Movies Get Smart(er) Connecting with Fans
This weekend we headed to the movies. That should be a place where I turn off thoughts of interactive and social media opportunities, but no it often fuels the flame more. As we saw the movie trailers roll in, I was surprised to see that movie studios are no longer promoting their movie microsites by URL, but pointing movie-goers to the movie's Facebook Fan page directly -- marketing www.facebook.com/movietitle, for example.
Is this the death of the movie microsite?
I wouldn't say that, you'll just see movie sites also include social media extensions, including Facebook Fan pages, like the upcoming comedy re-make Get Smart (microsite | Facebook Fan Page). Movie marketing is now "going where the conversations are happening" (@jowyang credit) and allowing fans to engage, interact and evangelize for the film. (There's a comment here on Snakes on a Plane, but that's a whole other blog post in retrospect.)
What happens when movie studios really get it?
Dark Night takes connecting with fans to a level I feel is unparalleled. In this case, here is an example of movie marketing that understands the true power of every tool within the interactive toolbox.
In the case of Dark Night, for example, this Batman episodic blockbuster has created an amazing viral and community campaign, which IMHO is extraordinary. (Thanks to @melonhead for being an early fan on this one since 2007.) Through his tweets and emails, as an excited fan, he shared the story that unfolded for him as a registered fan. Dark Night used a microsite / online game interactive strategy to lure and feed fans with tidbits of information all along the way with a Scavenger Hunt , Top Secret Access, and live Gotham City sites, like the "ACME Security Systems" corporate site and character sites, like I Believe in Harvey Dent Too that all play in to interacting with registered fans well before it even hit the radar for most movie-going consumers.
Dark Night goes well beyond what "conventional" social media marketing is. This is interactive on hard core bat juice!
Holy Cow, Batman!
Other Related Posts:
Interactive Marketing: A Dark Tale
The Dark Knight hype begins
Great observation. The studios are getting it. Imagine if Blair Witch were premiering now!
Posted by: Melanie Notkin | May 06, 2008 at 04:18 PM