Thinking Deeply About Cartoons

Over the years there has been a lot written about how all we ever needed to know about life we learned on the playground or in kindergarten. (Google “lessons and playground” to find any number of them.)

So, just for fun, I did a little looking around on how cartoons and advice and came across a post from earlier this year that highlights popular 90’s cartoons and some of the life lessons they offer.  They cover all sorts of ideas including love, education, and, my personal favorite, fear:

Being scared doesn’t make you a baby

“Bravery doesn’t mean you’re not scared. Bravery is doing what you’re afraid to do.” – The Professor

Could the same lessons from cartoons be applied to our business life?  Randy Milanovic recently explored how cartoons and their lessons can be applied to any company’s internet marketing strategy. Themes including “never put all your eggs in one basket” and “the wrong tactics can come back to hurt you” are covered in this entertaining write up on what to consider as you and your company develop your internet marketing strategy.

Wile E. Coyote

There are all sorts of way to use cartoons too. You can use them on their own as snackable and viral content, to punctuate, clarify, and draw attention to your ideas, or try something really outside the box like Mashable’s recent contest:

Just two years ago, this promotion would not have been possible.  With the power of social media and new tools like Vine, this is an example of an inventive promotion that created compelling content, hours of six-second fun, and terrific buzz for Mashable.

So, think differently about cartoons.  They just might be the most powerful force in your marketing strategy and implementation tactics.