Marilyn Monroe's Growth Marketing Playbook
A masterclass in building brand, driving engagement, and generating revenue for independent creators.
Get the free masterclass workbook here.
Marilyn Monroe didn’t launch a growth marketing playbook — but if she had, it would have launched more dreams, built more brands, and generated more revenue than all the playbooks in all the galaxies.
Monroe’s rise to success is a story of self-mastery, professional excellence and steadfast determination — habits that turn ideas into reality, profit, and impact over time.
Lately I’ve spotted a surge of independent creators embodying these disciplines to build brand awareness, engagement, and jaw-dropping revenue at a pace & profit margin that would give tradbrands a proverbial heart attack.
Take Brett Cooper’s youtube channel for example - the fastest growing in history - had 1.36m subscribers after only 5 episodes. Ep 6 had 556K views, 49K likes and 5,295 comments within 24-hrs. Not only are engagement & youtube revenue through-the-roof for such a new show (Nick Brand, founder of SUMO Talent & Entertainment, shared that YouTube generates £2,400 to £4,000 per million views, with top creators earning £4,000 to £10,000 per month purely from ad revenue)…
… episodes are also unapologetically sprinkled with infomercials so confidently executed that QVC would bow in respect (there are two 90-second sponsored segments in a 25-min episode).
Like Monroe, this is far from an overnight success.
Cooper is a well-known brand many years in the making, both as a child actor & host of The Comments Section with Brett Cooper, a youtube channel produced by the The Daily Wire.
Like Monroe, in Cooper’s story so far I see all the traits that characterise entrepreneurial success: tenacity, adaptability, responsiveness, self-awareness, passion, experimentation, iteration, courage, capability & confidence — but that’s not all.
I also see a young woman who knows exactly who she wants to BE. Someone who can…
“… change your perspective on who we are and what we believe in, what we stand for. Even if it’s not to change your mind and change your vote, but to make you have more respect for your friends who think differently than you.”
— Brett Cooper, from this Fox News episode
This knowing exactly who you want to be whilst simultaneously behaving congruently is a petri dish for authenticity, relatability, and connection - the trinity that drives brand awareness, engagement, and reveals monetisation opportunities over time.
They’re the new hallmarks of loyalty according to The Emerging Media Landscape research & analysis by Praytell x YouGov. The new secret weapon for growing brand, engagement, and revenue is being true to who you want to be.
Like Cooper, Monroe knew exactly who she wanted to be.
I used to think as I looked out on the Hollywood night, there must be thousands of girls sitting alone like me dreaming of being a movie star. But I’m not going to worry about them. I’m dreaming the hardest.
— Marilyn Monroe
Monroe embodied self-mastery, professional excellence and steadfast determination until she became exactly who she dreamed of being.
Authenticity, relatability, and connection might not spring to mind when you think of the blond-bombshell-celebrity-persona, but they bloom throughout her story like lily pads on red bull.
While few will achieve the speed of engagement & revenue of Brett Cooper, don’t be disheartened. Smaller creators with smaller audiences are demonstrating needle-moving originality according to Kerby Ferguson in Is Creativity Dead? — and therefore perhaps wield the greatest micro influence. People are drawn to smaller, more intimate communities & conversations like moths to flame.
If you, like me, crave the kind of originality that helps you learn, grow & evolve, then start your newsletter, podcast or youtube channel — it’s exactly what the world needs right now.
Without further ado, here’s a crash course in growing brand, engagement and revenue for independent creators, inspired by Marilyn Monroe.
1: Masterclass In Authenticity
Sometimes the most profound lessons come from unexpected places.
Scanning a multi-coloured bookshelf in Glastonbury, 2014, I noticed ‘Monroe’ embossed in silver on black. What I found in those pages wasn't just another Hollywood story – it was a masterclass in authenticity and determination.
As I dove into the life of Monroe, I found a staggeringly simple tale of passion and hard work. The overnight success and enduring phenomenon of her work was a product of calling and relentless following that lasted her entire lifetime.
It was fuelled by a crystal clear vision of who she wanted to be: a movie star.
This is the essence of Blue ocean strategy which, for independent creators, is about being so uniquely you that the competition becomes irrelevant.
She didn’t think: Well, there’s already an Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Lauren Becall, Doris Day, Jane Russell, Ava Gardner, and Rita Hayworth, so why bother?
Instead she thought: I’m not going to worry about them, I’m dreaming the hardest.
You need only watch these creators to see what’s possible when you are the most honest, unwavering vision of yourself, and are determined to turn your vision into reality:
Earthling Ed, vegan educator, who is being someone who lives in alignment with the values of being against animal cruelty.
