Alyssa Arminio
Audience Research
Blog Summary PaperApril 11, 2008
Blog Summary Paper

11 weeks ago, I was pretty naive when it came to blogging. Sure, I had heard about the growing popularity of these “online journals”, but I thought it was something strictly created for technological people who spent the majority of their time online. After completing the semester long assignment for Audience Research, and creating my very own blog about Movie Marketing Tactics, I have learned that I didn’t know the first thing about blogging.

Starting this project, I didn’t know exactly what a blog was. I thought that they were diaries for people who were too lazy to hand write. I have now learned that it is, in fact, an online journal, but it can be used to serve many purposes. People keep blogs regarding their personal lives, their field of business, their hobbies, technological information or even strong opinions they might feel towards a certain topic. I never realized that there were blogs on virtually every topic imaginable! I didn’t get the opportunity to branch out and explore each field, but I did come across several well-established blogs in the marketing industry alone. I can only imagine the endless amounts that exist on the Internet.

Through this class, I discovered that blogs are a great source of information and a good tool for obtaining research, especially when you are looking for personal opinions. I’ve learned quick ways to access blogs, how to create my own for free and what separates a “good blog” from a “bad blog”. It’s crazy to think, but some people base their professions around this information sharing technique! Something I found extremely interesting was the way in which these bloggers interact with other users. They leave comments, promote other sites and share media such as links and images. Some are also sponsored on, turning blogging into a new form of earning revenue.

As I mentioned before, I spent the semester researching and blogging on Movie Marketing. Looking back over the twenty posts I created, there are some definite “big themes” I can see present in my work. The first recurring theme I kept stumbling across was the idea of using an interactive campaign. From what I read and researched, they have proven to be wildly successful with audiences. One example directly from my blog is the tactics from ‘The Dark Knight’ campaign. One technique involved them reaching out to college campuses to “recruit” members to support the fake election of Harvey Dent, a character from the movie. In a completely opposite approach, the movie ‘Prom Night’ decided to interact with their target audiences in a more “hands-on” way. They hired employees to stand behind cardboard standees and jump out at passerby’s, intending to scare them.

Another big theme I noticed was that advertisers are in constant competition to create the biggest buzz in the industry. They attempt to do so by trying marketing ploys that have not yet been tested. The team behind Dr. Seuss’s ‘Horton Hears A Who’ teamed up with IHOP to create breakfast dishes that were named and created based completely on the storyline. The ‘Hannah Montana’ movie tried to stir excitement by making their theater experience completely 3-D. Traditional movies and marketing approaches are a thing of the past, and advertising that creates word-of-mouth praise is here to stay.

The idea of creating a shock factor was another recurring theme. Catching your audience’s attention in a way that they would never expect has proven to be effective in terms of advertising. To promote ‘Untraceable’, marketers set up an actual website with the URL KillWithMe.com, which is the site that the movie is based around. In the movie, the site shows graphic, live footage of people being tortured and killed, scaring people into thinking that the actual website will contain the same thing. (It doesn’t, obviously.) The movie titled ‘The Happening’ attempted to create shock with a series of graphic and horrifying trailers released nation-wide. The trailers were soon released because they were just “too shocking” for public eyes.

One theme that was evident to me even before this semester assignment was that big names will create big stories. In January, I blogged about the death of Heath Ledger, and the impact his death could have potentially had on the ‘The Dark Knight’s’ campaign. It was easy to find information on this because nearly every entertainment source was discussing this topic that particular week. People thrive to seek out these stories surrounding big celebrities. At the end of the semester, I wrote a blog about another big-named celebrity, Daniel Radcliffe, planning to grace the stage of Broadway, naked. While he is not the first actor to ever appear onstage nude, it is certainly evident that he might be one of the most anticipated.

Lastly, the idea of partnerships and sponsorships was certainly something I encountered while researching on several occasions. The ‘Sex and the City’ movie has already created sponsorships with Skyy Vodka and Houlihans to promote their upcoming project, quite obviously keeping their very specific target audience in mind. ‘Horton Hears a Who’ paired up with American Idol at one point and used their top rated program to plug in trailers and visuals from the animated movie. One trend that certainly abides by this big theme is the idea of partnering with the social networking device Facebook. Facebook allows trailers to be uploaded and shared among friends, while also giving marketers the chance to add their own, specialized applications, much as ‘Indiana Jones’ did when they established the “super-poke”.

Creating and maintaining this blog not only gave me an opportunity to research the field of marketing more in-depth, it helped me track developments in specific campaigns over the course of the semester. I blogged about ‘The Dark Knight’ on at least 3 different occasions, as they continued to create expand their promotions. I also blogged more than once about ‘Horton Hears a Who’ as they experimented with new ways to interact with their target audience.

