Send in the Dolls

The 2023 summer box office has so far been akin to a military disaster on the level of Custer’s Last Stand. One giant blockbuster after another has been cut down by middling reviews, lackluster box office receipts, and poor word of mouth.

Fortunately, Hollywood had a contingency plan: Operation Barbie Summer.

This backup plan (we’ll call it OBS for brevity’s sake) is an all-in marketing campaign to promote the Greta Gerwig-helmed film based on the most famous doll ever made. We’re talking teaser trailers, cross-platform promotions on everything from NBA coverage to baking shows on the Food Network, co-branding with the likes of Pinkberry and Xbox, and a global press tour with the film’s stars.

The result? A resounding smash-hit: $155 million in domestic ticket sales on opening weekend - the most successful opening ever for a female director.

For the film industry as a whole, there are some obvious lessons to be learned from OBS. But there may also be some lessons that other industries can take away from this monumental campaign - especially in the B2B space. Here are just a few:

Understand your audience - OBS had a deep understanding of its target audience from the get-go. B2B companies need to be going all-in on thorough audience research and segmentation, so they can tailor their messaging to resonate on a personal level.

Embrace Storytelling - many B2B companies have a bad habit of overlooking storytelling in favor of technical details. But storytelling is needed to create an emotional connection, and make complex solutions more relatable and memorable.

Interactive Content and Gamification - B2B companies can draw inspiration from the OBS campaign by incorporating interactive elements into their marketing strategies. Quizzes, virtual demos, gamified experiences - all of these increase customer involvement and can drive lead generation.

Leverage Social Media - social media played a huge role in OBS’ success. Many B2B companies need to look beyond old-school marketing methods and leverage social media to its full potential - not only to make marketing moves, but also to encourage customers to share success stories about their products and services.

Operation Barbie Summer wasn’t just a marketing campaign for a film - it was a masterclass in using every marketing channel and method available to drive an audience to a desired outcome - in this case, getting butts in theater seats. B2B companies who are challenged with achieving their own outcomes should be taking notes - so their campaigns end up less like Custer’s, and more like Ike’s.