WHY EVERY BRAND NEEDS A VILLAIN
What’s Ariel without Ursula? Or Aladdin without Jafar? Yawn, that’s what. Every hero needs an equally as impressive villain. Without the age-old battle of good vs evil, your story becomes well, boring. Kick rocks, Buzz Lightyear.
It’s the same for every brand. You can talk about how you’re ‘Kiwi owned’, ‘family run’ or ‘passionate about giving back’. But as wholesome as those plot devices are, there’s nothing like a villain to fire up your brand story.
So, how do you find your ultimate evil? Start out by naming them.
Identify your antagonist
Whether you’re fighting time, climate change or the ageing process, you’re saving your customers from something. Just look at Pak’nSave’s iconic Stickman. He’s the hero we all need when we’re fighting the cost of living.
To work out who your villain is, clearly define the problem your brand solves and build a story around that. Hero = Stick Man. Villain = Prices. It’s a super simple story that delivers.
And if you can’t find a problem to fight for, find someone to fight with.
Pick on someone your own size
Coke vs Pepsi. BK vs McDonald’s. One NZ vs 2 Degrees vs Spark. Another way to fire up some conflict is to pick on a direct competitor. And the big guys are good at doing it with charm or wisecracks. Like this cute example of Wendy’s helping out a McDonald’s customer.
But it’s all about balance. Brands can risk missing the point and speaking to each other, rather than their customers. Picking a fight with the competition doesn’t always guarantee a hero’s welcome.
And the risk can be amplified if the idea flops, providing free publicity for the ‘villain’. BK’s mouldy burger won lots of advertising prizes – but also lots of scorn. It’s hard to tell who came out smelling best.
From hero to zero
If your brand is the hero, your customers are the civilians you swore to protect. But it has to be authentic. Storytelling can be a touchy territory. When a hero uses their ‘brand purpose’ to blow their own trumpet, they can come across as out of touch. We all remember that time Kendall ended police brutality armed with a can of Pepsi.
Let the battle begin
Having a juicy villain can help raise the stakes of your story. As Alfred Hitchcock famously said “The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture.” And this is just as true in marketing. But you can’t just pick a fight with any villain, they need to make sense for your brand – and your story.
But when you get it right, a well-identified, authentic villain can reinforce the power of your hero… and your brand. Because people remember the stories we tell. So whether it’s a problem your customers are trying to solve, or a competitor to spar with, it’s good to name your nemesis and be your customers’ hero.
What’s yours?
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