Move with Nicole, pilates teacher, who is being someone who can guide you to your best feeling self.
Brain Education TV’s Linda & Gabi are being people who give young adults with loneliness, depression and anxiety the hope and confidence to create the life they want using the power of their brain.
They show up as exactly who they want to be every day.
Class Homework:
Get the free workbook here.
Who do I want to be?
How can I be that person today?
How is the world different because I was here?
Knowing exactly who you want to be whilst simultaneously behaving congruently is a breeding ground for authenticity, relatability, and connection — which drives brand, engagement, and revenue monetisation opportunities over time.
Monroe’s story is also a masterclass in relatability and connection that would change my perspective forever.
2: Masterclass In Relatability + Connection
What I didn’t know was how long it took for Hollywood and the public to see her as she envisioned herself. Luckily this only fuelled her ambition and determination.
No stranger to hard work, in 1944 Army-photographer David Conover spotted Monroe whilst working in a munitions factory. At 19 years old this launched her modelling career.
From 1946 - 1950 she had two-second movie appearances, and a string of sexy, dumb-blonde roles.
In 1950, her role in All About Eve was a major turning point. Funny and realistic, she was re-signed by a studio that had dropped her. Despite positive attention she was cast in B-Grade movies for years afterwards, in mostly unmemorable parts.
Meanwhile she was the cover girl on almost every publication in print, the most popular pin-up girl for years until…
In 1953 she became a true global phenomenon, with starring roles in film noir Niagara, musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and the romantic comedy How to Marry a Millionaire.
In 1954 she founded her own film production company.
In 1956 she had a critically acclaimed role in Bus Stop.
In 1957 she received a BAFTA nomination for The Prince and The Showgirl.
In 1959 she won a golden globe for Some Like It Hot.
What many people don’t know is that she studied acting furiously the entire time.
The more famous she got, the more she studied.
Years later when asked what inspired her study, she replied:
‘Seeing my own movies’. — Marilyn Monroe
Monroe’s unwavering pursuit of self-mastery and professional excellence is ASTOUNDING. Particularly because she was clearly running her own race, and besting one person only: herself.
Monroe seems to have showed up as the person she wanted to be the second she envisioned it, and then got to work.
Who knows how much of what she wrote in her private journals (and ended up posthumously published in Fragments) she might have shared had she access to the emerging media channels & platforms we take for granted today. And whether the relatability, connection & community it may have created for her might have changed her destiny.
Sharing the journey - the challenges, the heart-ache, the self-doubt, the goals, the failures, the successes along the way - underpins the relatability of the most successful independent creators today.
The sharing of their perfectly imperfect humanity not only positions independent creators as real & relatable, but also confirms what everyone secretly wants to believe is true:
If they can do it, I can do it, too.
I see the unwavering pursuit of self-mastery and professional excellence at it’s most epic in the women’s health space:
Senada Greca, fitness expert and personal trainer, who is being someone who helps women get stronger, fit and feel their best for life. She regularly shares her journey on the path of self-mastery, and recently shared her battle with depression and anxiety with Jay Shetty.
Joan MacDonald, women’s health advocate in her late 70s, who is being someone who shows women that strength, vitality, and living fully are not reserved for the young—but for anyone willing to put in the work and believe in themselves. She’s a brand ambassador for Lululemon, a brand that is cleverly placing themself where the biggest audiences are.
@trainwithjoan, IG
I also see it in the PMM space:
Tamara Grominsky, creator of PMM camp, who is being someone who ignites people’s spark for product marketing (and shows up in my inbox every Sunday being exactly that). Grominsky recently shared a breakdown of her $20,163 launch, walking her talk and taking business transparency to a whole new level. I find myself thinking: If she can do it, I can do it, too.
“For the first time in my career I can share the real numbers behind my launches, because it’s finally my business, not someone else’s.”
— Tamara Grominsky
In these creators I see the trinity of authenticity, relatability & connection in its finest incarnation. Their community connection & support is unparalleled, and their brand, engagement and revenue growth tracks alongside it.
Class Homework:
Get the free workbook here.
What is self-mastery for you?
What is professional excellence for you?
Which parts of your process or journey could inspire and empower others, and help them get to know you better?
What truly sets Monroe’s story apart however isn't just her dedication to self-mastery & professional excellence – it's how she kept showing up to do the work while navigating the brutal landscape of Hollywood.
