- •International business school – budapest
- •1. Introduction
- •1.1. Academic Background
- •1.2. Key Terms
- •1.2.1. Film Promotion
- •1.2.2. Promotion Strategies and Tools
- •1.3. Research Question and Objectives
- •If some of the release and post-release strategies - as practiced in the us - were adopted by the Russian film industry, filmmaking would be far more profitable.
- •2. Literature review
- •2.1. Promotion Strategies and Techniques
- •2.1.1. Promotion as Part of Marketing
- •2.1.2. Promotions Specific to the Film Industry
- •2.2. Comparison of us and Russian Film Promotion Tools
- •2.3. Main Differences in Promotion Strategies
- •3. Research Methodology
- •3.1. Research Design
- •3.1.1. Research Approach
- •3.1.2 Research Strategy
- •3.2. Data Collection
- •3.2.1. Interviews
- •3.2.2. Questionnaires
- •3.2.3. Secondary Sources
- •3.3. Methodology of Evaluation
- •3.4. Validity and Reliability
- •4. Data Analysis
- •4.1. The American Film Promotion
- •4.1.1. Secondary Research
- •4.1.2. Survey Results
- •4.1.3. Interview Results
- •4.2. The Russian Film Promotion
- •4.2.1. Secondary Research
- •4.2.2. Survey Results
- •4.2.3. Interview Results
- •5. Conclusions
- •1) To give an overview of promotional tools and strategies in general and in the film industry in particular
- •2) To analyse us film promotion through examples
- •3) To review the Russian film industry with a focus on the promotional aspect
- •4) To compare different ways of promotion in the two countries
- •5) To summarise a list of strategies that can benefit the Russian film industry
5. Conclusions
The aim of the dissertation was to identify the most effective film promotion strategies used in the American film industry and choose those that could be adopted by Russia to make Russian film industry far more profitable than it is currently.
For a conclusion a reevaluation of the Research Objectives is necessary.
1) To give an overview of promotional tools and strategies in general and in the film industry in particular
These were described in the Literature Review section. The American film industry which started to develop in the 1950s and is still successful to date, the Russian film industry development was slowed by the political situation of the 1990s and is still in the process of recovering.
General promotional tools which were analysed were based on the work by Broderick and Pickton from the point of view of marketing communication tools. Promotional tools and strategies specific to the film industry were analysed according to Kerrigan’s work on film marketing.
The most profitable strategies used by the American film industry are release and post-release. At the release strategy stage traditional, the Internet, social media advertising, international and domestic exhibitions are used. At the post-release strategy stage sales promotion, merchandising and Internet advertising are utilised.
2) To analyse us film promotion through examples
This objective was discussed in both the Literature Review and Data Analysis sections. Hollywood film promotion companies spend between $30 to $50 million for domestic promotion campaigns alone. As shown in the secondary data analysis the American Lionsgate spent in excess of $50 million for film promotion worldwide, for example Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which earned more than $800 million in return making it one of the most profitable films of 2013.
In addition, American film promoters always use post-release film promotion strategies. For example, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 was the top selling DVD in 2013. This helped the film to earn an additional $72 million.
Interview results demonstrated the most effective promotion strategies to attract film audiences. The head of 20th Century Fox Promotion confirmed that all available resources are used for attracting viewers. The example used was Avatar where no manpower or resources were spared for the promotion campaign. This included over one hundred people working on the campaign with the budget of $90 million. Immediately following the premiere a post-release strategy was prepared, using sponsorship deals and merchandising.
Questionnaire results demonstrated the expectations of the average American moviegoer and the film companies’ success in fulfilling those expectations.
The majority of responses confirmed the importance of film promotion at the stage of release, whether it is through the Internet, social media, television or word-of-mouth advertising. The survey also confirms the use of multiple promotional by American film companies.