You could argue the secret to Mario’s success is simply down to the quality of the games he has featured in, or the advertising that’s run over the past four decades. While these are clearly relevant factors, there’s one more striking, more important factor at play: reinvention.

Of all the games manufacturers, Nintendo has continually looked at ways to reinvent itself by both innovating and tapping into wider-culture.

https://www.marketingsociety.com/think-piece/power-reinvention