3 Marketing Lessons From Games Of Thrones

GOT Season Finale premiered last Sunday and even though it’s 40 degrees blazing hot here, people can’t seem to get over the phrase “Winter is Here”.

Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is an immensely popular television show that has attracted record viewership on HBO it has a broad, active, international fan base. The series has received over 47 Primetime Emmy awards.

The show is based on the epic fantasy novel series, A Song of Fire and Ice, written by George R. R. Martin. The first novel of the seven-book series is called A Game of Thrones; the show creators and HBO decided to keep that title as the overall name of the show.

According to the Wall Street Journal, over 100 brands, partnered with HBO in the season finale of Game of Thrones. Brands including the likes of Mountain Dew, Adidas, Oreo and Johnnie Walker helped HBO bank well over $30 million in marketing blitz.

If you are thinking of why anyone would spend so much on a partnership, here’s what you should know about co-branding;

1. Establish Credibility

Co-branding enables businesses to build or enhance their brand by teaming up with other respected business. Two brands coming together in unison establishes credibility as each company is able to highlight and reflect each other’s assets and thus strengthen its position in a given market.

2. Extend Reach

When two brands come together to form a co-branding partnership, they are automatically given the opportunity to gain the interest of each other’s market. This can extend their reach and visibility to a market they may once not have had access to. The new reach achieved through co-branding increases the chances of generating more sales for each brand.

3. Trends

Businesses understand that marketing products can be a costly expenditure. A huge bonus of co-branding with an already trending brand is free advertising. Redbull’s Jon Snowboard video received 5.1 million views, 81,000 likes, and nearly 30,000 shares on Facebook, and still wasn’t ranked among the top 20 GOT video trends.

This is not to forget, joining trending hashtags on social media is a clever way to get yourself noticed in the #GOT conversation.

These are just a few of the many benefits of co-branding. However, to reap these benefits it is extremely important to choose your partner wisely, as you run the risk of ruining your own reputation and credibility.