Just like movie making, when it comes to content marketing, not every “sequel” works.
Ever seen Batman & Robin?
The fact is, too much of a “good” thing (i.e., extending the life of successful content) can actually end up breaking bad — a reality that applies for both brands and movie franchises.
Surveying the annual box office scene, Hollywood basically generates three types of films: 1) Blockbusters, 2) Bombs and 3) Critically Acclaimed.
The third category includes movies such as Aaron Sorkin’s 2015 biopic Steve Jobs, which didn’t fare well at the box— earning only $28.1 million on a budget of $31 million — but is now garnering awards with star Kate Winslet winning the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.
The second category of “Bombs” would include all the financial flops that are best left forgotten — you know, Gigli and the like.
Then there are the “Blockbusters,” a category that is considerably more complex, as it includes the 10 aforementioned sequels, spinoffs and reboots, which have all earned at least $184 million and likely have successfully furthered their respective film franchises. At the same time, however, the “Blockbuster” category would also have to include flicks such as the also aforementioned Batman & Robin. It was undeniably a financial success back in 1997, having raked in $238 million, but the film was also so widely panned by critics — and fans — that it effectively killed the Batman brand until Christopher Nolan finally resurrected it in 2005 with Batman Begins.
No brand in any industry wants to endure an eight-year stretch off the radar and inside a cave and so, the lesson learned here is that, when producing or curating content, quality is superior to quantity.
Even a piece that generates a lot of views and engagement (or ticket sales in the case of Batman & Robin) can ultimately be a destructive dud if its poor quality reflects negatively on your brand.
Focus on creating — and sharing — content for your brand and consumers that’s truly valuable, and not just voluble.
Learn more content marketing tips from Tinsel Town in our Medium column at The Brand Lab Series™.