Paramount's marketing strategy

[Temis the Vorta]

I've seen this topic mentioned in various threads, but there doesn't seem to be a thread devoted solely to the strategy behind the ads, fast-food tie-ins, whether they're kissing fan-butt enough, etc.

To kick things off: Variety article on Paramount's marketing strategy.

With its new $125 million "Star Trek" relaunch, Paramount Pictures is hoping to boldly go where no recent installment in the venerable franchise has gone before: back to the youth demo.

...

Still, early tracking shows that the film, which is toplined by Chris Pine as Kirk and "Heroes" star Zachary Quinto as Spock, is most vulnerable in the under-25 demo. According to a recent poll conducted by MovieTickets.com, 44% of under-25s intend to see "Star Trek" opening weekend. By contrast, 67% of under-25s intend to see "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" during its opening frame, which falls one week before "Star Trek."


In response, Paramount has clearly shifted its campaign in the weeks leading up to the tentpole's bow. Studio execs declined to comment on the record about the campaign, but a marketing exec explained that Par is tapping into parent company Viacom's myriad youth-oriented platforms such as MTV, Spike, ESPN and Comedy Central.


...


The push to reach younger auds is also evident in the types of promotional partners Paramount has enlisted for "Star Trek." Burger King, considered among the edgier of the fast food chains, will go after younger males with "Trek"-themed TV spots, while eSurance — the preferred insurer for recent grads — is also onboard and has altered its ads to mirror the pic's space setting.


Industryites have been impressed with Paramount's seamless transition from targeting the older longstanding fans to the under-25 demo.


...



The studio hasn't forgotten the fanboy community, which has been firmly behind the pic for some time. Paramount even staged a surprise sneak screening of the pic this month in Austin for Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles and fans. But it remains to be seen whether the efforts aimed at the under-25 set will pay off with the increasingly fickle group — though newer fans do seem intrigued by the casting and impressive special effects, as well as by Abrams.

Either way, the overtures to the under-25 set seem to be essential given the uphill battle Paramount marketing execs also face selling the film abroad. The "Star Trek" film franchise has never translated as well overseas as other tentpoles, grossing far less internationally than domestically. Paramount is hoping to turn this around, the way that Warner Bros. has done with its reboot of the "Batman" franchise

...

Ultimately, rival studios say if the movie is good, Paramount will likely succeed in introducing a new and perhaps globe-spanning generation to the classic franchise. The pic has been screened for exhibs, who expect the movie to be a strong earner.

 

[DEWLine]

"Fanboy community...firmly behind the pic for some time"?

They don't know the fandom at all, do they?

 

[tauntme]

Yea, Paramount didn't realize that some fanboys could become so cynical.

 

[USSPhilippi]

"parent company Viacom's myriad youth-oriented platforms such as MTV, Spike, ESPN and Comedy Central"

Last I checked, ESPN is owned by Disney.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

"Fanboy community...firmly behind the pic for some time"?

They don't know the fandom at all, do they?

They seem to know us pretty well. Despite all the caterwauling in the topics here, even on this hard-core site we've rarely had a poll concerning any aspect of this movie other than the look of the Enterprise itself that didn't break at least 9-to-1 in favor of the movie.

People who have complaints tend to be more vocal in almost any arena than folks who are satisfied. As voting in polls requires less time and effort than posting, there's broader participation from the registered membership here than in the online conversations.

The fanboy community will be at the theatres in droves on May 7 and 8th, and everyone knows it regardless of what they pretend. It's the rest of the world that the studio needs to get interested.

What I find much funnier in that article is that even Variety - about as professional and authoritative a publication as exists concerning the entertainment business - refers to "Star Trek Insurrection" as "the last film in the franchise." They haven't just mixed up the titles here, as they identify its release date correctly (1998). So just like some of the less generally reliable sites they seem to have forgotten altogether that "Nemesis" was ever released.

Also interesting that Paramount refs the film's budget as 125 million. The 150 million figure has crept into reporting within the last few months; early reports pegged it at 120 million. Wonder what it'll turn out to have been. I see that sites like Boxofficemojo now routinely place the budget of ST:TMP at 35 million; the figure bandied about at the time it was released and for some years after was ten million higher than that.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

"Fanboy community...firmly behind the pic for some time"?

They don't know the fandom at all, do they?

They seem to know us pretty well. Despite all the caterwauling in the topics here, even on this hard-core site we've rarely had a poll concerning any aspect of this movie other than the look of the Enterprise itself that didn't break at least 9-to-1 in favor of the movie.

People who have complaints tend to be more vocal in almost any arena than folks who are satisfied. As voting in polls requires less time and effort than posting, there's broader participation from the registered membership here than in the online conversations.

The fanboy community will be at the theatres in droves on May 7 and 8th, and everyone knows it regardless of what they pretend. It's the rest of the world that the studio needs to get interested.

Excellent post and I agree with absolutely all of it.

What I find much funnier in that article is that even Variety - about as professional and authoritative a publication as exists concerning the entertainment business - refers to "Star Trek Insurrection" as "the last film in the franchise." They haven't just mixed up the titles here, as they identify its release date correctly (1998). So just like some of the less generally reliable sites they seem to have forgotten altogether that "Nemesis" was ever released.

Which is absolutely a good thing as I think the majority of us want to forget it was ever released either. Talk about a movie that phoned it in.

