As I am writing this, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie has grossed $775 million worldwide.  Just think of all the townhouses, pink motor home and pink Corvettes that kind of money can buy! 

I’m sure you’ve noticed since the film’s launch all the tie-ins from Burger King Brazil’s “Barbie Burger” to the Progressive Insurance commercial set in the “Barbieverse,” not to mention the use of Barbie pink everywhere.  Let’s explore what these tie-ins can teach us.

Be Selective

While it seems like it’s all Barbie, all the time, the studio was selective with whom they partnered. Since Barbie enjoys activities like inline skating and traveling, there were partnerships developed with Beis, a luggage company, to develop a line of luggage and with Impala, an inline roller skate company, to make one-of-a-kind inline skates.  These partnerships align both with Barbie and with the above-mentioned companies. They also allowed them to both reach a desired customer base and promote the film. 

Know Your Audience

Have you seen any Barbie tie-ins with power tool manufacturers or alcoholic beverage companies? There aren’t any, because those partnerships don’t make sense for Barbie’s audience.  Brand partnerships need to target specific audiences that will benefit both companies.  One example of a good partnership is a jewelry store with a caterer.  Since people who get engaged usually have a party to announce their engagement or celebrate their wedding, both businesses could work out a deal in which they pass along business to each other or offer discounts to those who utilize both businesses.

Encourage Social Media Engagement

Word of mouth is still the best advertising and one way to spread the word around is by way of social media. The Barbie studio’s marketing team made the movie-going public part of the “Barbieverse” through a selfie generator and life-size Barbie box at select theaters.  Speaking of which, how many social media posts have you seen of fictional characters posing in the Barbie box? I have seen many, which demonstrates the power of targeted social media posts. You don’t have to have a life-size Barbie box at your place of business, but you can encourage people to follow your business on social media, as well as post about their experience on social media. When you ask people to share their experience on social media, more people will learn about your business.  Of course, if the posts deal with a problem, take the conversation offline and fix it as soon as possible.

When it comes to reaching out to customers, you don’t always need to think outside the box.  Sometimes all you have to do is think pink.

Sources:

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/26/barbie-box-office-dominates-monday-tuesday.html

https://www.prnewsonline.com/barbie-comms-lessons/