Wicked double-bill, mascara loss and marketing inspiration...

(Plus a gentle reminder that films built on perception vs reality are basically a live case study in brand positioning…)

(Plus a gentle reminder that films built on perception vs reality are basically a live case study in brand positioning…)

Glinda and Elphaba are defined long before they define themselves. One is adored before doing anything meaningful. The other is feared before doing anything wrong. Their "brands" are assigned by outsiders, amplified by gossip, optics and assumptions. Sound familiar?

A lot of businesses start here too.

Early-stage companies, category challengers and new entrants often experience the same unfair storyline:

• Too disruptive = risky

• Too different = confusing

• Too honest = uncomfortable

• Too bold = alarm bells

• Not like the others = outsider status

But differentiation isn’t a bug. It’s the inciting incident.

Elphaba’s journey shows what happens when you eventually take control of the narrative you’re living inside. The longer someone else authors the story, the darker – or shinier – it becomes in ways you never chose. The moment you step in and claim it, everything shifts.

That’s the bit that made me cry. (Well, partly that… partly the pink/green relationship 🩷💚.)

Marketing that defies expectations behaves the same way:

1. It challenges category stereotypes Wicked flips “the villain origin story” narrative from a cautionary tale into a reclamation story. Smart brands spot the tired scripts in their category and push against them long enough to reshape them.

2. It lets outsiders become movements The enduring cultural obsession with Wicked proves that misunderstood isn’t the opposite of magnetic. It’s often the required first step. The brands that change markets rarely launch to universal applause.

3. It shows that consistency builds belief Matching aesthetics, tone, symbolism and message logic across both films creates a seamless experience. The world of Oz never contradicts itself. Great brands rarely do either.

4. It knows when to add a little theatre Not metaphorical theatre. Actual theatre. A bit of spectacle gives stories a place to land in our heads. If your audience can talk about you, joke about you or feel something about you, you’re part of their world now.

And that’s the lesson from Oz:

You don’t build loyalty by staying the same as everyone else. You build loyalty by being confident enough to stand out early, calibrate the narrative often, and lead with enough personality that people feel they’re part of something intentional.

I didn’t need a load of marketing theory to explain that. I just needed 2 hours 40 minutes, show tunes and an oversized popcorn.

(Okay, maybe 5 minutes of crying too.)