- You will look at competition for audiences and
how organisations try to attract new audiences.
You will research;
the ways in which media organisations (such as film organisations, television channels, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, websites, social networks and individuals self promoting) market, promote and brand themselves in a commercially competitive environment.
With consideration given to;
• competition
• use of stars/celebrities in marketing
• cross-media campaigns
• schedules and ratings
• audience/user research and targeting
• distribution strategies.
Film Marketing
After spending millions of dollars on making a movie, the studio spends millions more on letting audiences know about it. Marketing a big product like a movie can be a very expensive business, especially when that product has a limited shelf life. Movies have to be a hit on their opening weekend, often on their opening day, otherwise they tend to disappear very quickly, and the studio stands to make a loss on their investment.
Most blockbuster movies already have an audience. The studio has greenlit a huge budget for the movie because they already know people will go and see it - often because it is based on a media text that already has an audience. This may be a previous film (egIron Man 2's audience consists of many people who are fans of the first movie), or the source material (the first Iron Man is based on the Marvel character of the same name created by Stan Lee in 1963).
Promotion for films takes many forms:
- Print advertising (posters + ads in newspapers & magazines)
- Trailers (screened at cinemas + on TV/radio)
- Internet sites (including Facebook 'fan' pages)
- Viral Videos
- Merchandising — the list is endless books, t-shirts, food, soundtrack CDs, computer games, toys, cars, mobile phones, anything that can be associated with the brand of the movie
This is why remakes and reboots are so popular. Original movies like INCEPTION and AVATAR are the exception to the rule, and represent a huge risk for the studio backing them. Studios have a huge operating overhead, and put out a lot of flops that make no money at all, so they need a guarantee that a blockbuster movie is going to be make not just a small profit, but a comfortable one. After spending $100 million dollars on a movie they can spend 50% as much again (or more) on marketing.
That's a lot of money. Is it really necessary?
Task 1: List the ways in which the movie Men In Black 3 has been marketed/promoted.
Research using the Internet, visit the MIB3 website. Was the movie promoted using social media?
Task 1: List the ways in which the movie Men In Black 3 has been marketed/promoted.
Research using the Internet, visit the MIB3 website. Was the movie promoted using social media?
Brand Loyalty
Most cinema tickets are one-off purchases. You don't buy a cinema ticket in the same way as you might buy a particular brand of soft drink, knowing that you will go back to this brand again and again and again (ie you have brand loyalty).
You base your decision to buy a ticket on the basis of the marketing you have seen for an individual movie. You might be quite loyal to that brand while it lasts (you might buy a t-shirt, a soundtrack CD and the DVD when it's released), but in most cases, it's a short-lived loyalty. And that's a loyalty that is very expensive to purchase. With each new movie release, a studio has to create a new brand. Studios like genre movies (romantic comedies, horror) that already have a form of brand identity, as they can market them to a specific audience. This is also why they like sequels and franchises so much — a string of movies all based around the same brand are easy to market.
The Harry Potter movies are a hugely successful franchise, and have earned $1.1 billion at the box office to date. Based on an equally successful series of books, they already had a built in audience, who have gobbled up all kinds of merchandising as well as buying tickets and DVDs. However, Warners had to be careful to maintain interest in successive instalments (especially after the last book was published), especially for DEATHLY HALLOWS, which is being released in two parts.
Task 2:
Harry Potter is a very successful brand. List ways in which the above poster attracts its audience.
Consider visual and technical codes.
What elements of promotional posters are absent from this particular poster? Can you explain why?
You base your decision to buy a ticket on the basis of the marketing you have seen for an individual movie. You might be quite loyal to that brand while it lasts (you might buy a t-shirt, a soundtrack CD and the DVD when it's released), but in most cases, it's a short-lived loyalty. And that's a loyalty that is very expensive to purchase. With each new movie release, a studio has to create a new brand. Studios like genre movies (romantic comedies, horror) that already have a form of brand identity, as they can market them to a specific audience. This is also why they like sequels and franchises so much — a string of movies all based around the same brand are easy to market.
The Harry Potter movies are a hugely successful franchise, and have earned $1.1 billion at the box office to date. Based on an equally successful series of books, they already had a built in audience, who have gobbled up all kinds of merchandising as well as buying tickets and DVDs. However, Warners had to be careful to maintain interest in successive instalments (especially after the last book was published), especially for DEATHLY HALLOWS, which is being released in two parts.
Task 2:
Harry Potter is a very successful brand. List ways in which the above poster attracts its audience.
