What would happen if your work life and your personal life were completely separate? And you have no memory of what you’re doing at work after work, and vice versa?

That’s the premise of Apple TV’s psychological thriller Severance.

First launching in 2022, the TV show follows employees at Lumon Industries, a mysterious (and important) biotechnology corporation where workers undergo a procedure called “severance”.

This process surgically divides their consciousness into two separate identities: “innies” who exists only at work, with no memory of their personal lives and “outies” who live outside of work, completely unaware of what they’re doing at work.

What’s interesting about Severance is that most people (like me) only discovered the show after Series 2 was released.

In fact, the first season wasn’t really marketed all that much by comparison, and its popularity grew mainly through word of mouth.

Apple TV+ recognised they had a hit show but needed to stand out from the other streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+.

Through collaborations, pop-up events and their creative use of LinkedIn, it created a huge buzz around the show, proving that all it takes is some creative marketing to stand out (especially in an oversaturated market).

So, what can both small and big businesses learn from Severance’s marketing? There’s a lot to unpack, and the best part? You can apply these lessons without Apple’s huge marketing budget.

1. They tweaked their social media strategy

Instead of just using entertainment-focused social media platforms like most shows do, they blurred the lines between fiction and reality by creating a Lumon Industries LinkedIn page as if it were a real company.

With their unsettling corporate-style messaging, which a lot of us can relate to, it created an immersive experience which makes the audience really feel like part of the world.

Screenshot from Lumon Industries on LinkedIn

And who better to market to than professionals on LinkedIn who have experience, to less extreme levels, of corporate culture?

Of course, you don’t have to create a dedicated LinkedIn company page like Apple if you want to hook your audience.

Take this as an opportunity to rethink how you do social media.

If you’re just using LinkedIn to promote your services, now is the time to think about what you could do differently.

Could you turn your company page into a hub of insights and thought leadership? Or post behind-the-scenes content?

And are there any platforms you haven’t tried but want to, like TikTok or Bluesky? Now is the time to start experimenting, particularly if you feel like you can reach your audience on there.

2. They collaborated with celebrities and creative teams

The most famous is of course Tim Cook, who starred in one of their promos.

In the trailer, you can see him visibility transform from his “innie” to his “outie”. He is greeted by Mr Milchick in one of the office rooms, and a message for viewers appears on the TV announcing Season 2.

And did you notice how many engagements the cast of the show did, on TV, radio and YouTube?

Hint: A lot, judging by how many times we all saw Adam Scott’s awesome cardigan appear!

They featured on Lad Bible, Buzzfeed UK, This Morning, Capital FM, Capital Buzz and many, many more. And these were just their UK engagements.

This is a great way to get more coverage as it introduced the show to new audiences who may not have been familiar with the show before.

Collaboration is the best way to get your name out there.

Now, you might be wondering, “How can smaller businesses compete with that?”

Fortunately, you don’t need an Apple budget to do this. At all.

You can guest post on industry blogs or participate in podcasts to share your expertise.

This is a really great, cost-effective way to get your name out there and reach new people who might be interested in your service / products.

Through collaborations, you gain more than just being more visible. You’re also reaping the benefits of the credibility that comes from collaborating with trusted voices.

3. They evoked an air of mystery by encouraging fans to speculate on theories

A great example of this is when they released The Lexington Letter, which is a free book on Apple Books.

The book tells the story of Margaret “Peg” Kincaid, a severed employee who worked in the Macrodata Refiner (MDR) department.

After communicating with her innie, she attempted to expose Lumon, only to end up unalived.

This led to many fans taking to social media to speculate on what hidden messages they could find that might relate to the show.

This is just a drop in the ocean compared to all of the fan theories that are going around at the moment.

In a world where you can Google anything you want to, it’s the mystery and suspense that keeps people gripped to the show, because no one really has the answers.

Instead of announcing something outright, drop vague hints to spark curiosity.

One of my favourite examples of this is when Molly Burke, a blind YouTuber, recently made an announcement on YouTube shorts.

Instead of sharing exactly what she’s working on, she released a video with a message in Braille for people to try and decode.

This worked on many of her followers as we immediately Googled Braille to try and figure out what the message was saying.

Next time you’re planning a launch or announcement, you could resist the urge to overshare. A little mystery can go a long way.

Think about creating a countdown, or that you’re going to be posting something exciting soon to build suspense.

4. They capitalised on opportunities to engage their audience

Photo by Marion Curtis/StarPix for Apple

The Grand Central pop-up replicated Lumon’s office space is probably the best example of this, encouraging visitors to share the experience online.

One evening in New York, commuters were greeted by a large glass box containing a replica of the four-seated desk from Lumon’s Macrodata Refinement department.

The actors, playing Lumon employees, were sat at their desks working.

It was one of the most talked about pop-up events on social media, even getting press coverage.

In fact, some people were compelled to watch the show just because they had seen the event!

Find other, novel, creative ways to engage your audience.

If you can set up a pop-up close to where you live (like at a fair or a stall at a conference), that’s great! But you don’t have to.

Instead, get social! You could run a poll or a Q&A to encourage people to participate and engage with you.

And if you have a loyal audience, as I know many businesses both big and small do, you could also ask your audience for user-generated content (UGC).

UGC is so brilliant because it’s authentic and experience-driven. It’s the modern word-of-mouth which can play a huge role in getting people to trust in you and what you have to offer.

Creativity and a keen understanding of your audience are far more important than big spending.

Whether it’s through a small local event or answering questions on a Q&A, it creates great opportunities for people to connect with you.

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You too can apply these methods without a big marketing budget.

Whether it’s reimagining how you do things on social media, collaborating with others, or finding new ways to engage your audience, creativity is your biggest asset.

The best part? These strategies aren’t exclusive to big businesses. Small businesses can apply them too.

Severance chose to engage their audience in novel, fun and creative ways. And you can do that too.

So, it might be time to experiment, take risks, and think outside the box, because creativity will be what sets you apart.

Stand Out Like Severance: Four Marketing Lessons To Help You Shine Online

1. They tweaked their social media strategy

2. They collaborated with celebrities and creative teams

3. They evoked an air of mystery by encouraging fans to speculate on theories

4. They capitalised on opportunities to engage their audience