How to market a movie in today’s digital world? Let’s learn from Mr. Thanos himself !

Knock Knock ! Who is it ? It’s Vipul. Vipul who? Well, I am your Leeds1888 guy , it’s Friday and I am here with some interesting reads on the media and entertainment business.

Hello Readers , how was your past week? Hope you had a productive one. Well , before you take the weekend break , read this newsletter and soak in some freshly brewed content . Today, I am going to talk about the movie marketing spends and trends.

You may ask why is it even important to discuss this? Isn't it obvious? Nowadays, we have large budget movies and therefore, the marketing spends have also grown. What’s so enlightening about today’s topic? Well, I agree and it's a fact that the marketing spends on movies today far exceed the total budgets they had just a decade ago. To put things in perspective, the quantum of money spent in 2022 on marketing movies across the globe was in excess of $2.41Billion USD.

But is it as straightforward as it looks? You may argue that the population has grown, movie budgets have grown, social media has grown so movie marketing budgets have also grown, simple ! Well, there is more to it. I want to highlight some trends and factors that are creating massive impact on the audience and driving them to cinema halls and OTT platforms thats contributing to the increase in the promotional spends.

To understand how the marketing budget for a movie made for a global audience is spent, let’s do a case study on Avengers- Endgame. Disney spent a whopping $200 million dollars in 2019 to market this movie which was made with a cost of around $400 million and grossed around $2.4 billion.

The talking point here is not just the massive sum of money spent on promoting the cinema, but also how they spent the money and what was the impact. This will help us get some sense of where the movie's marketing is headed in terms of cost and reach.

Where all did they spend the money and what did they do differently ?

Let’s Begin,

Television Advertising: The majority of the marketing spend was allocated to television advertising. The film's trailers and TV spots were broadcast on various networks, including ESPN, ABC, and TNT. The estimated spend on television advertising was around $80 million. Now we all know that TV channels charge on time-cost basis. The Avengers-Endgame trailers were lengthy , almost made you feel like a mini story and glued the audience till just at the climax , it stopped. The key takeaway here is that TV trailers are becoming lengthy to generate audience interest. There is an interesting article on the MCU audience analysis and how the ads were placed on TVs to target them specifically. I suggest you read it to understand the in-depth planning that goes into the marketing these days

Digital Advertising: Avengers Endgame also had a significant digital advertising campaign. The marketing team used social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote the film. The estimated spend on digital advertising was around $30 million. Now around that time. It’s worth mentioning that the trailer got 289 million views in the first 24 hours on Youtube which was a massive number by any standards. The whole Digital Campaign involved creating a hype with a trailer followed by influencer driven social engagement and chatter which created a buzz. For starters the trailer view generated 5,49,000 mentions on twitter in just one day. The key takeaway is that Influencer marketing will lead the digital campaigns in the times to come.

Outdoor Advertising: The marketing team also used outdoor advertising to promote the film. Billboards, posters, and bus wraps were displayed in various cities worldwide. The estimated spend on outdoor advertising was around $20 million.

Merchandise and Licensing: Merchandise and licensing deals were also a crucial part of the marketing strategy for Avengers Endgame. The film's characters were used to create a wide range of products, including toys, clothing, and accessories. The estimated spend on merchandise and licensing was around $50 million. 25% of the marketing budget was spent on Licensing and Merchandise. Even brands like Mc Donalds created games and events around the movie to capitalise on the MCU frenzy . This is not just restricted to MCU but a growing phenomenon and a solid reason for the soaring marketing budgets.

Publicity: Publicity is another essential aspect of a film's marketing strategy. The film's stars and directors appeared on various talk shows, events, and interviews to promote the film. The estimated spend on publicity was around $20 million. Actors promoting the films in a big way is a pattern that has developed over time and this has also increased the marketing budgets significantly.

By now, you must have observed the emerging trends in movie marketing that have a far-reaching impact on the audience. If anything, marketing costs are headed North and newer methods are being explored every day to increase reach, engagement, and influence on viewers.

Ok Cool, so now that we have done with our discussion on how Mr. Thanos was marketed to every individual on earth, let’s move on to the entertainment buzz of the week.

Oscars 2023 is just around the corner, and here is the list of nominations! Watch the show on Sunday, March 12th, at 8.00 pm- Eastern Time.

Which is your favourite movie for this year's Best Motion Picture Award ? Let me know through comments or connect with me on twitter @iamvipulagrawal

That’s it folks on this week's Leeds1888. Remember to send in your feedback and share this with your friends and network.

See you next week !

Bye and Take Care,

Vipul