Consider visual and technical codes.
What elements of promotional posters are absent from this particular poster? Can you explain why?
Stars may also be considered brands, particularly if they are associated with only one type of movie. Audiences feel comfortable going to see a movie starring, say, Jason Statham, because they know that they are going to get a specific sort of action movie (lots of fighting, not much talking).
However, stars as brands go stale after a while, as audiences tire of actors doing the same thing over and over again (think of how Tom Cruise's career has faltered of late). People may be fans of an individual actor, and will go to see a movie because he or she is in it, but actors do not like to be restricted in their choice of scripts, otherwise they will quickly become typecast.
Just consider the variety of movies that Johnny Depp has done in the past couple of years. Therefore the marketing of a movie is all about creating instant brand identity. A movie's brand is established by signalling to consumers what it is like (another movie?) and where it has come from.
Task 3:
Name stars usually associated with and the specific texts they have appeared in for the following movie genres:
Action:
Romantic Comedy:
Crime and Gangster:
Horror:
Sc-Fi:
However, stars as brands go stale after a while, as audiences tire of actors doing the same thing over and over again (think of how Tom Cruise's career has faltered of late). People may be fans of an individual actor, and will go to see a movie because he or she is in it, but actors do not like to be restricted in their choice of scripts, otherwise they will quickly become typecast.
Just consider the variety of movies that Johnny Depp has done in the past couple of years. Therefore the marketing of a movie is all about creating instant brand identity. A movie's brand is established by signalling to consumers what it is like (another movie?) and where it has come from.
Task 3:
Name stars usually associated with and the specific texts they have appeared in for the following movie genres:
Action:
Romantic Comedy:
Crime and Gangster:
Horror:
Sc-Fi:
Shelf Life
Films have a limited distribution window, and therefore a limited shelf-life. They may play in cinemas for as long as six months, sometimes only for a week. The marketing has to happen at absolutely the right time to get audiences into cinemas, and keep them coming. The movie studio may begin marketing a movie as long as six to eight months before the release date, especially to create anticipation for an event movie, using teasers (enigmatic posters, short viral videos). Most movie campaigns begin two to three months prior to release. A marketing campaign may build for as long as it takes to make a film (and keep changing, once it becomes clear how different audience segments are responding to the message), but it is over once the movie has been released.
Films can only be marketed effectively prior to their release. Once they have been shown in cinemas, the cat is out of the bag, and word-of-mouth takes over from the marketing department in persuading audiences to go and see a particular movie. Certain movies screen at festivals for select audiences before they go on general release. It is not uncommon for a movie to be recut between a poor festival reaction and the actual release date, with plenty of attendant publicity.
Task 4: Identify teaser posters for the following film releases and write a paragraph on each.
Do this on a Word Doc. include small illustrations and save in your home area, media folder.
Task 4: Identify teaser posters for the following film releases and write a paragraph on each.
Do this on a Word Doc. include small illustrations and save in your home area, media folder.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- White House Down.
- Despicable Me 2.
- Captain America. The Winter Soldier.
Word-of-Mouth
Word-of-mouth has always been a factor in a movie's success or favour, but in today's socially networked world, it has become vitally important. People tweet, post status updates and blog reviews as soon as they leave the theater, and their reactions spread globally and instantly. If the consensus spreads that a movie is bad, it can have an immediate impact on ticket sales, even for screenings later that same day. BRUNO (2009) was the first movie to suffer this phenomenon (known as Twitter bombing) - early screenings were booked out, thanks to the buzz created by the studio and the success of Sacha Baron Cohen's previous movie, BORAT (2006), but ticket sales took a nose dive once the first audiences tweeted their negative reaction.
Equally, positive tweets and social network comments can promote a movie - for free - by building up buzz.
Task 5: Using film review forums predict how the new release Dracula Untold will fare at the box office.
Equally, positive tweets and social network comments can promote a movie - for free - by building up buzz.
Task 5: Using film review forums predict how the new release Dracula Untold will fare at the box office.
Product Price Placing Promotion
Price aside (the price of a cinema ticket varies between movie theatres, not necessarily films), the other three are all vital elements of a film marketing campaign.
