{"id":72679,"date":"2022-05-03T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/uncategorized\/wtf-mark-hamill-know-content-marketing\/"},"modified":"2023-09-14T05:10:36","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T09:10:36","slug":"wtf-mark-hamill-know-content-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/content-marketing\/wtf-mark-hamill-know-content-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"May The Fourth Be With Your Content Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few years ago I attended Content Marketing World in Cleveland where they featured a keynote from Mark Hamill, who (as you know) played mythic hero Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.<\/p>\n

\"Mark Before the event I asked myself “WTF does Mark Hamill know about Content Marketing?<\/p>\n

Well I actually met the man in person. (TRULY mazing moment for me!) And his answer really shouldn’t be a surprise. In short, he said that content marketing is just brand storytelling<\/a>. And it can only succeed when we make our audience the hero<\/a> of our content.<\/p>\n

Mark Hamill explained to 4,000 content marketers how the force could be with their content marketing. And so I’m re-publishing this article on May the fourth, so his storytelling powers can be learned by you. No matter where you are in the galaxy.<\/p>\n

But first a quick back story . . .<\/p>\n

The Power of The Force<\/h3>\n

Return of The Jedi came out in 1983. And in the small town of Mt. Penn, PA where I grew up, we could actually walk to one of those old movie theaters that had a balcony.<\/p>\n

Return of The Jedi was the first movie I was allowed to go see without my parents. My older brother and I walked to the theater. We bought some popcorn, a soda, and of course some pop rocks. No we didn’t mix the two. Because, you know, certain death!<\/p>\n

And then we sat there in awe as the final installment of the original Star Wars unfolded.<\/p>\n

The epic hero, Luke Skywalker, conquers evil against overwhelming odds. The tragic villain, Darth Vader, returns to the good side. And the evil emperor is vanquished.<\/p>\n

The Power of Myth<\/h3>\n

In 1989, I went off to college and studied English Literature. After watching Joseph Campbell\u2019s \u201cThe Power of Myth\u201d television series on PBS the previous year, and then reading the book, I came to believe what Campbell explained. I actually believed it wad the most amazing insight I had ever heard.<\/p>\n

That there was a common theme to all the greatest stories ever told. He called it the \u201cMonomyth\u201d or \u201cThe Hero\u2019s Journey.\u201d Now while you likely have heard this, have you ever consider how optimistic an idea it really is?<\/p>\n

The hero’s journey:<\/strong> An unlikely hero emerges from a humble background. They hesitantly go on a journey. They face threats, trials, and existential challenges that help them learn of their true nature and strength. They overcome evil and return home forever changed.<\/p>\n

The Hero\u2019s Journey is so powerful because it evokes the dreams and wishes everyone feels. That we are somehow unique and special. That there is a surprising hidden power deep inside us. That we have important work to do. Work that has meaning and impact on the world around us.<\/p>\n

Luke Skywalker\u2019s Hero Journey<\/h3>\n

\"2000pxLuke Skywalker fulfills a number of the characteristics that you see in all mythic heroes. A royal lineage that he grows up ignorant about. That he has special powers and abilities that are brought out by a series of teachers.<\/p>\n

He reluctantly leaves home on a quest that takes him over a supernatural threshold into a strange land. He is guided by a wise teacher, compelled by love for his sister, and pushed by the seemingly selfish co-hero Han Solo.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the hero must stand on his own, face the darkness and conquer it before returning to reality, stronger and wiser.<\/p>\n

Luke and Han both evolve from self-centered people into crusaders against the forces of evil that threaten the entire universe.<\/p>\n

What Mark Hamill Believes Is The Force of Content Marketing?<\/h3>\n

\"markMark believes in the optimism on the hero’s journey. Not in the happy ending. But in the way that great stories unite us all around common fears and desires.<\/p>\n

And his advice to all of us in content marketing, is to push back against the evil empires of blatant promotion, and ego-driven campaigns, to talk to people’s fears and desires. I’ve always called this “marinating in the pain.”<\/p>\n

Every good story spends an ungodly amount of time on the pain of the journey. Because that’s what reels us in. We start to root for the hero because we see ourselves in them!<\/p>\n

I also think there are a number of brand storytelling lessons<\/a> we can learn from his character and the Star Wars mythology overall:<\/p>\n

1. Start with Reality<\/strong><\/p>\n

Star Wars begins on a dry and sandy planet that doesn\u2019t seem very appealing.<\/p>\n

Darth Vader is introduced to us on the Death Star. A very dark and ominous place. The Millennium Falcon is a tired and beat up space ship that Han Solo gets started by banging on a panel with wires hanging out of it.<\/p>\n

Star Wars starts with the way the world can feel sometimes. Old, tired, dirty, and scary. As Great content starts with the storytelling elements of \u201cwhat is\u201d before moving on to \u201cwhat could be.\u201d<\/p>\n