4 Inexpensive Game of Thrones Marketing Lessons for Your Business

Pooja Agnihotri
4 min readJan 17, 2022

Everybody knows about Game of thrones. This larger-than-life show recently ended its run. But its impact is still alive in the viewers’ and non-viewers minds alike. So we thought why not take some marketing lessons from Game of thrones.

Through its 8 seasons, Game of Thrones saw many brutal battles, deaths, betrayals, and magic.

From dragons to zombies.

From a little person casting a big shadow to a once naive person becoming the queen in the north. And from the expansive and larger-than-life creativity to immensely accurate production quality.

Game of Thrones had many lessons to teach and many quite frankly can be incorporated in the real marketing world.

So here are a few practical marketing lessons that we’ve picked up from Game of thrones. So sit back, “Marketing winter is coming”.

1) Use the power of socializing to create a deeper imprint

The GOT Element

Anyone who has seen Game of Thrones knows how Tyrion Lannister gets the work done. That’s right. He has socializing and networking skills par excellence.

And that’s what he uses to his advantage. How else do you imagine Katelyn Stark let him go? Or Daenerys Targaryen made him the hand of the queen?

Get my point?

Marketing Takeaway From Tyron Lannister’s skills

  1. Social skills. That’s what marketers should take away from him.
  2. Start building your brand’s social presence.
  3. Also, start building your network.
  4. A brand’s social presence is everything. Moreover, in a digital world, you can offer a rich and consistent social media presence to your intended and target audience.
  5. Even if you’re small and just starting out, it’s going to work out, because, “a very small man can cast a very large shadow.

2) Keep up with the trends and adapt accordingly

“I choose my allies carefully, and my enemies more carefully still” — Lord Varys

The GOT Element

We all are aware of the master of whispers right? None other than our very own Lord Varys who was later burned to ashes by Dragon for treachery to the then queen Daenerys.

Well, he had shifting allegiances. And he would always adapt to the changes that were happening around him. He first served the Baratheons, then he served Targaryen, and then in the truest sense he wanted to serve Jon snow.

Marketing Takeaway From Lord Varys

  1. Awareness. Acceptance. Adaptability. That’s what we should learn from Lord Varys.
  2. A business should always be aware of the ongoing and upcoming trends.
  3. In today’s highly competitive world, changes are frequent and rapid, and if you don’t keep up with them, your brand won’t be able to see the light of the day.
  4. So be like Lord Varys. Keep up with the latest trends and changes that are happening in the marketing world. Accept those. Adapt to those and shift your marketing plans accordingly.

3) Content creation and execution is the key

The GOT Element

A special shout-out to the Game of Thrones creative and production team here. I mean you can have a story outlined and all planned, but if the content and execution are not right, it’s bound to fail.

Game of Throne’s creative team stands apart in creating and delivering quality content to its viewers and that’s what accounts for its incredible worldwide success.

Marketing Takeaway

  1. In today’s digital marketing world, content is the ultimate king. We all know that. We all are aware of it. And we all must strive to make the best of it.
  2. Creating and delivering clear, concise, and quality content to your audience will get you the ultimate success and presence that you desire.
  3. It will not only make your brand name popular but if you play your cards right, your brand can even become a global phenomenon.

4) You cannot plan for everything in advance

The GOT Element

OK GOT watchers, Let’s journey back a bit.

Battle of Blackwaters- Didn’t go as planned.

And the battle of the bastards- Didn’t go as planned.

To add to the list, even the battle with the Night King- Didn’t go as planned.

And, The Last Battle at the King’s Landing- didn’t go as planned.

See what the common thread is here?

None of these went as planned.

Plans rarely have worked in the GOT world. And our marketing world isn’t quite different, as everything keeps on changing. Seems like the digital marketing world is also created by George R. R. Martin.

Marketing Takeaway From the Uncertainty Element

You can plan and plan but the changes that happen in today’s marketing world are faster than lightning speed and what you planned initially may not work the next moment.

There will be situations where your plan will be a total fail and you’ll have to quickly improvise and adapt.

Make impromptu decisions and new strategies. Don’t worry. It all works out in the end. Because, instead of Jon killing the night king, Arya Kills him. That’s even better right?

Key Takeaway

Here are a few marketing lessons and takeaways from one of the grandest most magnanimous television shows ever created.

Do you have any more?

Let us know in the comments section below.

And if you want the dragons of the marketing world to be by your side, contact us!

*DRACARYS*

--

--

Pooja Agnihotri

Experienced marketer and a published book author, Pooja Agnihotri, is on a mission to save businesses from themselves.