In our previous part of this article, we discussed how social media has been used recently in the marketing and promotion of movies.
The insights regarding cinema fans depending on social media in order to decide whether to watch a movie or not were also explored. Now we will see how the marketing industry perceives the trend of social media being used to promote movies.
Film-marketers support the use of social media
No advertising makes any product popular as much as word-of-mouth. Film-marketers and makers would definitely wish their fans to see the teasers and pictures of movies on social media and popularize them by sharing them and talking to their friends about them.
Karie Bible, a box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations Co. said:
“Word-of-mouth has always been a very effective tool at either propelling or sinking movies. Now, with social media, it travels at the speed of light.”
72 percent of social media users write online comments about films they see, according to to a poll conducted by the consulting firm Penn Schoen & Berland and The Hollywood Reporter.
Movie viewers are immediately sharing opinions on a massive scale, and that means a film’s fate is likely to be decided much faster and then amplified.
Bruce Nash, president of Nash Information Services, a movie industry research company in Beverly Hills says:
“Social media divides the winners from the losers more quickly. The weaker films will die much more quickly, and the successful films will be much more successful.”
According to social media analysis company Crimson Hexagon, “The Hunger Games,” was mentioned in 930,000 tweets, during its $152.5 million opening weekend. The film went on to gross $408 million in the USA.
“Lincoln,” on the contrary, was tweeted 19,000 times in its $21 million opening weekend. Its second weekend raked in $25.7 million and the film has grossed $180.8 million total in US theaters.
Role of social media in trailers and Poster promotions
Years ago, people used to go to the theater to see the trailers for the next batch of upcoming films. Then TV shows dedicated to showcasing previews hit the scene.
Then came the online promos. With fans watching online promos and sharing them on social media, film-makers and marketers started launching the official social media channels.
It is true that press-releases promoting the movie are still in vogue. However, the press releases garner media attention. Media tells the fans about the fans. However, with social media, marketers connect with fans directly.
Disney had premiered the trailer of Alice In Wonderland on Facebook and we all remember how much publicity that created of it with fans making it go viral.
Promotion through Facebook Apps
Facebook is a great avenue for marketers and brands to connect with consumers and potential customers. Hence, for movie studios, Facebook offers a way to engage audiences and even directly sell tickets.
Disney created a Facebook app for TRON: Legacy called the TRONiVerse. The app pulls in posts, videos, and photos from various social networks, displaying them in an interactive grid.
20th Century Fox also had a pretty in-depth Facebook campaign for Avatar that included apps and promotional tie-ins. Disney even offered movie tickets for Toy Story 3 via its Facebook Page.
Likewise, Sony has created its own in-house ticketing app for many of its films. The great thing about buying movie tickets via Facebook is that you can invite friends along with you.
With so many innovative strategies aiming at film promotions are involving social media, we can expect that this trend is here to stay. In the near future, we can expect to witness more unique and innovative social media campaigns promoting movies. Which social media campaign involving film promotions do you like most? Post your comments.
Are you also planning the promotion for your upcoming movie or television soap, you can connect with us for a free consultation.
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