In a world of uncertainty, many seek refuge in the familiar. With busy lives, we sometimes need quick and easy decisions. With time precious, we also don’t want to look back and regret a wasted meal, afternoon or, indeed, money. There is, therefore, a huge power in being able to deliver what people want time and time again. And if you’re a restaurant chain and have the resources to make yourself available to almost anyone, anywhere and at any time, then you can have a winning formula.

Same goes if you’re a film production company and you’re able to create a franchise. Delivering what people like consistently is often underestimated. Quality is a factor but it seems most often to be about simply giving them what they want – a reliable product that doesn’t necessarily need to amaze, it just needs to avoid disappointing. Central to this success is the power of branding; the quick shorthand message of reliable consistency. It’s that instant qualifier that you can depend on. It’s familiar, safe and virtually risk-free.

And yet.

Remember that thrill when you first saw Star Wars?

Or The Matrix?

Or when you tried that new independent cafe that was both amazing and a surprise?

That surprise was new, exciting and powerful because it was NOT what you were expecting. Franchises often arise from these daring beginnings with mixed results. Is it possible to achieve both?

Marvel Studios have managed to build both a franchise and a loyal audience through consistency and maintaining some elements of their recipe, but their films are also stretching and surprising. Beyond Iron Man and Avengers, they’ve turned little-known characters such as Ant Man, Dr Strange and especially Guardians of the Galaxy into household names. That’s an amazing achievement. A large part of that has been an enormous amount of goodwill and confidence in the Marvel brand. After more than 20 films, and despite many poised to write them off, they are now stronger than ever. They have been fearless in testing the limits of where they can go in their characters, storytelling and production techniques. Much of their success has been the original source material, all of which was created as comic books. What they all have in common is an interesting and compelling story to tell, a story which explores anthropology, philosophy and mythology. As Stan Lee himself would himself sign off, Excelsior!

Elastic can help you both build your brand consistently and find that genuine spark in your story that will separate you from the crowd, the bolt of lightning that will generate success.