Game of Thrones (GoT), which had its Season 7 finale last week, captured the imagination of millions with its incredible tale of kings, queens and dragons set amid some of the world’s most amazing natural wonders. But it’s the story behind the story that provides the most interesting takeaways for companies.
HBO, GoT’s distributor, was hacked, and over the past few weeks, details, and entire episodes, were leaked. HBO,however, refused to pay a multi-million dollar ransom to the hackers who held those GoT secrets. And, despite intense interest in the show, most fans didn’t bite on the leaks.
Why? Credit the fan loyalty GoT had earned by providing an unparalleled entertainment experience.
How can brands build a similar level of loyalty? Customers commit to brands that are committed to them. In other words, brands that consistently provide exceptional experiences will inspire loyalty, even in the most difficult times.
Here are five experience lessons companies can learn from the GoT leak:
1: “Customer first” means you can’t be held hostage.
HBO was hacked, but the network refused to let that dictate its actions. Instead, it focused on providing the perfect fan experience, and fans responded.
Today, there are lots of loud and distracting voices. Don’t listen to them. The first rule of business is to focus on the customer experience. These people constitute your number one voice. If you’ve developed a deep relationship with your customers, then nothing and no one can hold you hostage.
An interesting example of this came in the early days of Whole Foods. The company built its first store in a floodplain thinking it would be fine. It wasn’t. Not only did the store flood, but the sewage system also leaked badly, and looters robbed what was left of the food products. But because Whole Foods provided such a unique experience, it still managed to develop a loyal customer base.
Those customers then saved the company from bankruptcy by showing up to clean up and rebuild the store.
2: Exceed expectations.
It’s hard to overstate how high fan expectations were for each episode of GoT. But the show exceeded those expectations with pretty much every episode. The entertainment experience was unparalleled, and fans responded by showing their loyalty.
When the opportunity came to engage with the leaks, most fans refused. They…
