Mad Men is an American TV series set in the 1960s about an advertising agency, Sterling Cooper & Partners, which is situated in New York’s Madison Avenue. The show has attracted millions of viewers and extensive critical acclaim thanks to its historical accuracy, fantastic scriptwriting, beautiful presentation and sleek style.
Sadly, the show aired its final episode on 17th May 2015, but over the course of 7 seasons, it has taught us all so much about advertising, content marketing and copywriting.
Listed below are a few content marketing lessons we can learn from this incredible show:
Analyse your Clients & Give them what they Want
Mad Men’s leading man, Donald Draper, is renowned for being an intelligent, perceptive and creative genius who is truly in a league of his own when it comes to delivering exceptional results. Before beginning any advertising campaign, he first analyses the client in depth to establish exactly what it is they are looking for. From here, he consistently delivers results that precisely match the clients’ desires. Draper might be a complex character himself, but this level of complexity clearly assists him in creating unique, astute and heartwarming campaigns that, above all else were highly successful.
Before beginning your next piece of content marketing (whether that’s a blog, email marketing campaign or social media post), try to get into the minds of your audience to establish exactly what they seek from your content. Work hard to create content that delivers exactly what your readers want and more, so that they’ll be sure to return to you again and again, whilst recommending your brand to others.
Speak from Experience
Donald Draper has shown us over and over again that personal experiences are the perfect way to connect with your clients and show them who you are as a person. By revisiting his past and reflecting on the emotions he has experienced, he has been able to create some of the most outstanding advertising campaigns imaginable. Sterling Cooper and Partners had some loyal, lifelong, committed clients who were incredibly devoted to the company and relied upon them to produce riveting advertising campaigns.
Times have certainly changed since the world of Mad Men and today, it is more important than ever to have a strong content marketing and social media presence that accurately reflects your brand's values and philosophy. This is an invaluable step that will better enable you to attract new customers. To do this, create meaningful blog articles and social media posts that engage with your followers and generate a conversation. By connecting with your clients, they will form a bond with your brand, which will attract them back to your business time and time again.
Liaise with your Team
Teamwork forms the foundations of many of Sterling Cooper & Partners’ most successful ad campaigns and Donald Draper is very quick to turn to his team for their opinion, advice and support. Two heads are always better than one so if you are crafting a blog post, Facebook status or any other content marketing or campaign, seek the advice of your team for their input and feedback before proceeding.
Despite the fact that Mad Men is no longer on our screens, this doesn't mean to say we cannot continue to learn from this inspiring, entertaining and enlightening show. Donald Draper and co., we definitely miss you - thanks for the countless lessons you have brought us in content marketing, advertising and life!
What lessons have you learnt from Donald Draper and Mad Men? Let us know by commenting on our Facebook page.
N.B. This article has been updated since it was first published for greater accuracy.
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