FILM MARKETING AND PROMOTION

1. FILM MARKETING AND PROMOTION - BRUNO CHATELIN - - CEFPF - E.N.A DECEMBER 11 1999

2. Preview • Bio data : Bruno Chatelin • Inside a major • The 3 rules of marketing (only 3?) • The marketing tools • Selecting the right associates • Things change • A selection of movie launches

3. Bio Data • HEC business school marketing major • 10 years with international Ad Agencies on major consumer goods, Colgate, Lever, Mars, Kellog ’s, Mastercard, Lux and more • 10 years with major companies: Columbia TriStar and UGC/FOX joint venture / start up, marketing director then general manager • Consultant in communication and associate founder of Solo Connexions SA

4. My movie background • A regular movie goer ! • At the origin of a professional approach of my moviegoer passion : the research on Lux marketing case study « the soap of the stars »since 1923 in the world • 200 movies, 33 over a million admissions, a few opening records T2, ID4 • 10 studio chiefs

5. Inside a major • The one billion dollars game • Production / Domestic 45% /Foreign 55% • A matrixcial organisation : how many bosses can you have? • Reporting • Local Vs Global strategy • The French subsidiaries i worked and operated

6. Being distributed by a major : an advantage? • Powerful resources and marketing expertise • Access to combined market information • Harmonised distribution • Bulk of material ready in time • Tested campaigns : Latin version, Scandinavian, the French touch... • Test market? Efforts > ROI • Watch for the money!

7. The 3 rules of marketing • About getting an audience to buy your product with IMPATIENCE • Is it still art or is it commerce ? • Can marketing sell a bad product ? • How important was marketing of Titanic? • Rule 1 : positioning and targeting • Rule 2 : communicate that positioning • Rule 3 : the most important….………….

8. Positioning • The positioning is written by the movie itself…. • But the desirable positioning builds on the values you identify as the movie strongest selling arguments • Something unique to your movie • Something that qualifies it into a genre • The result of a unique combination of talents

9. Positioning examples • Mr Jones launch in France with a new positioning • US domestic positioning : the dramatic love story between a maniaco-depressive patient and its psychiatrist starring Richard Gere and Lena Olin Domestic flop • the french approach : Mr Jones is a feel good movie with R Gere as the irresistible seducer of all women capable of the wildest creative acts N° 1 Box Office

10. Positioning • 10 movies open the same day:why should they come and see yours? • How come the admissions figures of your first show are exactly in line with the final career? • How do kids know ahead that they will like the movie? • What makes buzz grow? (internet, word of mouth)

11. Proper audience targeting gets you to success • Targeting the right audience ($) • Males, females or… both • how old are they, what do they like, read, buy, play with, listen to, where do they go • What movies will they like, did they like • Which other actors, directors do they like

12. Shrewd targeting • The right distributor (how many films a year …) • The right date (competition, genre, holidays) • The right exhibitor circuit (specialised, enough capacity…) • The right houses • The right media to hit the target • The right commercial associates

13. What is the right date • A good date is a date where you ARE ready • A large chunk of a small market or a smaller market share of a big market • Summer attendance • Profile of viewers in holidays • Dating traditions : Woody Allen in february • Mario Kasar lucky date october 16 (Rambo, T2…) does it really exist?

14. Dating • How much time do you want to have after the movie wrapped, opened in a territory (to capitalise on success or evacuate flop?) • Festival diktats: open after the film is shown... • Choosing the lead country to open • Do we need the media publicity support, can we do without them (in holidays, in heavy competition…) • Last Action Hero vs Cliffhanger

15. Positioning +Targeting +Dating... • After you finished your homework • Positioning • Targeting • Dating • Don’t change anything and begin the real promotion work

16. Evaluating the potential • The film rental estimate (15F per admission) • Admissions estimate • Films comparison: B.O. career, openings of similar movies • Foreign openings • A team process • Determine the launch budget

