The movie ‘Barbie’, the hottest movie of the summer, is a marketing machine, with strong brand awareness. Whether it’s an app on your cell phone or in your city’s pop-up museums, Barbie’s influence can be seen seemingly everywhere!
Undoubtedly, the marketing team behind the film did an outstanding job, inspiring me and other marketers to rethink our strategies. You could say Barbie is the quintessential influencer and marketing team behind the movie at the top of their game.
Interestingly, the movie “Barbie” provides valuable insights that can be effectively applied to B2B influencer marketing. Now, let’s explore some of the key lessons we can learn from this enchanting film.
1 – Embrace diversity
Just as the Barbie franchise celebrates diversity in its characters, B2B influencer marketing should also embrace diversity in its content and collaborations. Influencers help brands reach a wider audience and promote inclusivity by including diverse perspectives and voices.
The film “Barbie” explores themes such as overcoming stereotypes, breaking down barriers and promoting inclusiveness. By tackling these issues head-on, the film encourages viewers to challenge preconceived notions and embrace people for who they truly are.
“Just as the Barbie franchise celebrates diversity in its characters, so too should B2B influencer marketing embrace diversity in its content and collaborations.” — Casey Borrero @CaseygBorrero Click to tweet
2 — Authenticity is vital
The movie “Barbie” teaches us the importance of staying true to yourself. In the world of B2B marketing, you want influencers to be authentic and genuine in their messaging. This builds trust with the audience and establishes credibility. This credibility often results in the formation of a supportive community of followers.
A prime example is Pam Didner, with her deep knowledge of content marketing, global marketing strategies, and her hands-on industry experience. She shares real-world examples and sensible advice based on her own experiences via her blog, books, and social media posts. As a bonus, she is transparent about her journey, successes, failures and lessons learned from them, making her relatable and authentic. B2B influencers need to take notice if they truly want to grow their fan base.
“In the world of B2B marketing, you want influencers to be authentic and genuine in their messaging. This builds trust with the audience and establishes credibility. — Casey Borrero @CaseygBorrero Click to tweet
3 — Tell compelling stories
The film “Barbie” captivates viewers with an engaging narrative. Similarly, B2B marketers and influencers should focus on crafting compelling narratives that resonate with their target audience.
Want to leave a lasting impact like Barbie? Stories evoke emotions and connect with people on a deeper level. Sales influencer Morgan Ingram always does a great job with narrating him.
Creating content in the form of storytelling on LinkedIn* improves search engine rankings, builds expertise, increases user interaction, and opens up more possibilities for compelling calls-to-action. Morgan creates engaging posts that keep her audience interested in reading more. Two great examples are his posts about creating new routines and constructive feedback.
“The movie ‘Barbie’ captivates viewers with an engaging storytelling. Similarly, B2B marketers and influencers should focus on crafting compelling narratives that resonate with their target audience. — Casey Borrero @CaseygBorrero Click to tweet
4 — Adapt to change
Throughout the movie “Barbie”, the character of Barbie evolves and adapts to various situations. This serves as a reminder for B2B marketers and influencers to stay agile and adaptable in an ever-changing industry. Keep up with the times and stay relevant by embracing new technologies, trends and strategies.
In the film, as the story progresses, Ken’s decision to change the name of the dream house to “Mojo Dojo Casa House” becomes more than just an alteration. Become a catalyst for personal growth and self-expression for all characters involved. Each character learns valuable lessons about embracing change, staying true to yourself, and accepting each other’s differences.
The new house name also offers new marketing opportunities for Mattel. As we often say in marketing, it’s good to experiment and test.
Plus, Barbie takes a bold step by embracing her flat feet and choosing to wear Birkenstock sandals. Not only does this decision challenge society’s beauty standards, but it also sends a powerful message of self-love and confidence. She discovers that change is good and she learns to embrace her individuality and celebrate what makes her different.
“B2B marketers and influencers should remain agile and adaptable in an ever-changing industry. Keep up with the times and stay relevant by embracing new technologies, trends and strategies.” — Casey Borrero @CaseygBorrero Click to tweet
5 — Collaboration is powerful
Collaboration is powerful: The movie “Barbie” often shows the power of teamwork and collaboration between its characters. Similarly, B2B marketing influencers should look for opportunities to collaborate with other industry experts or brands. By joining forces, influencers can leverage each other’s strengths and expand their reach.
Influencer marketing Scott D. Clary leverages his podcast as a way for him and others to learn from it. He has collaborated with the likes of Grant Cardone, Steven Kotler and Seth Godin on topics ranging from success and “the art of the impossible”.
Speaking of collaboration, we asked top B2B influencers for advice you can take away for your high influencer content.
“B2B marketing influencers should look for opportunities to collaborate with other industry experts or brands. By joining forces, influencers can leverage each other’s strengths and expand their reach.” — Casey Borrero @CaseygBorrero Click to tweet
Barbie-style marketing lessons
While the movie “Barbie” may seem unrelated to B2B marketing, it offers valuable lessons for marketers and influencers alike. By embracing diversity, staying authentic, telling compelling stories, adapting to change, and fostering collaboration, B2B marketing influencers and marketers can elevate their strategies and make a lasting impact on their audiences and the brands they work for.
Looking to elevate your B2B brand storytelling? Learn more about why influencer marketing is proven to accelerate results from our associate director of social media and influencer marketing Debbie Friez.
*LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing customer.
About the author
Casey Borrero describes herself as a “social media queen” and an enthusiast. She has been involved in social media marketing for over a decade. Her passion for the platform began when Facebook launched its first iteration at the University of Miami in 2005. That’s how she became passionate. She dived deep into social media content, management and strategy and she has never looked back. Currently, Casey works hard to identify, network and match our clients’ brands with the ideal B2B influencer partners… using her favorite social platform, LinkedIn.
