3 ways to pull off a brand overload like ‘Star Wars’

Nobody does branded products quite like the Star Wars franchise.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re six or 60 — surely you’ve seen the Star Wars name attached to some weird stuff. Toys make sense. T-shirts and bedding? Sure. But a toaster shaped like Darth Vader? Now, that just seems over the top.

Crazy or not, though, that toaster and all of the franchise’s other random branded products are making Disney a lot of money. At this point, its latest release, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has already raked in about US$2-billion at the worldwide box office since its premiere.

While that’s quite a haul, compared to the roughly US$5-billion that its merchandising is expected to generate by the end of this year, ticket sales are just drop in the bucket.

Can your business pull off a lucrative brand overload in the same way? It’s unlikely.

Why the Force Isn’t Necessarily With You

A branding bomb probably won’t work for your company simply because people usually don’t like it. According to a survey conducted by BuzzStream and Fractl, 45% of respondents would unfollow a brand on social media if its posts were overly promotional.

The message is clear: Consumers want to see your brand and even interact with it, but they don’t want to be overwhelmed by it.

Unless it’s Star Wars — then, people love seeing it everywhere and will happily eat it up. Why? Because it’s provided unforgettable experiences that have been shared by multiple generations throughout all facets of society.

Of course, your brand probably hasn’t touched quite as many people (yet). So if you try to follow the “Star Wars” model of oversaturated marketing, it could end up undermining your brand name.

Spread Your Message Too Widely, You Should Not

Too much marketing can water down your brand’s image. If you throw your name on everything, how are people supposed to know what your brand really stands for?

Star Wars can get away with it because after seven installments and something like 16 hours of film, the brand is about as established as it gets. It can put out a branded toaster, lipstick, or even fruit, and no one will be confused — it’s all still Star Wars.

Going the branded-products route can help your business, but you have to go about it the right way. As Han Solo might say, “Great, kid. Don’t get cocky.”

Here are a few lessons to be learned from Disney’s Star Wars strategy:

1. First and foremost, be a storyteller

For The Force Awakens, Disney was able to work the content marketing concept in reverse. Usually, a brand has to start with a physical product, then create a story around it. But Disney could start with a story that people already love and create products to support it.

Although your brand probably doesn’t have its own movie, it should certainly have a story to weave into a variety of marketing opportunities. Consider Red Bull’s storyline: The drink “gives you wings.” So the brand provided the financial backing for a guy to jump and then free-fall from space.

Red Bull didn’t make any money directly from the spectacle, but it saw huge sales as a result because it corresponded so well with its story.

2. Release products that align with and enhance your brand

Disney can get away with slapping Star Wars on pretty much anything, but the majority of brands need to select products that are applicable to their image.

Consider the movie Ted, for example, in which the main character brings his best friend (a highly inappropriate teddy bear) to life. A bear-shaped toaster probably wouldn’t have done much to further the brand’s narrative, but a Ted teddy bear does support its message and should appeal to fans.

3. Determine whether a prelaunch is in order

I’m actually skeptical of the prelaunch concept, especially when it comes to a new product or brand. Yes, it worked out perfectly for The Force Awakens, which played on our tendency to become excited by the approach of a positive event. But again, it’s based on a story that everyone already knows and loves — and had been anticipating for an entire decade.

A prelaunch only works if people are eagerly awaiting the arrival of your product. It’s largely a matter of timing. If you hold the prelaunch too early, you run the risk of leaving too much time for the wind to rush out of your sails. From the get-go, build a landing page with a high conversion rate to build traffic and excitement before your prelaunch.

In the end, remember that the “Star Wars” saga has been seen by millions — perhaps even billions — of people. The brand is so recognizable and desirable that it makes sense to attach it to any and all products. But for most companies, product branding requires a lot more strategizing and finesse.

That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing valuable to learn from “Star Wars” about product branding. What else has it taught you about building a successful marketing campaign?