Quick, name an actor who would be good at playing a cowboy or soldier.
John Wayne.
Oh, but what if we need an awkward indie teen?
Michael Cera.
And a crazed supervillain…
Christopher Lee.
Any eccentric female in a Tim Burton film…
Helena Bonham Carter
And one all around badass for good measure…
Samuel L. Jackson.
Am I assembling the most eclectic movie cast ever? Maybe, but that’s not the point. The point is each of the above is an example of typecasting.
Ohhhh typecasting is a dirty word in Hollywood. And it kind of makes sense…I guess. If you’re an actor who can play any role it means you’re better than the other actors? [shoulder shrug]
All I know is what actors call typecasting I call good marketing.
What?
Consider the Oxford English dictionary’s definition of “Typecast.” (Bolding mine)
type·cast
verb – gerund or present participle: typecasting
Assign (an actor or actress) repeatedly to the same type of role, as a result of the appropriateness of their appearance or previous success in such roles.
Which means typecasting is casting an actor in a role because they were the first person you thought of when you thought of that role.
And what, pray tell, is the goal of marketing?
To be the business you think of first (and feel the best about) when you need the thing that business sells.
What does this mean for you, the business owner?
Don’t make Hollywood’s goals your goals if they don’t make sense for you and your business.
If I am, say, a plumber, then my greatest wish should be that I’m typecast as a plumber in the hearts and minds of my customers.
If I am a jeweler, then my greatest wish should be that I’m typecast as a jeweler in the hearts and minds of my customers.
If I am a roofer, then my greatest wish should be that I’m typecast as a roofer in the hearts and minds of my customers. And so on and so on.
Makes sense, but how does this little tidbit actually influence your marketing creative?
We’ll answer that question next week.
– Zac Smith, VC