17. Testing • Tests to help make the right decisions • potential • strategy • tools : posters, trailers, title • Screening tests with Holy NRG one company does it all around the world : 15 000 $

18. Finding the best Film Title • Local language Vs. American • What is a good title : short/long • What is a bad title : out of sight • How do you find the title ? • the script • journalists • reference to a code or genre : striking distance • Who can help

19. The poster • Obligations: billing block, above title, order and colours, logos, legal, censorship • A strong title : compare the size with commercial ads • Codes • Quotes as a substitute to obligations • Quotes as a media endorsement

20. A powerful poster • Teasing • Adapt to the format : bus flank or tails : talk to the cars ; twin sites teaser /revealing • Select the media that allow most impact • Show the audience that the poster is alive • Think about timing summer, revealing... • Remember that it is an element that the audience must appropriate and buy • Poster in theatres may be different

21. Poster • Information retention • Give the promotional partners visibility • Pictures or illustrations • Elements from the film are not always available • A job for professionals you must trust

22. A good trailer • A true trailer, true to the movie ambience, dialogue, humour, effects • A trailer that will stay young and evolves • It will give progressive perspectives • And focus (early source of word of mouth) • It should not reveal everything of the movie (keep a few surprises for the longer version) • Explain the title when it needs to

23. Marketing cookies in your trailer • Show the poster : it relates the film to its campaign • The promotional partners at the end • The partners might adapt and play it in their stores • Some quotes can work in a trailer too (rarely used) • Use the key soundtrack if you can in order to relate to the radio airplay • A sustaining trailer might help after opening (quotes…)

24. Trailering strategy • Role of length to ensure your position ? • Targeting the movies and the theatres it should play into • Buy the space where you cannot get it • Organise deals to get more : contests... • Play the music video on screen • Play in the lobby video monitors • Tie in with programming • Attach to another movie • Technical Dolby, rotation,

25. In theatres material • Standees • Postering starting as early as you may (10 max !) different sizes • Lobby display £;$… and front house • Pictures • Leaflets, magazine special, postcards, stickers, tattoos etc • Quotes reproductions : they can read ! • Volume 3D material • Movie theatre magazines

26. Trade Marketing • Advertise the date and campaign in the trade press • Use the conventions to show your trailer film marketing plans... • Involve the circuits and the exhibitors in the marketing • Menus • Exhibitions of pictures props • Debates with the audience • Bring them the cast • Organise contests (sleepless in Seattle, Id4…give them prizes)

27. A striking radio campaign • A world apart from commercial radio campaigns • A special tone that tells “MOVIE” • Bring variety : the cast, the story, the angles, the experience the viewer will live • Use crowd reactions or quotes • The only medium where you can play with the movie

28. Media Tie Ins • Radio sponsorships : when, which one • Negotiation process • Groups • Logos value. • More ad space, editorial • Contests : write, call and win T shirts, spend a night in count Dracula castle, free tickets, premieres and parties, interview Tom Hanks

29. Media Tie Ins • Contests goodies : piece of ID4 mother ship T2 pinball, books, video games, trips… • Gifts as a way to get more space or communicate your target and positioning (kids media) • Contests as a way to exist in the media when they are reluctant to review the movie

30. Commercial Promotions • The licensees • The promotional partners : Zorro • Interact, inform, exchange • Mutual marginal benefits new places... • Screenings and tickets : J.Park • Limits : product endorsement... • How vital is that really?

31. Tie Ins with the music • A powerful way to hit the target • Timing (record/film) are different, spending too • Music movies the Doors, La Bamba, That Thing you do • Movies with music colour : R&J • Musicals : Evita • Music history : Ludwig van B.