Even with all of the research I put into this assignment, I still wouldn’t call myself a “pro” in the world of Movie Marketing. However, I did get a much better feel of what is going on today in this field. New and innovative ideas are being tested every day. Successful ones are then being altered and copied repeatedly. Research is constantly being done to develop new media outlets to market through, whether they are online, partnerships, sponsorships or simply unique and interactive. One thing I have definitely noticed is that advertising is becoming a lot less straight forward. Sometimes, the intention of a campaign is not obvious at first glance. Marketers want to leave you curious, urging you to investigate further and learn more for yourself. They are very careful not to give away too much information, because that’s been proven to turn audiences today away.

This project fits in with the Audience Research course because it reaffirms the trends we have studied, proving to us what audiences today are interested in and influenced by. The presentations we did in class about the pros and cons of specific types of marketing related well to the topic of Movie Marketing, because I found myself picking apart specific campaigns, and thinking of different media outlets they could have used to make their promotions stronger. Though I don’t know if this project really prepared me for any job I plan to have in the future, it definitely helped raise my awareness of a trend which I’m sure I will encounter again professionally. Though I don’t know if I could ever find the patience to keep my own blog, I know that I will turn to them in the future for information, research and the opinion of others.

I never have been a big fan of Harry Potter - the books OR the movies. However, it is quite apparent that both have been more than successful over the past few years. Bookstores host parties, stay open until midnight and hold ridiculous prize give-a-ways on the date of Harry Potter releases. When the movies hit theaters, people flock to the midnight premiere, usually dressed in full costume. I really didn't think that much more could be done in terms of marketing these films. I mean honestly, what more could they do?

How about putting Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway.. NAKED!


I was shocked after stumbling across this article on cinematical.com. It's true, Daniel Radcliffe, better known as "Harry Potter", will hit the stage in his birthday suit in September 2008, the same month the next Harry Potter movie is set to be released. Though it doesn't come across as a direct promotional tactic, I find it hard to believe that this is just "coincidence".

To be quite honest, I think it's genius. This boy has been seen as a "heart-throb" to girls everywhere ever since his big break, and this will definitely draw audiences to the city. Pair this up with an incredible movie premiere for the next Harry Potter film, and the buzz in New York City will all revolve around Daniel Radcliffe. I'll have to keep my ears open for more information regarding this story.

Over the weekend, a new thriller was released by Sony Pictures, Screen Gems by the name of "Prom Night". Though I haven't seen it, previews have led me to believe that it depicts one fictional school's night at the prom, which turns into a horrible nightmare. Though the plot sounds lame and predictable - I bet something terrible happens to the prom queen! - I do think their latest marketing tactic is original.

This website describes a stunt put into effect in 120 theaters across the country on the opening night of the movie. Sony Pictures, Screen Gems recruited theater employees at each location to assist them with their plan. They set up "Prom Night" cardboard standees, the kind that most movies use as a marketing tool, but took it a step further. They created the stand to look like the entrance to a prom, complete with swinging doors which peaked the curiosity of viewers wondering what was being hidden. This hilarious YouTube video shows not only the role each employee played in this whole marketing - namely jumping out from behind the "doors" and screaming - but the reaction of those who stepped too close.

I am extremely impressed with this original marketing idea. Interactive advertising is so successful, I'm surprised that another company has not thought to incorporate it into movie theaters. The closest I have seen to something like this is a cardboard standee for "Maid of Honor" which featured heart-throb Patrick Dempsey and a bride whose face was cut out, encouraging people to snap a photo of themselves "marrying Patrick". (I'm 100% guilty of owning this picture.) Advertisements that interact with audiences, no matter where or how, catch attention and encourage positive word-of-mouth "buzz". I'm certain that if someone had jumped out at me, it would have been on my mind for the rest of the night, and I'm sure that's exactly what Sony had hoped for. Their president was quoted saying, “We want people to come away thinking that ‘Prom Night’ is going to be a good, scary movie." I think they were very successful.

The viral marketing for the new Batman thriller just keeps getting more intense! As of Monday, April 1st, another interactive element of the campaign for "The Dark Knight" was added into the mix.

Packages were delivered to the doorsteps of individuals who have been involved in - or following closely - this campaign. What were these "packages"? They were bowling bags stuffed with a Joker-themed bowling ball, a cheap cell phone and a note from The Joker himself. On the bowling ball, there was a name and telephone number engraved. (Sidenote: From my research, it seems that most of the people receiving these packages were aware that they had something coming for them. At first, I thought it was completely random, but it was well-thought out.)

The individual was prompted to use the cell phone to call the number on the ball. After doing so, they would be greeted on the other end of the line with a creepy voice which whispered "We know who you are", and then hung up. The note also gave instructions to visit this website for more information about the package they have received. Once there, they were re-directed to this security website, and asked for specific personal information. Immediately after submitting this, they would receive another call on the cell phone.

