Marketing Lessons We’ve Learned From The Bachelor

As we dive into yet another unforgettable season of The Bachelor, we at times ask ourselves, “Why am I watching this?” And then you listen to Corrine (the latest super-villain on this season) speak for a few minutes and you suddenly remember how entertaining the show is.

Reality television has a great way of hooking viewers with loads of drama and suspense, and we can’t help but be interested in what it tells us about humans and, yes, marketing. So without further ado, here are some real life marketing lessons you can learn from watching The Bachelor:

First Impressions Can Make or Break You

First impressions stick. Whether or not they are accurate, it’s a part of human nature. From the moment you first meet someone, it takes roughly 30 seconds for them to finalize their impression. 30 seconds?! You can’t even have a decent conversation in that amount of time.

Case in point: Bachelor contestant Alexis Waters. Alexis stepped out of the limo in what she claimed was a dolphin costume (we all know it’s a shark costume). Now, she is known as the funny contestant, the one we would all want as a BFF.

In a similar manner, people tend to hold on to their first impressions of brands. 59% of consumers note that they decide when a brand becomes their favorite immediately after purchase or when services begin. If your brand leaves a bad first impression, it will be difficult to recover from the misstep.

How can you avoid the bad first impression? Make sure to start the relationship off on the right foot. Use tools like social media and email marketing automation, but make sure to put best practices in place to avoid a disaster. Automate a welcome email, thank individuals for interacting on social media or even develop a loyalty program. It’s all about developing a happy, engaged audience when creating the first impression.

Be Memorable

While you don’t want to make a completely terrifying and unprofessional first impression, you also don’t want to be forgettable (we aren’t forgetting Alexis’ shark costume). The cocktail parties that are held before each rose ceremony are a great analogy for the modern marketing landscape. Filled to the brim with many attractive brands (women) all fighting for your (in this season’s case, Nick’s) attention.

There’s a lot of noise to compete against, so brands need to do everything they can do to stand out. It’s only been a few weeks since the beginning of the season, but does anyone else know who this Whitney girl is? Is she even still on the show?

From this, you learn that you need to differentiate yourself from the competition. Brands and companies must create a unique voice and stay true to it. 45% of a brand’s image is attributed to what it says and how it says it, so make sure your company delivers.

How can you make sure you are memorable? Try doing the little things that people will notice. Add a fun GIF to your blog post (or even social media), or slap an emoji in your subject line. Make sure not to do something that isn’t authentic to your brand, it’ll just make you look downright weird (yes, I’m referring to the girl who made Nick eat a cold raw hot dog with her).

Winning Someone Over is Just The Beginning

Even when someone gets handed that last rose, only a handful of those relationships end up working out. The Bachelor consists of very expensive, romantic dates all over the world. Let’s be honest, Vanessa and Nick’s date in the anti-gravity plane was adorbs (even the puking). But let’s face it, they will go from walking on beaches to walking down grocery store isles. We all get so infatuated with The Bachelor because real life is much less attractive – and much harder – once you get over the honeymoon phase.

This is especially important for marketers. Even after you have won over a new subscriber, prospect or customer, it’ll take even more work to keep them around. At first, they will be super excited (the honeymoon phase) and will want to hear all you have to offer, but the days following will be just as important.

Keep them past the honeymoon phase. Continually nurture subscribers, prospects or customers by providing valuable content, displays of appreciation and exclusive offers. Get your target audience hooked by providing real value. 72% of marketers say relevant content creation was the most effective SEO tactic. 

There are lessons to be learned from everything, and if you’re a bachelor fanatic like me, know there’s more than ‘relationship advice’ to be learned (let’s be honest, we probably shouldn’t take relationship advice from a show where 30 girls date one man). Take these tips, apply them and reap the reward of a brand love that lasts a lifetime – no roses required.

Do you love The Bachelor or just marketing in general? Leave a comment or talk to me on Twitter (just promise not to tell me who wins the season) (@haylieRBM)

The Branchers

We build the best damn marketing campaigns on the planet. And we do it for industries and companies you might not identify as easy to market (right away). Working here takes a very special kind of person.