‘The Charles Atlas Seal of Approval!’
Success is a combination of hustle and muscle. Nobody knew this better than my personal marketing hero: Dr Frank-N-Furter of Rocky Horror fame.
The hype surrounding his latest creation brought Transylvanians from across the universe to his Earthly mansion. And when his Adonis-like creation was finally unveiled, it certainly didn’t disappoint.
If only those pesky Earthlings (and other jealous types) hadn’t come along and messed up his jolly little launch party.
But what other (admittedly tangential) lessons can we learn from stage and screen’s favourite cross-dressing, otherworldy inventor?
Engagement
Dr F sure knew how to make an impact — his attention-grabbing outfits and wild proclamations are testament enough to that.
He also knew how to craft a catchy-yet-impactful line to entice his audience and keep them engaged.
Case in point:
‘Come up to the lab and see what’s on the slab!’
Stakeholder Management
Keeping everyone on-side was a particular concern for dearest Frankie. And he had quite the talent for bending all parties to his will (all it took was a little seduction and blackmail when things got tricky).
Crisis Management
He also knew how to spin doctor his way out of a potential PR disaster (literally getting away with murder at one point in the film) — and while his methods of diplomacy (and body disposal) are questionable, there can be no denying they’re creative.
Authenticity
Whatever you think of Dr F, he is well and truly living his best, most authentic life. Eccentric and decadent it may be, it’s one where he’s created an environment where pretty much anything’s deemed acceptable. And his people loved it (mostly).
Ok, so we can’t all be like Frank-N-Furter — at least not in the real world — but we can appreciate the success he achieved in getting others to buy into his unique, esoteric brand of mayhem.
It’s not easy to do that — it takes bravery, vision, and commitment, which he had in spades.
The one mistake he made was to ignore the suffocating hierarchy he’d created under his own roof — which led to his untimely demise.
Still, all parties come to an end. Better to go out with a bang, eh?