PRODUCT
A film needs to be clearly identifiable in its marketing — genre, stars, story, special effects, style all need to be presented to the audience so they can select the film on the basis of content
PLACEMENT
A film has to have the right release date — Christmas for a Christmas movie etc. Its release date will also depend on what else is being released at the same time - films have to fight it out for cinema screens. It would be pointless releasing any big action adventure movie the same weekend as another one simply because cinema goers would choose between it and the competition, thus halving the box office takings. It makes more sense to put a romantic comedy in that release slot, to mop up the movie-goers who are not interested in big screen action
PROMOTION for films takes many forms:
- Print advertising (posters + ads in newspapers & magazines)
- Trailers (screened at cinemas + on TV/radio)
- Internet sites (including Facebook 'fan' pages)
- Viral Videos
- Merchandising — the list is endless books, t-shirts, food, soundtrack CDs, computer games, toys, cars, mobile phones, anything that can be associated with the brand of the movie
The PUBLICITY department of a studio can use the talent (actors, director, screenwriter) attached to a movie (they have contractual obligations to do what the studio asks) and will try to gain maximum benefit from the following:
- Star Interviews — in print, online and broadcast media
- 'Making Of' documentaries, set reports and viral videos add to the hype
- Gala Premieres — who's wearing what frock
- Reviews and profiles —Empire front cover anyone?
- News stories - who did what on set and what records has this movie broken?
MARKETING GLOSSARY
Include these key terms in the glossary at the back of your orange books.
Include these key terms in the glossary at the back of your orange books.
| Awareness | what marketing seeks to create - when audiences know something about the content of a film (stars, plot premise etc) and when it is going to be released |
| Buzz | Positive word-of-mouth |
| Day and Date Release | Simultaneous distribution of content on different platforms (e.g. a movie released on DVD and VOD on the same day) |
| Distributor | Business entity that buys the rights to sell a film to the cinema, video and TV markets. All blockbuster movies are made with the distribution rights pre-sold or arranged as big studios have their own distribution arm. Smaller, or independently produced movies often have to wait till they are completed before anyone will buy the distribution rights |
| Exhibitor | Cinemas - usually large chains of cinemas (eg UA in Hong Kong, Cineworld or Odeon in the UK) |
| Hold-over | When a film plays for longer than originally intended, perhaps because of large audiences, or winning an award |
| Interactive | Building a brand through a 'conversation' with the consumer, usually online e.g. a Facebook fan page where consumers leave comments and download images and videos |
| Junket | Held either on the set or at a hotel, members of the press are invited to meet the talent, doing either round table or one-on-one interviews. A nice lunch and swag bags may or may not be provided, depending on how much the studio wants to impress the journalists. |
| Key art | The central concept or design used in posters and print ads |
| Merchandising | The process of manufacturing, distributing, licensing and sale of T-shirts, toys, posters, key-rings etc that contain characters or designs from a movie |
| Platform release | A limited opening at key cinemas to develop word of mouth. Once a good buzz has been achieved, the movie will open at more cinemas (wide release) |
| Playdate | Date of release of a film in a specific market |
| Press kit | The pack given to journalists containing such things as still photos, press release, biographies of main personnel. Some press kits are unusual and inventive, and contain small gifts as a not-very-subtle persusasive tactice to get the journalist to be nice about the film |
| Primary Audience | The main target audience of a film, those who are likely to go and see it on its opening weekend, or even start queuing up six months before it is released |
| Secondary audience | The audience who will only go and see a movie after they have heard about it - either from friends or from reading reviews - and have been persuaded that it is worth seeing. They will not risk it on its opening weekend |
| Tagline | The one-liner summing up the story which appears on posters ("Same planet. Different scum" etc) |
| Teaser Trailer | A short trailer which does not give very much at all away about a film. It is designed to arouse curiosity and may appear a long time prior to the release of a movie (6-8 months) |
| Tie-ins | Promotional campaigns (Happy Meals, car tvcs - you name it) where another company gets together with the film company and they promote their products jointly |
| Trailer | A 'sample' of the best points of a film which works to create awareness in audiences. Can be anything from 30-180 seconds long |
| Twitter bombing | Moviegoers now tend to tweet the moment they leave a theater, and the mass of their opinions can have an instant, harsh effect on ticket sales. This effect is noticed when early screenings on the opening day for an anticipated movie sell well, but later screenings are empty. |
| Viral | use of pre-existing social networks (E.g. YouTube) to "spread the word" about a movie. Like a virus, a short video clip can pass from one consumer to another. This UK Cadbury's advertising spot became a global viral phenomenon, thanks to YouTube. |
| Word-of-mouth | The general public attitude to a movie - what people tell each other about it. This is thought to be the most important ingredient for box office success |
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