Brand Marketing How To: Create A Promotional Partnership With A Movie, For Free
Stacy Jones
Founder + CEO of Hollywood Branded, leading creative agency for pop culture. Product Placement, Celebrity/Influencers, Branded Partnerships. Writer. Host of Marketing Mistakes (+ How To Avoid Them) podcast. Speaker.
There is a reason why you see brands craft mega campaigns around movie releases. Movie partnerships can create significant consumer engagement - and they get your attention. They can also get a reluctant movie partner to agree to create a very substantial product placement within the film - such as Heineken taking over the infamous martini in Bond.
One of the best ways to engage consumers through entertainment is with a quality entertainment partner such as a feature film. And best yet - brands can often do this with NO FEE paid to the content owner by leveraging their advertising content and retail space in exchange for a limited window of access to the licensed IP of the film. Product placement is not required to make these promotional partnerships become home runs (although that sure can make it an even bigger brand win.)
These silver screen partnerships require true strategic thought to determine how to create mutually beneficial alliances best - as you are going to need to sell the movie studio in on why YOUR brand is the one they should work with. Just as they will be at the same time (hopefully if they are indeed the right partner), selling your team in on why this specific film partnership is the one you should be sinking your teeth into and wrapping your ad campaign around. The partnership needs to equally benefit both the studio/production partner and the brand.?
These types of strategic content partnerships can extend well beyond movies with the opportunity to leverage TV content, streaming content, and even music videos - often able to be done without incurring licensing fees.
Promotional Benefits
A comprehensive content promotional partnership platform that utilizes the brand's planned media and retail footprint provides not only provides brand differentiation in a crowded marketplace it also provides:
Feature film owners – both the studio and the executive production team and many of the streaming platforms – find it beneficial to partner with a brand and actively seek these marketing partnerships.
Studios have two primary costs to filmmaking: creating the film and marketing the film. When the 'right' brand partnerships are formed, the studio wins by reducing their overall costs to market the movie by using the brand's media dollars planned near the film's release to reach consumers. The studio also looks for ways to market to consumers in places money can't (literally) buy, including the retail stores your brand is sold in and the packaging and point of sale signage of the brands in these stores.
More Impactful Product Placement
Want your brand truly highlighted within the property? Then consider supporting with a promotion. The benefit of a promotional partnership is that your brand is helping to drive awareness of the property. With a theatrical release, that means your brand will help sell movie tickets. With a streaming platform, your brand will help sell new sign-ups - or help people realize that highly desired content is available to be viewed on the platform. With music artists, your brand will help bring more awareness to the new song or album, again driving downloads and sales and helping the song make a more significant global impact.
When a promotion is attached to the film, the filmmakers are often more likely to ensure product placement opportunities exist - and remain in the final edit. The studio is aware of the importance of having brand partners implement a larger co-promotion and the potential ramifications of not supporting the film in terms of lost marketing dollars if the placement exposure does not occur.
Important (super important) to note - films can still be a great promotional fit even if the storyline does not allow natural product placement. Historical period productions often don't have product placement except for luxury brands, watches, and alcohol. That doesn't mean a storyline isn't an excellent fit for a brand to still leverage, along with incredible A-list star power. Historical productions are often less cluttered by other brands who often race to the biggest action or animated films on the market and can appeal to a different target demo - a much higher end. They can also be great films to build partnerships around for film festivals and get great press.?
The Cost Of Partnerships
There is typically no fee in the US paid directly to the production by the brand for this promotional opportunity, beyond costs to create the commercial content, outside of an agency fee to execute the day-to-day work and facilitation of activation. Internationally, payments can be required due to 3rd party representation of the films outside of the direct studio. Licensing fees may be in place for television properties, as the TV commercial model is still quite different from theatrical, and the IP is seen differently.?
Overall, the goal is to ensure that these are mutually beneficial opportunities for the brand and the production partner. The final campaign requirements are determined based on the planned media support, retail activations, and event/premiere party extensions. Ancillary licensing or talent fees are required in some cases based on the specific campaign needs - such as when one of the film's stars is needed to act or provide voice-overs in customized ads.?
Ready To Create A Promotional Partnership?
Take a look below at four suggested steps to ensure a successful promotion for your brand.
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1. Determine the Objective
The brand manager should first figure out what the overall goal is to achieve with the entertainment partner. The tighter the objective, the more rounded, on-target, and successful the promotional partnership. Things to consider include ways to:
2. Determine The Assets
The brand manager should then determine what assets the brand offers to utilize for the promotion. These may include:
3. Prepare A Letter Of Intent (LOI)
The next step is for the brand (or your agency!) to prepare a letter that outlines the promotion. Make sure you list your brand assets available to support the partnership and supply as many metrics as possible. If you are sold in x # of stores, list them. Include the location's foot traffic, as well. Remember to add what you want the partner to provide in exchange for this promotion.??
Do you need footage to create ads? Ask. Do you want to do a screening program in specific cities? Ask. What about a movie theater takeover in the lobby and ads run before the film plays? Ask. There is a theme here - ask, and you shall receive. Don't, and it likely won't be thought of or offered. This is where an agency that knows what they are doing will be able to truly help you leverage and build a customized partnership to the nth degree.?
4. Present To Property, Work Out The Kinks, And Execute!
The brand management team (and your agency) will need to work with the partner to establish timelines for deliverables due by both sides, as this will be the most essential part of keeping your promotion on track. When the campaign is activated, success will be ensured with consistent communication so that both sides can manage expectations. Any hurdles that arise can be openly and swiftly dealt with.??
Communication is the?most significant?area where these deals go wrong. Overly communicating and making sure all partners are on the same page, and stay on the same page, is incredibly important. You don't want to get lost in the shuffle, and there are a lot of important dates you need to focus on for approvals to ensure campaign success - and that it comes to life.?
The Next Steps
Things go awry. Often. It's all part of working in a very creative space with creative people. If you want to work with Hollywood, it's just a fact you will have to accept. There has never - EVER - been a project that I have worked on that has been utterly seamless from A to Z. There are always changes, always hurdles. Sometimes it means chaos. Ok, usually, it means a bit of a mess for at least a beat. But the result? Worth it. It's why brands who have figured out the power of co-promotional marketing with Hollywood return time and time.
The land of opportunity means many bright shiny objects distract and get attention - and you need to make sure that focus stays on your brand, and you remain top of mine. With few exceptions who have dialed it in after trial upon the trial of partnerships built out and tested, most brands will be well-served to enlist an agency specializing in the entertainment marketing space. Not only will the agency have proven experience, but the established relationships and overall industry know-how will ensure the brand is aware of all viable opportunities, where red flags may exist, and how to get around them. The agency will ensure you have all production assets and materials and remain your primary point to ensure a seamless process.
If you are interested in creating massive consumer awareness by leveraging what you already have in your marketing arsenal that can be positioned to be valuable to the production - shoot me a note. We can help. These are the types of campaigns we build every day.??
Head on over to?my agency blog on pop culture partnership insights - go to?https://blog.hollywoodbranded.com ?to read the latest from our team including:
Award season is here. The Film Independent's Spirit Awards are March 6th, kicking off the road to the Oscar. There are still red carpet event activation options available through the end of March, from gift bags to gifting lounges, pre-parties, brunches, and post-gala events. Send me a note and our team can chat ideas!