Marketing Lessons from “The Mandalorian”

Disney’s “The Mandalorian” has proven itself a binge-worthy addition to the iconic “Star Wars” galaxy, especially as it came out in perfect time to help distract us from our early quarantine panic. Now that the second season has dropped, it bears repeating that we can learn a lot from a bounty hunter.

The background story of The Mandalorian is pretty straightforward: Hardened bounty hunter takes a job kidnapping an unspecified “asset,” which turns out to be an adorable little guy who looks just like a baby version of famed Master Jedi Yoda. After delivering “The Child” to the client, the Mandalorian bounty hunter has a change of heart when he realizes he’ll probably come to harm.

So he swipes the kidlet back and vows to protect it at all costs. And boy, does it cost him. Throughout the eight episodes, Mando fights off Stormtroopers, powerful AT-STs, thieves, “partners” on jobs, and, ultimately, the presumably evil Moff Gideon (stay tuned for Season 2).

Interestingly, besides being riveting, the latest Star Wars sensation also contains bits of life and marketing wisdom. From the adventures Mando encounters along his journey to protect The Child (aka “Baby Yoda”), here are four lessons we can learn.

1. Create an unmistakable brand

Everyone in the Outer Rim, or for that matter, the rest of the galaxy, is familiar with the Mandalorian culture. Even those who have never seen a Mandalorian instantly recognize one in their midst, thanks to the unique Beskar armor and cool-looking helmets (which they never remove in front of anyone).

When it comes to your brand, you want your company’s identity to stand out in the same way. To do this, create a memorable logo, come up with an unforgettable slogan, and then find ways to widen your brand’s exposure. Promotional products can help you accomplish this. Customers love gifts, and every time they use an item emblazoned with your company’s name, they’ll think of you.

2. Clear out your workspace

The Mandalorian flies around in a dated, pre-Empire ship called the Razor Crest. It doesn’t have the high-tech bells and whistles newer ships do, but it gets the job done. To stay productive in his bounty hunter job, he keeps everything extremely organized. In one scene that takes place below the ship’s cockpit, viewers get a glimpse of just how organized Mando is when a character opens a door, exposing a storage area of perfectly organized weapons. Pretty efficient. If you have a storage space that you’re wondering how to use or organize, measure the square footage and check out ideas for similar sized storage rooms on Pinterest.

It can be difficult to pay attention to your marketing goals when you’re literally wading through a minefield of distractions. Clear out the clutter in your workspace and dispose of anything you don’t need. If you need to price out a dumpster and rent one, then do it! You won’t regret having a workspace that isn’t distracting or hampering your productivity.

3. Stay strong in times of crisis

Mando is always prepared and knows how to react in a crisis, even when something occurs he totally didn’t expect. When he brought Baby Yoda, Cara Dune, and Greef Karga into the sewers of Nevarro to ask the Mandalorians in hiding for help, he wasn’t prepared for what he found: The Stormtroopers had previously found the hiding place and attacked the Mandalorians, leaving only the Armorer alive. Despite this devastation, and his desire to stay behind and help the Armorer, Mando found the strength to move forward to plan an escape with The Child.

We can see the value of such resolve in our current situation. In these trying times, the pandemic has turned our lives and economy upside down. But now isn’t the time to quit; instead, it’s the time to muster inner strength, reassure your customers and employees, and look for a way to move forward.

One foolproof way to shore up your defenses is to get your finances in order. Check in with your assets and expenses, as they’ve almost certainly changed drastically. Then devise a budget that fits your new situation. And learn to monitor your credit in case you need some help in the future.

Understandably, it might feel impossible to exert any control with so much uncertainty around the corner. But remember that the better prepared you are, the easier it’ll be to preserve and market your business again once this health crisis passes.

4. Know how to deal with unfortunate surprises

In Season 1, Episode 6, Mando took on a job with some shady former colleagues to break out a prisoner jailed on a Republic spaceship. While there was no love lost between the team members assembled to perform the job, Mando stayed professional and did what he could to work with the unsavory characters. Unfortunately, once the team successfully freed the prisoner, they shoved Mando into the cell and locked him in. He didn’t panic, but used his skills to get himself free. Then he managed to turn the tables, getting off the spaceship and back onto the Razor Crest to get paid.

In this world, you never know what kind of unexpected event might occur, and the more hands-on skills you have, the better off you’ll be. Technology is a wonderful tool, but it doesn’t replace basic competence or the ability to think quickly and improvise. Having skills in your repertoire like performing first aid or driving a stick shift are irreplaceable — and could save your life someday.

Unfortunately, finding solutions to business and marketing issues are less straightforward. For instance, you could find yourself amid a social media firestorm or some unexpected bad publicity (i.e., an accidental post made or one of the company’s accounts being hacked). Such events can leave those involved in a panic. But rather than scurrying to implement the first solution that comes to mind, pause for a moment first. Take a brief time to think of the best way to get yourself out of the jam — then roll with it and take decisive action.

On the surface, our world doesn’t remotely resemble the Star Wars galaxy. However, if you look between the lines, you’ll discover there are a lot of lessons we can take from “The Mandalorian” and apply them to our own lives and business practices.