Viral Marketing and the Film Industry

Viral Marketing is a phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a message and get involved in the marketing of a product. Although this tactic is not always a success, what Social Media Marketing strategy ever is? Social media is new and unpredictable, but can be a powerful tool if used wisely. Here are a few examples of viral marketing used in movie campaigns:

Effective Viral, Great Box Office, Annoyed Customers:
The Blair Witch Project cost about $35,000 to make and went on to gross nearly $250 million worldwide thanks to their viral marketing campaign. The website that started it all lead viewers to believe that the story of missing filmmakers was indeed a true tale. Word spread like wildfire and the movie did better than it had a right to. While this viral marketing scheme worked to make money for those invested, the film left much to be desired. Leaving the audience annoyed that they wasted time and money, word of mouth messages spread again but not in favor of the film. Obviously this letdown would not secure brand loyalty in the future.

Big Hype, No Box Office:
Snakes on a Plane was another viral marketing success in ways, but not at the box office. People got on board with the viral which included entering your phone number on the website so that Samuel L Jackson (prerecorded) would call your phone and leave a message. While funny, this didn't make me (or many other people apparently) want to go see the film. It has apparently become a popular cult-type rental in recent years as a really bad movie to laugh at with your friends, so maybe it's not a total loss.

Big Hype, HUGE Box Office, Brand Loyalty and Beyond:
The Dark Knight. Not only did the rabid fans of the Batman Universe sink their teeth into the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) elements but the public rallies for Harvey Dent's election got the attention of non-fans who bought tickets as well. The buzz for fans was off the chart and their excitement for a mainstream comic book hero delivered huge returns. Here is a good article that runs through the Dark Knight Viral Campaign elements:The Dark Knight Viral Campaign

The film industry could benefit from well-thought-out and planned viral marketing strategies. Here are a few reasons that I believe the Dark Knight was a success:

1. People like to be part of the action. For fans, interacting in their favorite movie universe is the ultimate. The ARG (Alternate Reality Game) element helped further the fan experience.
2. It mixed up the mediums: from online websites to real time contests and gatherings.
3. Emails and phone calls from movie characters were sent out to participants which kept the momentum going and the anticipation building.
4. The campaign was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before and the excitement crossed into the main stream creating strong interest and buzz in non-fan communities.

Sure, Batman was one of the most anticipated cinematic revamping of a comic book hero in recent history so it was ahead of the curve already. The trick is to make the viral marketing experience enjoyable for all fans as well as generate interest in the general public and not alienate them. The right combination and amount of viral is crucial and of course, not all movies will benefit from a viral campaign. Choosing to use or not to use comes from the basic principle of knowing your audience.

I am a firm believer that the studios would benefit from real movie lovers to consult on their marketing strategies since a thorough understanding of the product and audience is our forte. With the ever growing popularity of social media networks, viral marketing will become more important and understanding your audience's motivations and expectations is paramount. Movies are an experience for the viewer, and a well placed viral marketing strategy can place them in the middle of all the action leaving them wanting more.