where are the opportunities in your marketing tactics to create a two-way street, allowing your customers, and even your employees, to become more emotionally engaged?
If you're having trouble, talk to Vision Strategic Marketing & Communications.
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Ask the Expert
Question
Doesn't this participation stuff sidetrack the customer from responding to the ultimate call to action—the sale?
Answer
Customer participation for the sake of participation is rather pointless. Participation opportunities should be created with a goal in mind. They can help spread a message in a PR campaign. They can build communities among buyers and users that reinforce brand loyalty. They can stimulate and reinforce an emotional connection leading to the "I love it!" feeling that will encourage referral and repeat business. They can also be incorporated in the sales process, reducing sales cycle time and increasing the number of buyers in the pipeline that make it through to the sale.
Submit your questions to the editor: molly@visionsmc.com
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Want to Know More?
"Money, Money, Money"
This is something that Vision Strategic Marketing really excels in. Give us a call to brainstorm. I'll offer free brainstorming to anyone who calls on Thursday. And do go see the movie or go to the show.
© Molly Hughes Wilmer, Vision Strategic Marketing & Communications, 2008. All rights reserved.
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