News
Praise for Tote-Bag Giveaways as Film Promotions
By Robert Marich
July 18 2010- Film distributors are besieged with offers for promotional tie-ins from consumer goods marketers who want to latch on to movie magic. Most offers by consumer goods marketers come to naught as a consequence to too short lead time, inability to agree on deal points (especially what specific movie elements may be exploited by the promotional partner) and the distributor feeling the consumer goods outfit is a bad fit.
But deals do occur such as the World Market store chain is giving its customers tote bags for Julia Roberts spiritual awakening drama Eat Pray Love. Sony Pictures/Columbia is scheduled to release the PG-13 drama Aug. 13.
“On July 11, the World Market chain, also known as Cost Plus, offered a free tote bag emblazoned with the name of the new Julia Roberts movie, Eat Pray Love with a $10 purchase,” notes an article on Boxofficemagazine.com by Christian Toto. The furnishings retailer is noted for exotic and handmade merchandise, such as wicker chairs. Its sandals-and-Volvos customer base is a good demographic fit with the movie, in which Roberts travels the world seeking personal fulfillment after a painful divorce.
“Eat Pray Love in a tote says a woman is a searcher, in touch or looking to be in touch with all she can be,” Paul Kurnit, author of The Little Blue Book of Marketing: Build a Killer Plan in Less Than A Day, says in the BoxofficeMagazine.com article. Kurnit, a professor of marketing at Pace University, thinks the tote bag will be a hit with the film’s demographic.
Marketing to Moviegoers: Second Edition notes that, because movies have short shelf lives of 4-8 weeks in theaters, promotions and paid ads need connect with a large audience quickly, otherwise the impressions come after films have finished with their cinema run. A promotion that delivers the same large audience over a long period of time in a steady trickle won’t deliver all its impressions in time for theater run. Tote bags are a slow to get into circulation, though certainly the World Market promotion will provide some help.
A more common strategy is to saturate an event with movie-logo merchandise, such as tote bags. That way, the circulation is concentrated and gives the appearance of a movement.
“For the past four years, Warner Bros Entertainment’s limited-edition, signature oversize canvas tote bags have been a must-have at Comic-Con,” notes an article on Deadline.com by Luke Thompson. “Tens of thousands of fans flock to the WB booth on the convention floor to snag what is often called the Con's “ubiquitous accessory.’”
“This year, WB has made its giant bags part of an official partnership with Comic-Con,” says Deadline.com. “Sign in, and you automatically get one. No more fights at the WB booth for ‘em (though no doubt they’ll have other stuff you want, too).” The bags at Comic-Con, which is the big event for comic book fans, carry the image of one of 11 Warner comic book characters.
For full text, click link below:
www.marketingmovies.net/news/hwood-engages-comic-book-event/
www.marketingmovies.net/news/comic-con-review-knocks-disneys-up/