COMICS IN BUSINESS - A new Marketing Tool

Small Businesses particularly, and all businesses in general, should consider getting a hold of this extremely effective Marketing Tool which is making in-roads in the Content Marketing segment because of its strength, conciseness, and directness when relating to their client base.  It informs, it relates, and it strengthens bonds of loyalty. 

Indeed, Comics are having a “so called” re-birth. Adults and Young Adults with buying power love comics because comics are themselves able to tell a story in a direct manner, and their message is absorbed immediately.  Comics are -in and of themselves- a platform with a solid and strong way of conveying Message, Mood, Ideas, and create a CONNECTION with their intended audience, as well. 

Have you noticed the barrage of Comic-based Movies?

Did you know Amazon caught on this trend and purchased and re-vamped Comixology, which has become another great successful enterprise? 

Comics allow their audience to absorb the information they want to convey much easier because it is done through VISUAL CONTENT.  What favors Comics is the fact that they are a Visual Medium and they are good at Storytelling.

Businesses have realized these strengths are what make comics a suitable vehicle for B2B Businesses, and particularly, for Brands to use to engage, or re-engage their audiences. 

Comics are effective at conveying difficult concepts and ideas to diverse audiences because they utilize action pictures and text in very “day to day” type of environments.  They convey their stories in ways that everyone may relate to the situation presented, no matter how extreme.  Thus, they allow anyone to understand and follow topics which may be hard to explain in any other regular manner; because the “sequential art” used makes it easy to follow a process being depicted (explained). 

The truth is, comics’ Sequential Art form has been used effectively to convey a vast array of complex topics for a long time.  In fact, the US Military has been using this approach when they produced Equipment Maintenance guides back in the 50’s. 

For the Business World and the connection to the audience (Clients), it all comes down to three very basic ideas: Truth, Suspense, and Human Connection. 

The Truth (Authenticity) makes your business’ story believable; the Suspense (Conflict) turns it interesting; while adding a Human Connection (Audience) allows readers to view themselves as part of the story and, thus, making a strong EMOTIONAL Connection. 

Comics are Content Marketing.  And they are an effective Content Marketing Tool.  When the above mentioned three rules are followed, Comics can become a real trail-blazing tool.

THE HUMAN CONNECTION:

According to ‘The Economist,’ your company can’t just make a comic about a product or brand.  It needs to be about the people first, everything else is secondary.

THE SUSPENSE EFFECT:

The main character or Hero shall appear better, stronger, brighter in the end.  A lesson could be learned. There must be some dynamism in the story so there is a level of suspense which shows the final benefit of the journey.

By showing the journey, you must be able to examine any challenges faced by the characters of the story.  You must not be afraid to show mistakes, as long as they are solved in the end.  Include if necessary how risks are managed, including finances and personnel.

The Truth:

“Truth is stranger than fiction” said Mark Twain, and he was right!

Whether you have a hero in a spandex costume or not, the story must feel REAL.  It should have an element of authenticity.  Without authenticity, the story will fall flat and the audience will find it not only insincere, however irrelevant, thus driving your audience away.

The comic should be based on events happening within your organization or related to it.  Try not to embellish too much. SMEs would do well to pursue this new marketing trend to help them stand out from their larger competitors and attract customers they would otherwise miss.

Let me finish with one more example:

“…In October 2011, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published ‘Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse’ to explain how to act in the face of a major ‘plague.’”  It was a success.