Did you ever attend the Midnight Movies in high school, or was that just a thing for students in South Carolina during the 1980s? That’s where we spent our Friday nights, especially in the fall. We’d kick off the weekend at a high school football game, grab a late-night meal of Buffalo wings at a place “in town,” and then head to a local theater for a Midnight Movie.
I have to admit: The Rocky Horror Picture Show has always been one of my favorites, and I’m glad to see its cult following still strong among Millennials on college campuses across the U.S. today. The film is pretty cheesy. But being in the audience—let’s just say it’s something you have to experience to understand.
To help you better understand what I’m talking about, here’s a quick summary of the plot:
The main characters Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon) leave a friend’s wedding in Denton, TX only to get lost in a forest and stumble upon the castle/lair of the evil scientist Dr. Frank N Furter (played quite convincingly by Tim Curry) and his domestic staff of two, Riff Raff and Magenta. It just so happens that this modern day Dr. Frankenstein is creating a new “monster” –because his previous attempt to build the perfect man left a former delivery boy named Eddie (played by Meat Loaf) with a rather large scar and more than a little bit of resentment towards his creator.
In a nut shell, Brad and Janet witness the creation of the new creature (named Rocky), the murder of the previous creation, the seduction and depravity of a mad scientist . . . and musical hilarity ensues. If not for the timely intervention of Riff Raff and Magenta, the entire cast would have died. Sounds like a perfect musical sci-fi comedy, right?
Add in the fact that Dr. Frank is a transvestite from transsexual Transylvania, and it all makes perfect sense . . . or not. Nor does it seem an obvious event for attendees to throw rice, finish the actors’ lines, squirt water pistols or jump into the theatre aisles to dance to a peppy little number known as “The Time Warp.” But, that’s exactly what happens at a viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
What does any of this have to do with marketing?
Well, on a business trip several years ago, I stayed in a hotel in the UK that was the castle set for the movie. While there, I started thinking about how this classic cult film encapsulates so much of what’s wrong with modern marketing –and just the other day, someone mentioned the movie, and I realized those parallels are even more important today. I didn’t know it at the time, but The Rocky Horror Picture Show taught me that:
- You can’t create the perfect customer. Dr. Frank N Furter is obsessed with creating the perfect man. He tries to take man’s best attributes and cobble them together into one perfect creation. Even though he thought it made perfect sense to take the start with the physical attributes of Eddie the delivery boy and add a new brain, the end result proved to be a failure –and the failure was less the fault of the creation and more the fault of Dr. Frank for not recognizing Eddie’s true value. In the film, this lack of recognition and understanding leads to Eddie’s premature retirement as a customer (thanks to an axe in the hands of Dr. Frank). Again, it wasn’t Eddie’s fault for turning out the way he did; it was Dr. Frank’s fault for trying to make Eddie “perfect” and not recognizing the value he already represented.
Marketers are often a lot like Dr. Frank, trying to create the model of the perfect customer, a vision of what it would be like if only every customer acted the exact same way. But, it’s not your job to limit which customers are allowed to hear from you; it’s your job to come up with messages that will resonate with all customers (not just the perfect ones). That’s not to say that you don’t need to optimize your campaigns for effectiveness and cost management. Just remember: You need to focus on what makes your customer groups unique and design offers for those unique attributes, rather than try to somehow change your customers to meet some model of perfect. To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, “Never wrestle with a pig.”
- Infatuation with some shiny new object will cost you in the long-run. In The Rocky Horror Picture Show, everyone is fascinated by the wonders of Rocky, Dr. Frank’s perfect creation –and why not? On the surface, Rocky has all of the attributes of the perfect specimen. With obsessive devotion, Dr. Frank announces that, “In just seven days (or maybe six), I can make him a man.” Sure, things work out great for a while (unless you’re Meat Loaf) but, ultimately, everyone suffers because Dr. Frank is so focused on Rocky.
Marketers often fall victim to the same trap, obsessing over what’s new or “what’s trending” and that distracts us from understanding all of our customers. There is an inherent value to each and every individual customer. Your job is to recognize that value, fully understand it, and then create profitable offers that serve the needs of each customer. When you truly understand your customers, you can create offers that drive revenue for any and all customer segments.
