4 Critical Marketing Lessons We Can Learn From the Producers of The Bachelor
Have you ever noticed how wildly popular The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and the Bachelor in Paradise programs are?
Whether you’re a fan of the franchise or not, there’s no denying the producers have mastered the art of the show. But what they’ve also done, unintentionally I’m sure, is taught us valuable lessons in marketing.
#1. Always Be Testing
When The Bachelor first aired in March 2002, no one could have imagined they’d be going strong 23 seasons later. Nor did anyone ever imagine that their spinoffs ‒ The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise ‒ would garner 15 and 6 seasons respectively.
Before Bachelor in Paradise came Bachelor Pad. And even though that went on for three painful seasons before they decided to put an end to it, they still tried their luck by bringing contestants from both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette together.
Except somehow, the formula for Bachelor Pad ‒ where contestants of both sex stayed in the Bachelor Mansion ‒ didn’t fly with audiences. Maybe it’s because the sexes had to compete each week and risk being eliminated, or maybe it’s because there was a cash prize at the end of it for “winners.”
Did the producers give up? NO WAY! They kept going and iterated with more concepts, including Bachelor in Paradise and Bachelor Winter Games. The former seems to be a winner while the latter was, yet another disastrous flop.
Just because you’ve tried something and didn’t get stellar results doesn’t mean you should stop testing your theories. Marketers do a thing called A/B testing where we test out various marketing options (usually one at a time) to see which will resonate better with our ideal audience.
For instance, we’ll A/B test email subject lines. That’s when you have two versions of the subject line that you send to two samples of your database. Depending on which version performs best, that’s the one you’ll pick to send to the rest of your database.
A/B testing is also done for paid digital ads where you can test to see which headlines, images or even copy get more clicks and more conversions.
When you’re marketing, you should always be testing and iterating to see which performed best so you can make informed decisions for future projects.
And just because one of your tests flops terribly doesn’t mean you should stop trying new things. Because it’s only when we are brave enough as marketers to keep testing the waters with our audience that we can really help grow our audience and, potentially, our business.
#2. The One-to-One vs the One-to-Many
In The Bachelor and its spin-offs, as in marketing, you have the one-on-ones and the one-on-many approach (aka the group dates). These are both important for the show as well as for the audience. The same goes for marketing.
On The Bachelor (and The Bachelorette), there are group dates and one-on-one dates. Both are equally important for the viability of the show as well as for the romance aspect.
From a dating perspective, the one-on-ones are more impactful and have a greater chance at falling in love because it gives you time to be yourself (or not) and not have to compete against the masses for the attention of your suitor (or suitress). Therefore you have a better chance of being successful.
Same goes for marketing. One-to-one marketing is important these days because it gives you the option to talk directly to your ideal client/customer and get them to truly see the benefits of your products/services. You can ensure your message is clearer and more focused and that’s how you win out against the competition.
Conversely, the group dates are also important to see how the group interacts with each other and sometimes (often) during competition. It’s important but it’s also harder because you have to try and stand out in a sea of sameness.
In marketing, the one-to-many approach is still important but for different reasons. It’s definitely harder to make an impact since you’re trying to dilute your message to appeal to the masses, however, you need more people to be aware of your offerings. One-to-many is vital for brand awareness and with growing competitiveness this is something you can’t afford to overlook as a marketer.
What’s interesting is that the one-to-many can go both ways: one brand to many ideal customers and one ideal customer sees many brands vying for their attention. So how can you stand out when you’re trying to appeal to so many and there’s so much competition out there? In both directions.
Even though the one-to-one approach yields the best results, it’s still important to continue the one-to-many since it’s important for brand awareness (and entertaining).
#3. Location. Location. Location.
The producers of The Bachelor understand that filming locations matter.
A first kiss on the top of the Eiffel Tower while fireworks burst overhead.
Roasting marshmallows by a campfire while watching the Northern Lights in Lapland.
Bungee jumping off a cable car in Latvia… naked.
There’s no denying locations add to the script and they help push the story along. It’s true for these find-love-on-TV reality shows and it’s true for marketing.
Except the marketer’s equivalent of a location is a channel. It’s the where of your tactics. And those are just as important as the copy or the design or even the offer. In fact, you might even say that the copy, design and offer should be predicated on the channel.
Because you can’t just randomly throw your marketing any old place. You have to ensure the messaging matches the intent of the audience. For instance, if your marketing will and should be different if you put it on LinkedIn, SnapChat or Pinterest, whether you use out of home advertising or direct mail, or whether you’re buying ad time during Sesame Street or How To Get Away With Murder. The audience on each of these channels is different so too should your message.
#4. The Hero Is Your Audience
As an avid fan of The Bachelor and its spin-offs, I don’t ever watch because of who The Bachelor or The Bachelorette is going to be.
I watch because of the shit-storm I’m expecting from the 25 or 30 contestants living together. Sure they’re in a mansion but somehow they’re always in each others’ faces and business. And understandably, they’ve competing for the same love interest.
The producers understand the value of casting the right contestants to make this entertaining to me, the viewer. I know to expect some drama, usually a trouble-maker and a hot-head and a carefree sort. And I know not everyone is there for the right reasons. Because if I’m not entertained… no one will watch.
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(*this is where I would normally insert a gif of the Gladiator scene but since we’re talking about The Bachelor I’ll refrain from going off-topic.)
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The most important thing a marketer can learn early on is that the hero of your story isn’t your brand or product. It’s your customer. So your marketing needs to reflect how your product will change their world. They need to see themselves using your product and how their world will be better because of it.
In the copywriting world we focus on sharing benefits over features. This allows us to paint a virtual image in the minds of our ideal customers of how much better their world will be if they have our product.
Even as a repeat viewer (customer) of The Bachelor, I know what to expect but the trailers and previews still promise the benefits. Surprise, intrigue, comedy, and… “The most dramatic season ever.”
Will You Accept This Rose?
The moral of the story here is that marketing is everywhere, whether it’s intentional or not. And no matter where you learn your lessons, it’s always more enjoyable if TV is involved.
So remember, don’t be afraid to test and iterate until you find the winning formula. But even then don’t stop. Because your brand should evolve with your audience and not stay stagnant.
Brand marketing is sometimes just as important as promoting your products. It primes your audience and plays a critical role in your overall marketing.
Choose your channels wisely. The right message in the wrong channel can have counterproductive effects. The where matters.
And make your audience the star of your marketing. Make them see themselves in a world with your product. Because that’s the goal, right?
Above all else, entertain. Remember that your marketing can entertain your audience.
PS: and don’t forget to tune in to The Bachelor season premiere on Monday, January 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Though I’m not particularly chuffed about Peter being the new Bachelor, I am excited about the hours of entertainment I’ll enjoy as a result of 30-ish women vying for his heart.