Here at Catchfire Creative it’s no secret that we love marketing strategy, but something you might not know is that some of us are really into Game of Thrones too. We started looking at the four main houses represented in the series and how their quest toward the iron throne was similar to a lot of marketing strategies. ( admittedly, something only a marketer who’s into dragons would spend time thinking about. ) Here’s how a Game of Thrones marketing campaign could help start your company on a quest toward a metaphorical iron throne:

HOUSE STARK – Brand Loyalty Marketing

A fan favorite, which is quite literally what brand loyalty is. The House of Stark is a noble and honorable house, and many men followed Robb Stark in his quest for the throne. They followed him because they believe in him and they believe his cause to be just. Brand Loyalty is giving your customers a reason to be loyal to your brand. Sometimes having the best product just isn’t enough. Giving your customers something to feel good about, something worth sharing, enables your customers to become your best marketers.

HOUSE BARATHEON – The Marketing Dark Arts

Stannis Baratheon has enlisted the help of Melisandre, a Red Priestess of the Lord of Light. Their methods are a bit unconventional and filled with witchcraft. Enter the marketing dark arts. Well it’s not really all that dark, but it does seem a bit like magic if you are unaware of how it works. Remarketing ( sometimes referred to as Retargeting ) enables you to target your website visitors after they leave your website. I’m sure you’ve seen it happen while browsing, you visit a website and then magically, ads for that website start appearing everywhere you go. It’s just cookies. Cookies and magic!

HOUSE LANNISTER – Blanket Marketing

A Lannister always pays their debts, and you might need to go into a bit of debt with a blanket marketing strategy. Much like the Lannisters funded their securing of the iron throne with a hefty some of gold, a blanket marketing strategy is a good choice for a larger company that has the marketing budget for a big campaign. Blanket marketing targets as many people as possible utilizing as many avenues as possible. From traditional methods like television, radio and print, to digital mediums on the web, blanket marketing is a sure fire way to drive awareness of your brand.

HOUSE TARGARYEN – Grassroots Marketing

Not all companies have the gold necessary to fund a giant marketing campaign. Daenerys Targaryen started her campaign for the throne with just a few men and a strong will. She has slowly, but surely grown her army into a force to be reckoned with. Grassroots campaigns start from the ground up and might take a little time to become the sensation you hope for, but done right, they can be just as effective as any other campaign. If you offer a great product, something your customers can feel good about, a grassroots campaign might be the way to go.

So which house from Game of Thrones would you pick for your next marketing strategy? None of these feel right for your brand? We’d be happy to chat with you and help you figure out your best plan of attack for securing your own iron throne.