Marketing movies, who knew?

All the films throughout the years that have come into existence do not just show up on the cinema screen hoping for many to watch. We generally see a film for its actors an interesting storyline or because we are fans. We blur when it comes to the behind the scene of films because it is not what we see. A lot of time and planning and marketing efforts go into films to be where it is in the cinema.

Every major movie studio and Hollywood distribution company has their own department that is devoted to marketing or promotion of the films they make. These companies are responsible for creating an effective advertising campaign across different media platforms such as movie trailers, magazines, TV and many others. Major film releases are during a seasonal time which can be competitive for films especially if they are targeting the same type of audience. Such as animations such as frozen was on at the same time period as another children’s movie. With these films fighting for the same audience movie marketers need to make their film stand out from the rest.

As half of the total production budget [source: Vogel]. So if a film costs $80 million to make, the distributor might spend $40 million on advertising and promotion. In 2007, the average marketing budget for a theatrical release from a major Hollywood studio was $35.9 million

The theatrical trailer is often the first chance to promote a movie to its target audience. Starting up to a year before the release of a major studio movie. About the same time that the first trailers hit the theaters, the movie studio will unveil an official Web site for the film. As the release date of the film draws closer, movie marketers try to get early favorable press coverage in newspapers, magazines and on entertainment TV shows. The main movie publicity tactic is the press junket t. At the press junket, journalists, entertainment reporters and movie critics are flown out to a special location for a day or weekend of interviews with the stars and creators of the film. The actors, directors and screenwriters and reporters are brought in one by one to ask their questions.

Press conferences are used to interest critics in films. Ralph Fienes and Keira Knightley share the stage at a conference for "The Dutchess."

Weeks before the movie opens nationwide, the promotions department starts an all-out publicity blitz. The idea is to bombard the public with so many images and promos for the movie that it becomes a "can't miss" event. This will stay in people’s minds and hopefully make them want to watch the film because of all the exposure they are getting.

 

Advertising-Customer break up

Faceless

Faceless Heinz Ketchup

 

In every store that we visit we see packages and labels of all colors that can either draw us in or simply pass by. If these products didn’t have any color or different kind of packaging would we be able to tell the difference between each of them? Take sugar for example a product that generally tastes the same no matter what brand you purchase. If the sugar had a plain packaging with no labels and another sugar next to it was a different brand but also was not labeled would we be able to tell the difference between them? No they would be faceless.

Brands are the face of products. The face of a human being shows the internal and external individuality. When we speak of ‘faceless’ people we mean people who have lost themselves and are now wandering weakly among the crowd. It is just the same with products. It is the brand that lends uniqueness to the product. Or – put another way – a product without brand does not have a face. It is expressionless, exchangeable and lost in the quantity of the offer. By adding labels and creating a brand behind this product adds character to something expressionless and lifeless. Marketers bring life into products by giving them a face with individuality in order for consumers to want to make associations with that brand.

Starbucks in different faceless forms

 

 

In a way we can say that because people are unique and all different we would want it to be the same with the products we buy. We do not want to be the same as everyone else. Developing a brand and stamping it on a product could create feelings in others depending on that brand and how strong it is. It would represent more than just a package on the shelf or a product in our shopping basket. For example a successful brand such as Nike can bring out feelings of confidence and something cool that you might feel about the brand. Apple products allow you to connect to others via their devices. They are a status and social symbol. They inspire creativity and achievement.  

Traditional marketing, many years ago when brands were more faceless, success was determined by price and getting your product in front of the consumer. Just let them see it and they will buy it. That would be what they said. Now because there is a face in these different brands they create these feelings in us to draw us towards them and which makes unique instead of being faceless with no personality or any identity which we as humans have.

interaction. Yes Please.

As consumers we are making more of our own choices. Marketers and advertisers are no longer telling us what we need to purchase so much anymore. It is said that consumers are now listening to other consumers and word of mouth when it comes to brands and purchases.

Imagine walking into a shoe store that appears to have one size shoe in all the same colour, and no shop attendant at hand to assist. Would you stay and have a look around, or tell a friend to pay the store a visit? The answer is no.

In today’s world consumers do not want to be shouted at by brands. But wanting to be listened to and seeking more interaction with brands. Companies are merrily just shoving information down our ears which often just comes in the one ear and out the other. When marketers engage with potential consumers, consumers tend to listen and are more receptive to listening marketing messages and pay attention to brands. Studies have been showing that consumers are willing to engage with and purchase from brands that interact and engage with them.

 

 

consumers interacting with social media

 

ROI had recently done a study on 3000 individuals and found that

•34% of those who participated said that they have used a search engine to find information on a product, service, or a brand after they saw an advertisement on a social networking site.

•30% learned about a new product, service or brand on a social networking site.

•32% said that messages about printable coupons on social sites resonate with them.

•28% of those responded said that messages about sales or special deal notifications resonated with them.

The study also showed that that one in four respondents have four or more active social network accounts and more than one quarter of them access their Facebook or Twitter Account at least once a day via their mobile phone. In all these studies consumers clearly like to be interacted with especially using social media platforms this has been most popular for interaction with friends and fans. Social media is instant and simple way of being heard and spoken to from brand which some are still failing to accomplish.

As consumers, we have become so bombarded with marketing messages but seem so easily to filter them out and are becoming desensitized to these messages.

Decisions, Decisions

In our daily lives we have countless decisions that need to be made. Especially when it comes to our shopping Trips.

Consumer Decision Making

During a shopping trip at the grocery store I needed the simple item of a big packet of chips. I was bombarded with half a lane in the isle just with chips. As I was scanning all the flavors I couldn’t make a decision of which one to purchase.  Little over a generation chips came in just a few flavors such as salted, cheese and onion, or salt and vinegar. Today the choice is immense with Thai sweet chili, balsamic vinegar and caramelized onion, Oriental red curry, lime and coriander chutney, vintage cheddar and onion chutney, buffalo mozzarella and herbs, chicken tikka and many more from different brands. In the end all these choices made me overwhelmed and instead of just picking one I simple just left the store.

Daniel McFadden, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, says that consumers find too many options troubling because of the “risk of misperception and miscalculation, of misunderstanding the available alternatives, of misreading one's own tastes, of yielding to a moment's whim and regretting it afterwards”, combined with “the stress of information acquisition.

There have been many studies that marketers have done to test whether more choices were a better option for consumers.  In a simple test with jam where 24 flavors were offered to be tasted 60% of people stopped to sample the jam. When 6 flavors were offered only 40 percent tasted the sample. However of the customers who sampled the 24 flavors only 3 percent had purchased the jam and those who sampled the 6 flavors, 30 percent had purchased. We can clearly see just by this one study the different less choice has made in purchase decisions.

A 2010 study by researchers at the University of Bristol found that 47% of respondents thought life was more confusing than it was ten years ago, and 42% reported lying awake at night trying to resolve problems.  Making Decisions when it comes to shopping would possibly reduce this and make things shopping easier.

Yes, most of us as humans like having options and not feeling like we are being forced to make certain decisions because there is only one brand or one category to choose from, but is having 30 different options for one product really necessary.  Should marketers cut down on their product options? Many would say that it would depend and only by testing they would know because every situation and market is different.

 Just like in my experience and many others. Customers can be attracted to a large number of choices, but when it comes time to make a purchase, too many options can make decision making difficult and lead many to walk away.

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Welcome to my blog. This blog is an easy read all about what's happening around the world, which relates with marketing and you shall  hopefully learning something new. :)