32. Music Tie Ins • An added access to publicity in magazines, TV (clip) and radio (the soundtrack of…) • A combined effort to get POS in record shops, Hi Fi shops • An easier access to discos and clubs • An easy trade tickets / CD

33. Usual Tie Ins • Books and novellisations • Video Games when timing allows • Toys a strong but seasonal way to reach kids and mothers in hypermarkets • Fast food chains • Cerruti Clint, Jack… • Nestle (Disney) and cereals : kids teenagers products and family products

34. Create and develop your own by products • Telephone and minitel • Dracula watches, 3D objects, wood medals • Books of pictures from the movie • and more

35. Screening the picture • Work on opinion leaders to make your movie the talk in town • Senate, parliament, ministers, President, princes, key journalist or media • Jet set and marketing community • Let those do the PR job and exploit it (radio interviews, quotes and sell for 2M $ a year)

36. Screening to public audience • Get advance word of mouth and awareness when you trust the movie to be n°1 salesman • A few cases : the truth about cats and dogs Sleepless • How wide

37. Different ways of selling tickets • The price as marketing element is solely in exhibitor hands • Eventful : premiere strategy day before morning, night… • Pre selling as a concert : Evita • Pre selling as a product : Star Wars re issue • A ticket for 2 romantic movies • A ticket for the pregnant look who’s talking • A ticket to donate to charities : Philadelphia • Work with the exhibitor

38. Buzz with @ ? • Create a site for your movie and talk to your audience. • 60 000 new webers a day in the states • How, how much • Make sure you communicate about it online and with main media • Feed the beast web cam, live interview, contests, gather all your partners

39. @ few good sites • The majors and keys players have US based sites • The trade press Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Hollywood online, • Aint it cool news • Imdb, ACNielsen, Allociné • Starwars

40. Publicity • The N°1 marketing tool • Publicity strategy and media planning : comedy, romantic, kids • The media interest : journalist, promotion and advertising • The standard tools : press kit, EPK, APK, pictures selection, clips and excerpts • Feeding the media with relevant unique angles : the true story, the place, the sociological, the figures, yourself as a spokesman... • Co produce the TV show

41. Work with talent • On location publicity for early breaks • Set visit (Hook) and interviews • International press junkets • Talent touring blood sweat and …coverage • Exclusivity, one to one, press conference, national vs..regional • Can you bring them to the crowds and in the province Jane Fonda or Mr X? • Handling the Go Between • The 10 000 $ suite

42. Publicity handling • Evaluate the dosage and the progression • Show or not show the movie • When the journalist does not like the movie can you find another one • Can you fight back: My example with Libération /Doors made Variety front page • Is there something to say about the movie

43. The Film festivals • Cannes • Deauville • Venice • Berlin • Costs and stress : mostly both • Be ready for the race for publicity • World-wide benefits : Boyz n the hood 20 M$, Cliffhanger, LAH

44. Advertising Strategy • Amount 2 to 9 MFF • Timing : create anticipation climaxing at opening day • Prior opening 80 % , 20% sustaining • Media selection : mass media Posters and TV if you may buy it : 60 %, radio 20 %, dailies and guides15 % cinema 5 %

45. Film promotion partners • Advertising Agencies • Trailer makers • Poster makers • Media buyers • Hot shops studios and free lances • Product placement companies • Promotion and tie in companies

46. Art of buying • Making deals : partnership, screening, volume buy, exclusive buy, floating, last minute poster buy, provincial buy • Buying the right media, at the right time:merry Christmas and right place (concerts), centre of interests

47. Things change • Media spending have grown • Media promotions and tie ins become standards • Competition grows tougher • Number of prints soar : spending follow • Pioneer area is over? • Role of multiplex

48. Some figures behind the changes • Print numbers • 1994 : 14 movies with more than 300 prints • 1997 : 50 movies • Individual print costs decreased by a 30 % from 10 000 FF to 7 000 FF average • Total release costs for a 300 prints movie approx. 10 MF • Admissions • 1994 : the 14 movies generated 36 M admissions. • 1997 : the 50 generated 65 M admissions • Industry revenues in the same time grew 20 %

49. The strategy behind a few movies • Addams Family • Baron Munchausen • ID4 • Star Wars • Philadelphia • Lock up • Woody Allen Alice...

50. THE END THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION And good luck to you all