Assess the
importance of marketing in the media area you have studied.
Marketing is a
critical tool used by companies to promote their film. The main purpose of
marketing is to expose and connect a specific film to the widest possible
audience.
Synergy is a major
marketing technique that is utilized by film companies. Disney, a huge
conglomerate, used its subsidiary ABC to promote the upcoming release of the
2017 film, “Beauty and the Beast.” ABC’s TV series, “The Bachelor” released a
special edition episode hosted by the stars of the film. The use of synergy was
important to the film’s success because it attracted a wider audience. When the
audience of, “The Bachelor,” watched the special edition they may have become
curious about the film because both the series and the film have a romantic
theme. If the audience liked the movie stars in the series’ special, then they
might be more inclined to see the film. Furthermore, Disney used ABC’s “The
Bachelor” to connect “Beauty and the Beast” to a wider adult audience because
Disney movies are marketed mainly for children. Disney made about 1.3 billion
dollars worldwide, which is a huge success, because of what synergy contributed
to the film’s exposure.
Cross-promotion is
another major technique that companies use to help market their film. Disney
and Marvel teamed up with Dairy Queen to create cup prints and a limited-time
Blizzard flavor inspired by the new Marvel film “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
2.” The picture on the Dairy Queen cup showcased the title of the film and its
release date. The use of cross-promotion was important to the film’s success
because it attracted a wider and more diverse audience. The creation of a new
limited-time Blizzard flavor would encourage more people to go to Dairy Queen
and could possibly cause them to go more frequently. The idea of being one of
the only people who get to experience the flavor makes them feel special, which
in turn, urges them to go more often. Since the new flavor is inspired by
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” the fans of Dairy Queen may gain an interest
in the film because they would want to know how it inspired the Blizzard
flavor. Dairy Queen’s customers consist of a wide range of people; some may not
be interested in films and others might not be aware of the new film’s release.
Furthermore, if the Dairy Queen customers walk around with their cup, then
those who walk by them will see the picture on the cup. This advertisement
encourages people to go see the movie. The film made about 86 hundred million
dollars worldwide, a huge success, because of the exposure created through
cross-promotion.
Merchandising is a
main marketing technique that companies use to promote their films. Warner
Bros. Pictures teamed up with several companies to promote their 2018 film
“Fantastic Beast: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” For example, they worked with Hot
Topic, a shop that sells pop culture merchandise, to create t-shirts and action
figures inspired by the film. They also worked with Walmart, a world-known
retail company, to sell movie vinyls and action figures inspired by the film.
Warner Bros. Pictures does not own Walmart or Hot Topic, so their partnership
is an example of cross-promotion. Merchandise is extremely important to a
films’ success because it can create influence on an audience. If a person were to shop and saw “Fantastic
Beast: The Crimes of Grindelwald” merchandise everywhere, then it would be
difficult to forget about the film. Seeing a product inspired by a movie
everywhere could influence a person to research the movie to see what it is
about, which can result in the film gaining a bigger audience. Merchandise
marketing contributed to this film grossing about 653.7 million dollars
worldwide, a huge success for the film and the company.
Thanks to
technological advancements, digital marketing has become a new tool for
companies to utilize. Universal Pictures had a virtual Easter Egg Hunt
published on the Jurassic Output Twitter page. The Twitter post featured a QR
code that linked to images that would promote the 2015 film “Jurassic World.”
Digital marketing was important to the film’s success because it excited the
audience about the film’s release. The intention of the Easter Egg Hunt was to
get people discussing the film on social media and in person. The “Jurassic
World” made about 1 billion dollars, partly due to digital marketing.
If a company wants
their film to be successful, then utilizing clever marketing techniques is
essential. Marketing’s purpose is to promote films to the widest range of
people in a variety of ways; however, overpromoting can lead to overexposure.
Overexposure can prevent potential audience members from watching a film
because they can become bored by seeing the same film promotion everywhere they
go. Furthermore, overexposure can cause promotional material to become common
and familiar, causing people to overlook it. While overexposure can be an
issue, no exposure at all will certainly lead to a limited audience.
Overall, I believe
that marketing is mandatory for companies to utilize to promote their film. A
film would not be able to attract its widest possible audience and a film’s
success would not be as great without marketing. Marketing is extremely
important; however, it should not be overused to the point where it causes harm
to a film’s success.
