He-Man
What He-Man Can Teach You In Your Business?
I have the power, still sticks with me to this day! Anyone who can turn a scared cat into a fierce fighting cat by flashing his sword (not like that) is worth following in my opinion. He-man gave every boy (and She-Ra every girl) the chance to believe that they too could have the power, he sold a positive message and boy did we receive it. Outside of his outstanding bob haircut, there is one remarkable fact, He-man NEVER killed a single person! (in fairness it meant he could fight them again next time but outside of that there was a symbolic message to be had too).
Quick History
He-man entered our world way back in the 1970’s as a figure Inspired by Conan the Barbarian for kids to have their make belief world. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that He-man hit our screens and completed the eco-system that we see today. It’s a rare experience where the product came before the programme, but sales and consumer research made it a no brainer to bring the brand to life and be in front of a bigger audience.
Inevitably along came sub products like more figures, Castle Greyskull, Snake Mountain (the list goes on) all with another chance to prolong the brand and make more sales. The hidden success is in the story telling, you can relate to the Prince (Adam aka He-man) who is looking to defeat evil (a bit Star Wars wouldn’t you agree?).
Roll onto 2024 and a new series and new movie is available that will extend the timeline of this simply brilliant brand and toy.
Business Learning
He-Man in itself is a business lesson as in 2024 a male dominated superhero isn’t quite received like it would have been in 1980, the world has moved on to a more sexually equal and more diverse world, where fighting isn’t the selling point anymore. See below where we have taken a look at what we believe is the reasons behind He-man’s success.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has seen several marketing campaigns and strategies over the years: -
1. Original Toy Line (Early 1980s): The initial marketing campaign for the He-Man action figures featured TV commercials that showcased the toys in action. These commercials often ended with the iconic "By the power of Grayskull!" transformation sequence, capturing the imagination of children.
Business Learnings: It’s a numbers game, they had a brilliant product, they just had to bring it to life. By showcasing to the masses and showing you how to play with it, adhered into the hearts of the children. The simple rule is if your product and service is good enough then you should aim to get it in front of as many people as possible, if they managed it in the 80s with little marketing platforms imagine what they could have done today!
2. Animated Series Tie-Ins (1980s): The animated series "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" served as a marketing tool in itself. The show featured moral lessons at the end of each episode and encouraged viewers to buy the toys. It effectively reinforced the connection between the show and the toy line.
Business Learnings: Here’s a fact, if He-man had killed his enemies the parents wouldn’t have bought the toys, so they switched to the same formula as kids books where a lesson is the point instead. Now look at business and think about it the same way, if McDonalds mission was to destroy Burger King for example, the moral compass wouldn’t be accepted and sales would probably drop. You must look for ways to get your product or service seen and in the right light.
3. Cross-Promotions Mattel, the company behind He-Man, engaged in cross-promotions with other companies. For example, they collaborated with DC Comics to release a limited comic book series, further expanding the brand's reach.
Business Learning: We are told time and time again to find other businesses to collobarate with and work together on, why? because you share a common goal or common audience and so when seen look a bigger force than you are on your own (or a supporter of smaller businesses should you be the big company). Mattel knew this way ahead of any business books, they would find great places to allow He-man to appear, always where it would boost the brand and the sales.
4. Merchandise Expansion: Beyond action figures, the franchise expanded into merchandise like lunchboxes, clothing, and school supplies, with marketing campaigns targeting these products to young fans.
Business Learnings: Want to create a Fandom? then offer up the Merch! simple maths really, if your audience loves you then having a supporting product is a no brainer, not only will it boost sales but also promote for you, all those lunch boxes, t-shirts, bed spreads etc all being seen by friends who in turn then want to invest too. Just as importantly it forms a community and builds bonds, for every Retro product we have analysed there is always a community group full of like minded raving fan people. Your job is to find the merch or materials that can add to your fans experience.
5. Revivals and Reboots (2000s and Beyond): Marketing campaigns for He-Man reboots and adaptations often included teaser trailers, social media promotions, and appearances at conventions like Comic-Con. These campaigns aimed to generate buzz and anticipation among both existing fans and a new generation of viewers.
Business Learnings: One of the most common mistakes in online marketing is trying to continuously re-invent the wheel. If you have good articles, posts and content why not repurpose it, after-all it was useful and well received in the first place so why not help your audience again with the same material, sometimes it’s good to see it again, often it will have missed a set of target people. He-man used the successes and revived a lot of the content, storylines etc. which breeds familiarity
6. Nostalgia Marketing: To tap into the nostalgia of the original fan base, marketing campaigns for collectibles and reissues of classic toys often highlight the vintage appeal of He-Man, capitalising on the sentiment of adults who grew up with the brand.
Business Learnings: There is always more than one way to sell a product or service and He-man is no different. In the 1980s the kids did the asking/ buying where in 2024 those same kids are now buying for their kids to rekindle the magic they felt when they were young. Never underestimate emotional selling, if you can find a connection with your product or service that revokes happy memories then you should look to use it to your advantage.
7. Licensing Partnerships: Licensing agreements with various companies allowed the He-Man brand to appear on a wide range of products, from t-shirts to video games. These partnerships were often promoted through joint marketing efforts.
Business Learning: A good lesson to learn here is about expanding your opportunity without the costs. Think about Air BnB or Uber, it would be far harder for them to be successful if they owned the product, so instead they allow operators to use the name in a licensed partnerships as a win/win for both parties. If you want to grow then this could be a good area to explore for your own business.
8. Digital Marketing: In the 21st century, the franchise utilised digital marketing strategies, including social media, to engage with fans, share updates, and build anticipation for new projects like the "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" series on Netflix.
Business Learnings: It’s all about continuous '“evolving”, everyone tells us that they don’t belong on certain platforms and 99% of the real reason is that they don’t know how to use them. If your audience is defined then it’s a simple process to then place your business in front of them, regardless of how it’s not something you have done to date.
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Overall, He-Man is a brand that showcases good from evil without the unnecessary violence. The brand has built a fandom of people all around the world who come together for the love of He-man.
The ability to grow the business over the years is commendable and worth learning from, if you can take your business and improve whilst staying very much in the game then you have something you should be very proud of and excited for.
If you have any thoughts, questions or ideas about He-man be sure to reach out to us, we wuld be very happy to hear :)
*For the interest of transparency some of this article was produced with AI (the history and timeline facts to be exact).
