Practice question 1

 Assess the importance of marketing in the media area you have studied (25)

Marketing holds great importance within the distribution stage of the film industry as this develops the reputation of a film before it’s initial release along with attracts their target audience, intriguing them so that they are assured to watch the film and contribute to its Box Office.

The most popular method of spreading the word of an upcoming film involves traditional marketing, particularly, the trailer of the film as it is an immediate indicator to the audience whether they will enjoy the movie or not. Movies from both conglomerates such as Disney, specifically from the production company Walt Disney Pictures, including Aladdin which had a budget of 183 million USD and The Lion King which had a budget of 260 million USD, and Independent firms, including Sing Street whose production companies include Cosmo Films, Distressed Films, FilmNation Entertainment, FilmWave, Likely Story and PalmStar Media, release a trailer to inform their audience and attract them. These short trailers for conglomerate films are broadcasted within multiplex cinemas before similar movies, to ensure that they reach their target audience, and due to the use of the most intriguing shots from the film along with following the Barthes enigma codes to maintain suspense and hook the audience, they will become more likely to watch the film. On the other hand, trailers for independent films are more likely to be released solely online or in independent Cinemas if their release is soon and are expected to play in those cinemas soon rather than having deep relations. This means that it is less likely for the trailer to reach the niche audience it targets but it may allow them to reach a wider market. As Aladdin and The Lion King accommodate for a more mainstream audience, they also use the traditional marketing method of creating film posters, but unlike Sing Street who only makes a few designs to establish the most iconic events, they create a multitude of film posters, such as the various character posters that include singular characters from The Lion King marketing strategy which satisfies the audiences needs as it appeals to those with favourite characters, which are strategically placed so that it is eye catching and reminds the audience of the film’s upcoming release, such as through the use of billboards positioned on highways to ensure that the message is spread to a mass audience, so that they are more likely to watch the film upon coming out in a cinema which increases their profit.

Once the initial word of a movie is spread, marketing can be used to create a much more personal connection to the audience. A great example of this is within the conglomerate film Aladdin where they used starpower, including the most popular actors on set such as Will Smith and Naomi Scott, and hosted several press conferences and cast interviews to allow the audience to have a deeper insight of the actors experience, therefore deepening their investment with Aladdin. This is similarly achieved within independent films as the director of Sing Street, John Carney, had several interviews such as one with The New York Times, in which he explained his deeper personal connection to the film. Along with the use of behind the scene clips, this allows the niche audience of Sing Street to see a greater value to this film beyond the uses and gratification theory in which they experience escapism as they are able to see the film in a more personal and deep way. 

Marketing is very important towards the official release of a film as particularly the premiers, in the case of the conglomerate films the premier took place on 8th of may 2019 for Aladdin and on 18th of July 2019 for the Lion King.  This was a very prestigious event that was later talked about online, including talk about the appearance of various celebrities alongside conversations about the film itself which caused the reputation of the film to increase. On the other hand, Sing Street was featured in the Sundance Film Festival which is similarly prestigious in nature and further improved their reputation, making the film more desirable to watch. This benefits an independent film as they are not required to spend a large sum of money for a premier but they are still able to spread word for their film as well as reach a wider audience who chose to attend the film festival, later adding positive associations to the film due to the recognition of enjoyment for attending a film festival, making the film to be further marketed via word of mouth.

Online marketing is similarly important as it allows for the films to directly reach their target audience and possibly even spread word to a wider audience. An example of this is where an online version of the retro games for The Lion King and Aladdin was created as this reaches the fans of the original movie as well as allows newer audiences to interact with the film in a unique and memorable way, making them develop positive associations with the film. Cross media convergence is popular within marketing as it allows word of a movie to spread very quickly. Both The Lion King and Aladdin had an Instagram page (Followed) that posted film posters and trailers whereas Sing Street had a facebook page, all of which allowed the film to directly interact with the target audience, further developing their commitment to the film and, as social media is very accessible to most psychographic groups, they are likely to draw in more viewers which makes this method of marketing important to independent films as the message behind their film reaches more people.

Synergy, although more prominent within the marketing strategy of conglomerate films, is important as, once the audience has purchased official merchandise or an item based off of a certain film, it acts as a constant reminder for the film, making the audience more likely to stream the film. A great example of synergy within a film’s marketing includes the build-a-bear line and Funko Pop line of Aladdin characters as well as The Lion King characters. This marketing strategy is equally important to both parties as Disney will profit from the effective marketing causing audiences to view their film, as well as the other company because they are able to generate a profit from a new customer base of audience members who enjoyed the film and this addresses the audience need for a prolonged sense of fulfilment therefore adding to the Uses and Gratification theory.

In conclusion, marketing is important, for both conglomerate and independent films, as this allows these films to reach their target market and potentially gain a wider audience base. Notifying their audience, regardless of if it is niche or mainstream, about the release of a film will allow an audience to anticipate the release as they become more invested and the more effective a film’s marketing is, the more likely it would be spread via word-of-mouth, overall, increasing the profitability. The effects of marketing for a film, specifically for conglomerates who produce merchandise, will even continue to have an effect on their audience after its release with the use of merchandising as physical products within a home reminds the audience of their experience watching the product, making them more likely to stream it. 

Marks:

Media Concepts - 2 - you have understood the industries concepts well, but I feel that you can deal with the concept of audiences in greater depth

Contexts and Critical Debates - 2 - more factual information regarding your case studies is definitely needed

Use of Terminology - 2 - terminology has been used well in places, but there is a opportunity for much more

Analysis of how meaning is created, including the use of theory - 2  -you can add more analysis and detail to your examples and include further theory

Use of examples - 2 - your examples are relevant, but more detail can be added