5 Successful Marketing Tactics to Learn from Gilmore Girls

More than just a beloved TV show, Gilmore Girls is an inspiration and master at its subtle yet effective marketing tactics. From a unique brand voice to its immersive Stars Hollow, the series holds valuable wisdom for marketers looking to build a strong and loyal audience with an emotional impact that will last for decades.

Express a Distinctive Brand Voice

When the show was originally released on October 5, 2000, nothing was quite like it. Instead of being a typical drama and coming-of-age show, it was met with a certain level of wit that drew the attention of all sorts of audiences. The show was meticulously written with a distinctive tone and voice, fast-paced dialogue, literary references, clever humour, and emotional depth. Because of this unique and recognizable brand identity, a whole other generation became fixated on the show years later. Netflix recorded 500 million viewing hours for the show from January to June 2023. Some things are designed for the long run!

Marketing Lesson: Consistency and uniqueness in your brand's voice will help you connect with your audience.

Know Your Audience

Another lesson to be learned from Gilmore Girls is the importance of understanding your audience. The show writers understood that you can never please everyone and selected an untouched niche to pursue. The dramedy appealed to intelligent and emotionally sensitive viewers who appreciate clever writing and complex family relationships. Gilmore Girls was made incredibly warm, personal, and smart, making the viewers feel seen and connected, ready to snuggle up and watch!

Marketing Lesson: Don’t dilute your brand's message in an attempt to reach everyone. Focusing on truly understanding and connecting to your ideal audience will build much more depth and loyalty.

Build a World, Not Just a Product

Stars Hollow is more than just a set in the audience's minds. The show successfully built an immersive home that people feel is a real place. They captured this by writing in quirky characters, each with depth and personal growth, connecting to the comfort of the town. Additionally, the recurring town events and festivals paint a rich history for Stars Hollow, adding to its realism. The show writers did an incredible job of creating a central point within the city and made their audience feel at home watching the show. 

Marketing Lesson: Great brands not only build a product, but also build a world. Create an environment for your audience that they can explore, inhabit, and return to. Think about storytelling, community, and continuity that will keep your customers locked into your world.

Make Cultural Fluency Your Superpower

One of the many intriguing aspects of the show is its cultural references and relatability. The show goes from referencing Paul Anka and Jane Austen to the Bangles, reaching a broad spectrum of their target audience's interests through creativity in writing. None of these references were random – the writers successfully created a cultural transcript that will continue to hit generations to come. Every time a viewer rewatches, they can pick up on a new reference that hits their specific stage of life, making this the perfect comfort show to hit repeat on every fall.

Marketing Lesson: Brands that understand and implement their audience’s cultural language can forge a stronger bond. Taking the time to understand the world your audience lives in creates realism and is an invaluable marketing strategy. Understand the references, memes, influencers, and trends your audience lives by and use them authentically.

Prioritize Emotional Connection

Gilmore Girls is a show about the love between a mother and her daughter and their unique, authentic, and intriguing relationship. It's also about friends and the strength in relationships. The show isn’t just entertaining, it’s comforting and relatable, drawing viewers in for more. 

Marketing Lesson: Don’t just inform your audience, really take the time to connect with them. Use pathos to devise a loyal customer base built on emotions and feelings. Whether it’s through copy, design, or user experience, make people feel something, and they will come back.

As marketers, we can all learn a little something from the masterpiece that is Gilmore Girls. Through its immersive and quirky town, cultural references, and engaging emotional relationships, the show has successfully cultivated a loyal following that will continue watching for years to come.

At Verve Agency, we believe that great marketing is about more than just strategy. It is about storytelling, connection, and building a world your audience wants to return to. If you wish to define your brand voice, connect more deeply with your audience, or create a lasting emotional impact, we are here to help you. Let’s make your brand unforgettable. Contact us today!