It is May the 4th, aka Star Wars Day. This day has been recognized by fans of the original Star Wars movie (later dubbed "A New Hope”) a couple of years after its release in 1977. Playing off the fabled greeting, "May the force be with you,” someone realized there was a pun to be made on May 4. Since that day, George Lucas, the film’s creator, achieved what no other movie had ever done before: he had a special day that would perpetually remind people of the marketing brand of his movies.

Branding is key to successful marketing. Star Wars proved that to be true. The Star Wars franchise was one of the first created through the sales of licensed goods after the success of the first movie. The Star Wars brand was put on everything you could think of – clothing, toys, wallpaper, jewelry, cars, food and beverages, eyeglasses, baseball uniforms, theme parks, etc. The U.S. military designed a missile defense shield called Star Wars! The licensing fees created more wealth for Lucas than the popular movies ever did. All this from the name of a science fiction movie. Now you would be hard pressed to find anyone who has never heard of Star Wars or would not recognize the iconic images and sayings around the brand. However, there is more to a brand than just the name on the logo. There are words and images used as sub-brands that remind consumers of the brand. The movie is recognized through these sub-brands without even saying the brand name. The names of key characters from the script have also been licensed and sub-branded, such as Vader, Jedi, Sith, Yoda, Wookie, and phrases such as, "Luke, I am your father” and the one we are celebrating today, "May the force be with you.” You can't forget the distinct names of items, such as lightsabers and the Death Star. Even the audio, such as the chirpy sounds of the droid R2D2 or the breathing of Darth Vader are part of the brand.

How do you create a perpetual brand? Let’s first start with a basic question: how well is your brand known? Let me give you the names of three other science fiction movies that were released the same year as the original Star Wars: Empire of the Ants, Planet of the Dinosaurs, Capricorn One. My guess is that you have not heard of these movies, but if you have, you would not be able to tell me the names of the characters or recite a line from the script the way we do with Star Wars. If no one knows your brand, you have two choices in marketing. You can make a big splash to get your name in front of consumers or you can change your brand and relaunch it. Whatever direction you go, you need more than a logo. The words you use to advertise your brand are just as important. Your marketing needs to push these in front of people as much as you can so they encounter it often. Second, what are you doing to keep people interested in your brand after they become familiar with it? It is one thing for a consumer to know your brand, it is another for them to make a purchase because of it. Are you promoting your brand in a way that people are drawn to it and would buy what you are selling? Buying comes in scale too. Are they purchasing your brand with waning interest or are they buying it because they don’t think they can live without it? Finally, if you want a perpetual brand, you must give your customers a reason to become brand loyalists. What are you doing for the people who buy from you? Are you offering them value for their loyalty? There is something to be said about keeping your old customers happy and engaged with your brand. People talk. The best piece of marketing that you can ever produce is a happy, engaged, loyal customer. They will help sell your brand.

On May the 4th, think of the words you use to market your brand to consumers. Are you recognized by the phrases you use? Do people tie the phrases to your logo? If so, the story of your brand could be scrolling perpetually in space.