Game of Thrones Day is becoming a thing.

But should it?

I loved the books. The music from the HBO show is phenomenal. But is Game of Thrones right for your brand?

I’m a big proponent of brand consistency. Your look, feel, messaging, and all the touchpoints where your brand intersects the broader landscape and interacts within that. It all has to be consistently you.

Tie-ins have to make sense.

A Game of Thrones tie-in probably makes sense if you sell broadswords, props for the theater, gear for Renaissance fairs, or Halloween costumes. It might make sense if you raise wolves.

It’s not exactly a tale of heroes and villains. Seriously, this a saga where I end up with empathy for Jamie Lannister.

Here’s why I love Star Wars Day.

Star Wars is not nuanced.

It’s the classic hero’s journey wrapped up in a space adventure. You know who to cheer for and who to boo.

Star Wars Day is a big deal right now at baseball stadiums:

• People love Star Wars.
• The theme music is epically awesome.
• The tie-in boosts ticket sales on random summer days during a long season.
• There are heroes to cheer and villains to boo.

The home team’s players are assigned characters. The visiting team is the Empire, and the players tend to be pictured as nameless, faceless storm troopers. It’s comic book fun.

But now Game of Thrones Day is coming to a ballpark near you. (Well, near me.) But who in the world are you going to cheer for?

Tie-in wisely.

I get it.

Game of Thrones Day is all about fans and fun.

And, as you’ve probably figured out, my point isn’t really about Game of Thrones. Or Star Wars.

This is about your brand. Whether you’re a small company looking for complementary products or a big brand looking for advertising tie-ins, make sure that you’re not selecting based on trendiness, expediency, or quick publicity. Think less about fads and more about your future. What’s the right tie-in for you?

Feature photo by Aranami (Flickr).