- You can’t win by holding your customers captive. In The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the evil scientist holds his houseguests hostage and forces them to perform a musical stage show (in drag) for his enjoyment. Even one of his rival scientists (the wheelchair bound Dr. Everett Scott) gets into the act. While it is somewhat enjoyable to see a man in fishnet stockings sing show tunes and swim like Esther Williams, there’s no getting around the fact that the show participants didn’t want to be there. Were it not for the quick actions of Riff Raff (who activates the rockets to propel the castle back to Transylvania), all of the characters would have been lost. By this point in the film, it’s clear that the cast isn’t captivated by Dr. Frank; they’re being held captive by him.
Again, too many marketers are like Dr. Frank. They see their customers as conquests rather than as relationships. They conspire to create offers with contingencies and stipulations that lock-in customers.
But you need to captivate, not hold captive. Done right, marketing creates customer relationships, interactions that foster a greater understanding of the uniqueness of each individual’s needs and desires. It’s like dating. If you’re focused squarely on the needs of the other person, chances are, he or she will be captivated by you. That’s the type of relationship customers are looking for. The moment that staying in a relationship with you becomes mandatory, things have gone to the creepy side. Solutions that are considered “sticky” are good things and I’m not arguing against that. But, customers who have frequent choices to consider and yet remain advocates are obviously captivated by you . . . and not held captive by you.
- It’s okay to express your devotion. Throughout The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Brad has a difficult time telling Janet about his true feelings. He’s afraid of potential rejection or embarrassment, but fortunately for both of them, finally gets up the nerve to profess, “Dammit, Janet. I love you.” He sings, “The road was long but I ran it. There’s a fire in my heart and you fan it. If there’s one fool for you then I am it. I’ve just one thing to say and that’s dammit, Janet, I love you.” For anyone who’s seen the film, you know what an “earworm” that song is, and no doubt, you, like me, now have it trapped in your head. (Sorry about that.)
Here’s my point: Don’t forget to tell your customers how important they are. Sure, your spouse/partner “knows” you love them, but they need to hear it . . . and hear it often. The same goes for children, who need to hear how devoted their parents are to them. And that’s what our customers need to hear as well (“early and often,” as my daddy would say). It all goes back to the relationship-building. It’s not only what you do, it’s what you say and how you communicate your devotion to your customers.
- Have fun . . . and dance like nobody’s watching. The opening celebration of The Rocky Horror Picture Show culminates with a joyful rendition of “The Time Warp.” It’s not a particularly difficult dance to master because the instructions are relatively straight forward: “It’s just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. Put your hands on your hips, and pull your knees in tight.” Up until that point, there’s nothing too provocative about the dance as it seems to be a variation on the time-tested hokey pokey principal. However, as anyone who’s seen the film can attest, “it’s the pelvic thrust that really drives ‘em insane.” If you’re a member of the audience at this point, you really have to abandon any sense of concern about what others might think of you as you fully embrace the fun of this cult film. Come to think of it, dancing at The Rocky Horror Picture Show is likely one of the main reasons I’m so extraordinarily comfortable in my own skin. I learned to have fun and not be afraid of how I look doing it. Insert mental image here – me, wearing orange crushed velvet bell-bottom pants and an orange wig. Yes, I’m “that guy,” the one who seems to be at every sporting event. (Now you know why my kids have to “explain” me to their teachers and friends.)
Anyway . . .
Have fun as a marketer. Keep it upbeat and exciting. If you’re dreary, your customers will know and they’ll feel it, too. Part of being able to show your true feelings is releasing the constraints that we put on ourselves when we feel like others are watching. Sure, marketing is a high-visibility discipline, and it you do something “wrong” it’s a high-profile mistake. But, you know what? Even if they think your dance is ridiculous, they won’t be able to second-guess your devotion and commitment. So dance early. Dance often. And dance like nobody’s watching.
Now, c’mon. Let’s do “The Time Warp,” again!