…plus some inspiring life lessons as well.
Now, I confess, I had never heard of Tyler Perry until I came across this article…
“Interview: Tyler Perry, movie mogul”
The guy has a multi-million dollar media empire but is little known outside America.
Now, couple of things of note here.
Firstly, the guy’s story is amazing and inspirational.
Secondly, when you read between the lines you can see how he has used direct response marketing principles to build his fantastically successful business.
Couple of examples…
As another income stream, he also began filming the performances and selling the DVDs. The piracy rate was fierce, he laughs, but it helped spread the word, and in five years his mailing list grew to more than a million names.
…and…
When he decided to branch out into TV in 2007, he cut a similarly canny deal. He made the first 10 episodes of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne at his studios, and offered it to the TV networks to show for nothing, alerting his mailing list when it was due to be screened. Thanks to his mailing list again, it drew record-breaking viewing figures, so they ordered 24 more.
Plus some plain old-fashioned marketing common-sense…
Despite his wealth, he has never lost touch with the needs of his audience. Aware that not all of them have bank accounts, let alone credit cards, he always gives them the option of paying by money order. Because big chains such as Block buster are rarely found in poorer neighbourhoods, he approached small shops in black areas to rent out his DVDs. After every performance of his plays, he comes on stage to chat to the audience, tell them what he is up to next, and play them a trailer of the next film or TV show.
The old “Cliff hanger” technique, or “coming soon”!
I have no idea if this guy does his own marketing or has someone to do it for him. But whatever the circumstances, he has built an extraordinarily successful business with the help of classic direct response marketing techniques.
Fascinating interview and well worth the read.