This time, the call was from Commissioner Gordon, a character from the movie, informing them that they were involved in a huge set-up. Basically, just their fancy - and expensive - way of saying April Fools!

I don't follow the Batman movies, so I can't figure out the relation of the bowling ball, cell phone and security website to the actual movie, but I do know this campaign is top of the line. Just from browsing the Internet to find more information, I've stumbled across a large handful of blogs raving about it! It seems that the marketers have done a great job of identifying their targeting audience and execuding appropriately.

Paramount is gearing up for the release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" by implying a few small marketing tactics in well thought-out places. Now, as a result of their latest attempt, you can "super-poke" your friends on the popular site Facebook. What is a "super-poke"? To begin, a "poke" has come to imply a flirtatious invitation. When someone "pokes" you online, it's just a friendly reminder that someone was thinking of you. The team behind Indiana Jones has created this idea of the "super-poke" which, paired together with an image of this character's infamous whip, might seem a bit more scandelous.

I think this was a creative and efficient marketing approach for this movie. First, they didn't add a whole new application on Facebook promoting themselves, their movie or how awesome their cast is. As a Facebook user myself, I can tell you that those are seen as spam and an annoyance. They did, however, just add on to an existing and familiar Facebook feature. This website puts it well; they tapped into existing behavior instead of trying to cultivate a new one. This marketing tactic is non-intrusive and establishes the film in relationship to a familiar concept amongst their target audience. Sounds pretty smart to me.

While Indiana Jones isn't the first movie to use this social networking website as an advertising device, I thought they deserved recognition for a good attempt. The "super-poke" is being sponsored on the Indiana Jones official website, which also is good advertisement for Facebook itself. Win-win situation.

"The Dark Knight" is using one of the most creative campaign tactics that I have yet to discover this semester! Though the Batman movie is not due to be released until mid-July, they are not hesitating to begin creating a buzz amongst their audience. To do this, the marketing team created an idea which is brilliant, in my opinion.

In the film, one of the characters named Harvey Dent - better known to some as the evil villian Two Face - decides he wants to run for district attorney of Gotham City. Though I do not know the exact plot-line, I do know this is a large part of the movie. To play off of this, officials working with "The Dark Knight" have decided to create a fictional election campaign to promote Harvey Dent at obtaining this position.

The article I came across on this website discussed students at Colorado University eager to participate in this marketing stunt. Many individuals participated in the event, though they were 100% aware that Harvey was a make-believe character running for a position of a made-up town. Passerbys would have never known that these students were rallying for a fictional cause. People who were involved in this "campaign" signed petitions, distributed buttons, stuck on bumper stickers, wore t-shirts and paraded around with signs, all in support of Harvey Dent. From the pictures, it seems as if it created quite a scene of excitement and passion.

The event was promoted on this website, which is continually updated with news stories, photos and information about events in the past and future. The "Dentmobile", the vehicle which travels around to the different locations, is tracked on this website, so students can anticipate where the "campaign" is traveling to next. The site also features pictures, blogs and "Dent" downloads. This is important for including the people who don't have the ability to attend these events.

I wish that the "Dentmobile" would stop by this college campus, just so I could get a better feel of how this marketing stunt was functioning. As I mentioned before, I think this idea was genius and incredibly appropriate to the film and it's story.

I saw a commercial today for another marketing tactic being used to promote 20th Century Fox's latest Dr. Seuss movie "Horton Hears a Who".  Brandcurve, the movie's promotional team, has teamed up with IHOP (International House of Pancakes) to create some pretty extravagant menu items, inspired by the adventures of Horton the elephant.  Some of these concoctions - which include breakfast, dessert and beverages - are 'Who-Cakes', 'Beezlenut Splash', 'The Mayor's Breakfast', 'Jojo's Breakfast' and, the obvious, 'Green Eggs and Ham'.

I feel that this marketing approach is geared at the younger audience of this movie, while I felt "Horton At American Idol" - discussed in a previous post - was aimed at more of a teenage crowd.  To me, IHOP has a very family oriented atmosphere, and it serves as a place where parents take their kids as a treat.  Very appropriate placement, in my opinion.

These menu items have been available for a few weeks now.  How successful are they?  Well, in terms of marketing, I would say very.  The movie has gotten great reviews and brought in large revenue.  However, I don't think the menu items will be a permanent addition to the IHOP menu.  In the YouTube video found on this Brandcurve website, a customer proves that 'Horton at IHOP' may be just a bit too sweet for some taste buds.

Whether or not these dishes are actually enjoyed, or even finished, I still support this marketing idea.  I think it's creative, out-of-the-box and, above all else, fun.