So Love Island is back! Whether you love it or hate it, it’s already everywhere you look. But even if reality TV isn’t your type on paper, there’s still lessons there to be learned if you look hard enough. And trust us, we’ve been looking…
Lesson one: Branding is everything
Now on its eighth season, these aren’t just nobodies appearing on your TV, oh no honey. These people have a brand and reputation that precedes them. From daughters of famous footballers (oh hi Gemma Owen) to semi-professional sports stars and models to, of course, the Insta-famous, the Love Island contestants will have a story to tell and a brand to uphold. And that’s not so different to you!
Everyone wants their business to mean something to their audience and that usually means having a recognisable brand to back it up. If you want people to listen to what you have to say, you have to get their attention. And having a great brand, one that is memorable and meaningful, is a fantastic start.
Lesson two: A touch of influencer magic
If there’s one thing these Love Island contestants know, it’s product placement. From the instantly-recognisable, personalised water bottles to the heap of (now ‘pre-loved’) clothes and makeup that appear as the show’s official sponsors, anything that shows up on Love Island is an instant hit. Just take a look at the show’s own social media feeds and you’ll see ads plugging the water bottles just seconds after they appear, or even the direct CTAs from sponsors letting the audience buy what they’ve literally just seen on TV. As marketers, we all know the power of influencers and no one does it better than Love Island.
Lesson three: Be loyal
Loyalty. A word that all Love Island watchers will forever associate with the queen of loyalty herself, Georgia, back in season four. She may have said it so many times (35 times in one episode!) that the word lost all meaning but when it comes to marketing, loyalty means a lot. It’s all very well branching out and trying to reach new audiences (in fact we’d recommend it) but if you don’t balance this with staying loyal to your core audience, you could end up alienating everyone.
Lesson four: Communication is key
I’VE GOT A TEXT! A line that is as synonymous with Love Island as the word ‘loyal’ and we all know what it means. That the show is communicating with the islanders and something exciting is about to happen. It should be the same when you communicate with your audience. Regular, consistent communication is key for businesses to maintain relationships with their audience and potential customers. If they don’t know that you’re there, how can they get excited by you, buy from you or use your services?!
Lesson five: Give a little love
Okay so we don’t mean this in QUITE the same way as some of the Love Island contestants. But a little love can go a long way in business. Showing love to your audience, your employees, your customers, clients, connections, local community, absolutely everyone, will have a positive impact on your brand. Long-lasting relationships and connections can be powerful and do wonderful things for your business, and as Love Island proves, it’s the ones with the best relationships, not just with their partner but with the other islanders and even the audience at home, that take home the prize. And who doesn’t love prizes?!
Learnt something today? Want to know more? Or to just have a chat with a fun, creative team about your own marketing? Then come say hi! We don’t have to talk about Love Island, we promise. (Unless you want to of course!)