5 Things Aladdin Can Teach You About Marketing in 2019

June 5, 2019
12:02 am

Posted by DMA Solutions Team

In case you haven’t already run into us at the movie theater, fan-girling and singing along to every song…here’s your notice that a live remake of Aladdin has been released just in time for all our childhood fantasies to come true summer.

All whilst rushing past small children to see this movie, we realized while watching the story again as adults that there are so many marketing considerations that fly under the radar. (In general, don’t let that Disney magic fool you—there are quite a few deeper, hidden lessons in fairy tales!)

Here are five things Aladdin can teach you about marketing in 2019:

1. Get Scrappy With Your Budget

Just a little snack, guys…

Aladdin is proof that you can survive on a budget. (R.I.P. to my Starbucks card.) Just as in marketing, it’s not just the money you put into your efforts, it’s about the opportunities you create and take advantage of.

If Aladdin can survive on one loaf of bread (and even split it with his favorite monkey), your marketing tactics can also survive without an enormous budget right at the beginning. Focus on the quality of your content rather than any limitations due to budget!

2. Dream Big

What are your three wishes?

While I just mentioned sticking to a less-than-large budget, that doesn’t mean your dreams have to stay small as a result! The age-old question, “What would you do if you had three wishes,” now comes into play—after all, you gotta think big to BE big, right?

Of course, if you are like many marketers, that “big marketing dream” may have begun featuring millions of followers and a hit Super Bowl commercial… But think about the bigger picture—what do you actually want your brand to be known for? If you could design a perfect campaign, what would it look like? These are the questions that help you determine how to reach results that rival a genie’s capabilities.

3. Never Lose Your Brand Voice

Make way for Prince Ali!

Just as keeping up the facade of Prince Ali wasn’t sustainable for Aladdin, neither is sustaining a brand voice that isn’t authentically yours. Appealing to a different audience may require different marketing tactics, but it should never require changing your voice entirely.

While “women like a straight shooter,” according to everyone’s favorite genie, people from all walks of life tend to prefer a company that is true to itself. It may be fun every once in a while to get dressed up and act like a different version of yourself (shout-out to sequin dresses!), but at the end of the day, you are the same person—or brand—no matter what costume you put on. Don’t lose your brand voice trying to be something you’re not.

4. Be Picky About Your Partners

We wouldn’t pick Jafar either, Jasmine…

(First of all, major #GirlPower props to Jasmine for saying, “No ma’am!” to all those princes, especially the rude one.) Follow Jasmine’s lead when it comes to choosing who represents you: be picky, picky, picky. Keep saying “no” until it feels right. If the other party in any type of partnership doesn’t seem to align with your brand voice, values, or aesthetic, keep it moving! This goes for choosing influencers, partners, even new marketers; wait until you find your own (on-brand) Aladdin.

5. Break the Cuffs of Complacency

Genie, you’re free!

To any marketer who’s ever been stuck in a rut—it’s time to break free. End the cycle of complacency inherent in mantras like, “It’s what we’ve always done,” or, “It worked last year.” What about this year? As fresh produce marketers, we know that no crop is ever guaranteed—in a similar vein, don’t always resort to banking on what worked last year to work again.

And don’t just stop with complacency: break the cuffs on your mind, too. Challenge yourself as to whether you’re actually being innovative or if you’re really just staying comfortable, doing what you’ve always done. Innovation in fresh is constant—are you being innovative in your marketing to match?

Aladdin is more than just a Disney movie that your kids (or you—we won’t tell) wouldn’t stop watching all throughout the 90s. Remember, marketing tools and tips are everywhere (including movies); you may just have to keep your eyes out for your own personal genie to help show you the way.