Some Reassembly Required

As I was waiting on line with my wife for the Avengers premiere this past Friday, I was struck by a few things. One, that I was near the back of the line after showing up an hour early before the show (seriously?). Two, there are still fanboys out there who really need to be introduced to some deodorant. And three, this line I was on was not made up entirely of the aforementioned stereotypical fanboys. There was actually a diverse group of people waiting to see this movie. I’m talking about friends, families, couples, kids, seniors, women–and not all of them seemed socially awkward.

Years ago, this would have been unheard of. Most of these types of movies were marketed towards a certain demographic (of the testosterone persuasion).  But now, times have changed. Audiences have changed. Geekdom has become mainstream. And movie studios have recognized that.

At Big Duck, we always encourage nonprofits to know their audience. The more specific it is, the better targeted your communications will be. “Everyone” or the “general public” is not a realistic audience.

Now, obviously, The Avengers had a multimillion-dollar marketing budget, a luxury nonprofits don’t have. But their marketing efforts went way beyond reaching the “general public.” Marvel Studios made sure that the Avengers had a wide yet very targeted marketing, covering very specific demographics, like the geeks of Comic Con and the women who watch The View. And they’ve gained over $200 million for their efforts so far.

But it’s worth reexamining your communications strategy on a regular basis, because you never know when your audience has expanded. Be sure you’re ready when you’ve gained a new set of eyes and ears that are just waiting to help you with your mission.

Also, go watch the Avengers movie. Now.