3. Adapting Monroe’s Playbook
In today's world of constant comparison and instant gratification, Monroe's approach to success feels more relevant than ever...
… her story reminds us to stay true to who we want to be, focus on the processing of becoming, and behave congruently.
No matter what.
Regardless of the establishment (who shunned even her Oscar-worthy performances), and press (she handled scandal with panache and classy one-line quips for the paparazzi), her story reminds us to stay focused on who we want to be, be that person today, and get to work.
Whether lying in a hospital bed (numerous miscarriages and a gallbladder removal) or dodging rumours (about divorce and marriage), she reminds us to keep moving towards our goals. To never let go of the dream. To keep working. To study. And perhaps, most hauntingly, that attempting this without connection and community is all the more challenging.
Most inspiring are the independent creators and personal brands who keep showing up in spite of the hateful comments lambasted at them by complete strangers.
Being authentic & relatable so that the people who will benefit the most from what you have to offer feel connected to you is one thing. (This is your advocate audience and the place from which you want to grow.)
But how you handle the haters is it’s own razor-strewn gauntlet that few people manage as well as:
Gail MacNeil— aka fiftysister, midlife health influencer, who is being someone who teaches women that every day is an opportunity to start again, to make changes to improve and transform your life. Her inbox filled with abuse after her incredible interview with Davina MacCall, so she stepped back from SM for a while, and returned with “99% of the feedback is positive and supportive, so let’s focus on that.” LOVE.
Bryan Johnson— longevity enthusiast, who is being someone who is remembered for catalysing the transition from ‘die to ‘don’t die’ and living to 150. He has donated his body and invested his fortune into longevity science, and follows the most extreme diet & exercise protocol so we don’t have to. His masterful fielding of negative comments is a skill every independent creator should master. Recently he asked: Haters, what’s your beef with me?, a research tactic that would make most brilliant comms experts weak at the knees. He’s the most honest, transparent and self-depracating person online. The ultimate poster child for self-mastery no matter what.
Watching them in action makes me think: screw it. What’s the worst that could happen?
Emerging media platforms like Substack are empowering independent creators to take no matter what to a whole new level: the functionality to consciously curate positive community experiences.
- — author of As Seen On, recently told : I simply want to write a kickass newsletter with a consistency that impresses even me. I’m so enjoying getting to know her through her words and watching her shape the narrative around her personal brand.
Kirby Ferguson [quoted above] is spot on.
One of the best strategies for building brand, engagement and revenue is staying in the game until you see the results you’re looking for. No matter what. You can soften the sharp edges of public exposure by choosing where/ with whom you interact.
Ready to take no matter what to a whole new level?
Class Homework
Get the free workbook here.
What about yourself are you afraid might actually be true?
What about yourself are you afraid for others to know?
How/where/with whom could you begin to share these with your audience in a way that would feel healing and empowering for you?
Your journey, like Monroe's, isn't about competing with others – it's about self-mastery, professional excellence and steadfast determination. When you tune directly into exactly who you want to be and show up that way now, authenticity, relatability, and connection blooms within you — being you is the ultimate brand-led content from which engagement & monetisation opportunities will grow.
Being truly connected to your audience helps you figure out how to serve them better, in ways that some will gladly pay you for. Helping the people you feel authentically connected to is where the feel-good monetisation lies.
I’m dedicated to being someone who lives and works with passion, purpose and vision, and inspires others to do the same.
This is Marilyn Monroe’s Growth Marketing Playbook! Consider yourself certified magna cum laude.
Typos are a sign this is HI-driven (Human Intelligence.)
In my first post I wanted to share an example of what’s possible when you tune into the most honest & unwavering vision of who you want to be, and share it with the world so unapologetically that you leave an unforgettable dent in the Universe. An ambitious writing goal, and one I hope you feel has been somewhat fulfilled.
Please leave your comments and questions below. (As well as any facts about Monroe’s life that may need correcting.) Thank you so much for being here.
Hi Stephanie, so enjoyed reading this yesterday. Such an inspiring perspective about such an iconic woman. Was reflecting on it today and, (through a rather random thought flow remembering my best friend and her daughters recently arrive on holiday completely bare faced), wondered how you felt about another somewhat iconic woman - Pamela Anderson. I'm fascinated by her recent personal 'rebrand' which appears to have changed perception of her and perhaps even created a new role model. Fascinating to know if the recent rave reviews she's received for The Last Showgirl are a reflection of the actress she has always been or if the shift in perception has made people view her differently?
Wow. What a fantastic article. You give a history lesson and a masterclass playbook with other references. Very well done!