 

[CaptainHawk1]

"parent company Viacom's myriad youth-oriented platforms such as MTV, Spike, ESPN and Comedy Central"

Last I checked, ESPN is owned by Disney.

I don't think thay a referring to Viacom properties, I think they are simply referring to the platforms that Viacom has chosen to really go fulll force on advertising with to target the under 25 demographic.

What's interesting to note is that they are going very light on SciFi channel Marketing because they know they've got that market locked up. I don't blame them.

What will be interesting to see is how effective that specific marketing on said networks does in the next few weeks.

 

[seadweller]

International promotion, ha yer right.

3 weeks till release and...

UK - no posters, no TV spots.
Australia - no posters, no TV spots.
New Zealand - no posters, no TV stops.
Japan - no posters, no TV spots.

Yep, Paramount is sure going all out for Star Trek internationally. It's pathetic.

Wolverine is all over the place. The film will suck compared to ST but it's so puhsed via TV spots, posters that it just won't matter.

Cmon Paramount, sell the dam thing outside the USA.

 

[Skywalker]

Man, I hate reading Variety articles. Too many stupid nicknames for various topics.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

"Fanboy community...firmly behind the pic for some time"?

They don't know the fandom at all, do they?

AICN = fanboy community.

 

[Aragorn]

Yea, Paramount didn't realize that some fanboys could become so cynical.

I'd replace cynical with self-important, self-righteous, elitist, narrow-minded, clannish, delusional, etc.

 

[Aike]

Also interesting that Paramount refs the film's budget as 125 million. The 150 million figure has crept into reporting within the last few months; early reports pegged it at 120 million.

Anthony Pascale over at Trekmovie.com has written that he believed that the 150 million dollar figure included the marketing budget of the movie.

 

[Aike]

International promotion, ha yer right.

3 weeks till release and...

UK - no posters, no TV spots.
Australia - no posters, no TV spots.
New Zealand - no posters, no TV stops.
Japan - no posters, no TV spots.

Yep, Paramount is sure going all out for Star Trek internationally. It's pathetic.
.

I agree.

Here in Sweden the only marketing for the movie so far has been the trailer before Watchmen.

Paramount/UIP didn´t even run a trailer before the Swedish mainstream sci-fi movie "Kenny Starfighter", which opened a month ago. Talk about a missed opportunity.

Wolverine will crush Trek here. I have seen stand ups of Wolverine and posters for the movie since the middle of March in my local movie theatre, which is among the five biggest in the country.
They even started running TV spots in late March.

Obviously, if Trek tanks at the box office in Sweden doesn´t matter. The problem is if this will be the case in many of the smaller and middle-sized markets. Those tens of million dollars could be decisive whether or not there will be a sequel.

 

[pookha]

i dont know if this has anything to do with looks like a major snafu on the part of paramount pictures international in the oversees promotion but they just recently lost one of their vp's to marvel..

marketing vp leaves

Douglas Finberg has been named Executive Vice President International Marketing of Marvel Studios, the Hollywood subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL). In his new role, Finberg will be responsible for developing and overseeing the worldwide marketing campaigns for the studio’s slate of upcoming films, including IRON MAN 2 (May 7, 2010), THOR (May 20, 2011), THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN
AMERICA (July 22, 2011) and THE AVENGERS (May 4, 2012). Finberg joins Marvel from Paramount Pictures where he served as Senior Vice President International Marketing for Paramount Pictures International

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Probably not - executives move from studio to studio all the time - it's a commonplace, as in any other business. It rarely throws a major glitch into this kind of operation.

 

[seadweller]

There is apparently no marketing strategy outside the USA, unless ZERO promotion is a new strategy.

It's an excellent film that could make alot of money outside the USA but it is destined to make about what Nemesis made if they don't promote it.

 

[pookha]

Probably not - executives move from studio to studio all the time - it's a commonplace, as in any other business. It rarely throws a major glitch into this kind of operation.

so were is the overseas publicity on this film.
it has been really go here in the states but we had heard it for awhile and now two weeks out it isnt getting better.

i mean if they really want trek to have an international market like they seem to be saying elsewhere then it isnt going to happen.
not just with a premiere here and there.

hello rob moore you need to get in touch with your international marketing people..

 

[Lumen]

It is strange. Obviously I don't live in Europe or Asia but you'd think they'd have media campaigns accompanying the cast as they fly around the world. Maybe they're planning to push it closer to the film, though.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

so were is the overseas publicity on this film.

What, you mean the big gala premieres in countries all over the world, ahead of the American premiere, where the stars and producers are available to the international press etc? Several countries a week,in fact?

You mean that overseas publicity?

No, you mean that some folks aren't seeing nearly as much paid advertising this week as would make them comfortable. That's fair, but to confuse it with the notion that Paramount isn't executing a pretty ambitious international campaign - the current details of which you may not agree with - is a little silly.

 

[M'Sharak]

I suspect that they're simply following the prevailing marketing and promotion models for those overseas/non-U.S. markets.

While it may be customary in the States to begin the hype months in advance -- heck, you'd think Christmas here was September now, going by when the advertising push cranks up -- comments I've seen suggest that two or three weeks in advance of the general release date is more the norm for movie promotion elsewhere. We've had several European premieres in the last week and London's is tomorrow, if I recall correctly, so I think we may see the pace picking up significantly any time now, including those posters and TV adverts people say they haven't been seeing yet.