The “C-Word” that builds business empires
Published: Sun, 09/27/20
Here is the quote:
“I forgot about the publisher. I was off and running: I was going to have fun,” Lee explained. “It was very easy for me to control, since I was writing virtually all of them…I could keep them in the style I wanted. I was creating my own universe.”
He was talking about building his own universe for Marvel comics.
But, I have found it goes way beyond building a fictional universe.
What he did can be applied to creating your own marketing “universe” too — which goes way beyond just building a list, audience, or so-called tribe.
Take, for example, the all-magical word:
Continuity.
I am not talking about continuity as far as selling a subscription.
Although that certainly is a “must” as far as I am concerned — and this will be abundantly clear to everyone in the coming months & years especially, as the economy sinks further into full blown depression due to all the politician imposed lockdowns that have wiped out entire businesses and destroyed whole families.
Back to continuity:
I am talking about a different kind of continuity.
A continuity not just for offers… but continuity of content.
For example:
When Stan Lee first began creating what is now the Marvel Universe, he very consciously started building a sense of continuity, and kept track of it meticulously. Every character’s action, interaction, and crossover appearance… every change in their status (personal & professional) & personality… every nook & cranny of a character’s essence was cataloged. And because of that, there was no need for retcons. There were few if any angry fan letters pointing out plot holes & contradictions. And there was far less of the confusion that caused D.C. Comics to eventually have to do their many universe “reboots” to clean up all the messes their editors — who never talked to each other — created.
This build a sense of continuity unlike any other comicbook company.
And Stan Lee admitted it was that continuity that was key.
In fact, he said it is the one thing — above all others — that kept fans coming back and buying all the other titles. Which, of course, sent sales for the company through the roof, and allowed Marvel to overtake D.C. Comics in about 11 years, and stay ahead of them ever since.
The point:
Continuity is everything.
Continuity of content, of branding, of “voice”, of personality, of marketing… all of it.
If you doubt this, just look at Marvel.
Or, for that matter, Disney — which had also done this brilliantly over the decades to get not just customers coming back, but their children too. And, in some cases, even their children’s children, where they now have entire generations of families coming back over and over and over.
That is, until recently.
The devil mouse somehow managed to accomplish the impossible feat of ruining the Star Wars brand in less than 5-years by not caring about continuity, and even being hostile to it — as well as being hostile to the fans that made the brand what it is.
All from ignoring the continuity built up over 40 years.
Whatever the case, here’s the rub:
There are all kinds of ways to have this kind of continuity in your business.
But there are 3 ways I use almost exclusively. And I reveal these 3 ways in great detail in the October “Email Players” issue. Should you decide to subscribe in time to get this issue, I suggest doing ALL 3 of them, and not just one or two of them like the lazy and unambitious will no doubt do. In my experience, they all work together in a way where 2 + 2 really can equal 4000 and not just 4.
But that’s all in the October issue.
An issue you can have by subscribing at the link below while there’s still time:
https://www.EmailPlayers.com
Ben Settle