Remarkable Content with Ian Faison The Godfather: B2B Marketing Lessons from Francis Ford Coppola’s Masterpiece with Director of Content, Digital Marketing & PR at Nexthink, Thomas McGrath
When do you put together a campaign and think, “This is my masterpiece”?
You probably just need some inspiration. And today, that inspiration is coming from Francis Ford Coppola who created his masterpiece in 1972.
So in this episode, we’re gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse.
We’re bringing you marketing lessons from The Godfather with the help of our guest, Director of Content, Digital Marketing & PR at Nexthink, Thomas McGrath.
Together, we talk about appealing to your internal audience first, nailing the ending, and much more.
About our guest, Thomas McGrath
Thomas McGrath is Director of Content, Digital Marketing & PR at Nexthink, the leader in digital employee experience management software, and co-host of their DEX Show podcast, where he discusses the latest advancements in digital workplace experience with leading industry experts and his colleague Tim Flower. Thomas has been with Nexthink for over 4 years, having started in August 2019 as a Content Strategist. Previously, he served as Head of Content & PR at 1E. He has also led Content at Informa.
What B2B Companies Can Learn From The Godfather:
- Appeal to your internal audience first. Run your content by your colleagues before posting or publishing it. They’re like your “family”. Their reaction is a good indicator of how your content will perform out in the wild. Tom says, “If you're not creating enthusiasm and interest internally, with people who are going to be most naturally curious about what you're talking about and most invested in its success, how can you hope to begin to appeal to an external audience?”
- Nail the ending. No spoilers here, but it’s important to wrap up your content and satisfy the need for a resolution. Ian says, “The ending of The Godfather is one of the most satisfying. The idea to have this massive, big, satisfying ending I think is something that marketers can really think about with their campaigns, events or content. To be able to finish something with a lot of wrapping paper and having some big pizazz or big show. They landed the plane. And if they didn't land the plane, nobody would ever have remembered The Godfather as the best movie of all time.”
Quotes
*”You shouldn't have to point to your own success and explain it or justify it. It should be self-evident internally that it's been successful.” - Tom McGrath
*”Humanize your material. It's an absolutely vital part of marketing and I think that's where content marketers can come into their own. It's the difference between vehicles that are there to convey information, which absolutely have their place. The importance of web pages, explanatory videos, and assets such as podcasting, surveys, social media. Where you're trying to create interest and engagement or put a literal human face or voice on a story or a message is incredibly powerful.” - Tom McGrath
*”Sometimes marketers can be too nervous about upsetting people, which sounds like a paradox, right? When I say the most important people to impress are your colleagues and most important people to engage and involve in what you're doing are your colleagues. That doesn't necessarily mean they dictate the way you tell their story.” - Tom McGrath
Time Stamps
[0:55] Meet Thomas McGrath, Director of Content, Digital Marketing & PR at Nexthink
[3:04] The Godfather: A Cinematic Masterpiece Explored
[9:30] Behind the Scenes: The Making of The Godfather
[15:11] The Godfather and Marketing: Drawing Parallels
[19:06] Marketing Insights from The Godfather: Internal vs. External Focus
[24:50] The Vulnerability and Importance of Marketing Within Organizations
[27:38] Drawing Parallels: Marketing Dynamics and The Godfather's Succession Plan
[34:06] Marketing Insights from The Godfather: Nailing the Ending and Humanizing Content
[45:03] Content Marketing Strategies and Success Stories
Links
Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn
About Remarkable!
Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com.
In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK.
Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.