Quvenzhané Wallis stole our hearts in Beasts of the Southern Wild and now she’s ready to become a double heart thief with the soon-to-be-released remake of Annie. The trailer was just released yesterday which you can watch here if you want to get excited and while watching it I realized that I was not only inspired in the way that only an adorable, singing orphan can make possible, but also in a business/marketing way. The new Annie movie can teach us a thing or two. Read on to learn what.
Reinvent the Classics
When it comes to starting a business or even, on a simpler level, introducing a new product or service to your existing business you are generally going to do something that’s been done already but in a new way. Many of the best ideas aren’t inventing something as original and iconic as the wheel or sliced bread: they’re ideas that build upon existing inventions and concepts and make them better, bolder, and different. That is what director Will Gluck is doing with this reinvention of Annie: he’s moving into the present, shaking up the cast, and enhancing aspects of the film that, while cute in 1982, are tired in 2014. You should do the same when it comes to your business, and also your marketing. Find out what your audience loves, and then make it even more lovable. Bingo.
Bring in Big Names
If the new Annie was a cast of no-name actors, the masses might be less inclined to jump onboard. But between the star power of Cameron Diaz, Jaime Foxx, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, plus the adorable factor of Quvenzhané Wallis, the Internet is on fire looking forward to this film. You must attempt to do the same with your business. Every company, of course, wants to bring on big clients to make a name for themselves, and certainly that’s the goal. But if you can’t land big fish as customers right away, at least try to rub elbows with them in another way. See if you can get them to exchange guest blogs with you. Ask them to join you in a webinar about a topic that would benefit you both. Or, write a blog that mentions them and then when you tweet it, @ them in the tweet to let them know. There are a number of ways you can get big names standing next to you, even if you can’t have them in your cast.
Sing, Sing, Sing
Yes, Annie is a musical. No, you’re probably not selling music equipment. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sing the praises of your company. In other words: PR. Many companies overlook the value of PR, or think that writing a piece every now and then about new things happening at your company is sufficient. Not so. Press releases, interviews, etc. are all important elements in your business and marketing strategy. The world needs to see your ads, your content, etc. but they also need to hear about your company from other sources, and that’s an angle that good PR can provide.
Annie has all the makings of a smash hit. Unfortunately we have to wait until December to see the film, but luckily you can started right away when it comes to applying these elements to your business practices. For even more 2014 trends for business and marketing, you can even check out our library of resources to help you get started. Get on it. The sun will come out tomorrow but why wait?