Hollywood marketers are awash in consumer activity data in real time from cyberspace that sometimes point to a need to pivot, according to last week’s Variety Marketing Visionary Awards Presented by Spotify. Hollywood movie marketers have a full plan at the get-go, but the mindset is to be alert to implementing mid-course corrections as well as planned late-stage new … [Read more...] about Film Campaigns Pivot on Datapoints
Film Tie-ins Rebound at Restaurant Chains
Movie tie-in promotions, which were snuffed out by the pandemic, are gradually returning. Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., which are both owned by CKE Restaurants, just announced a tie-in with “Jurassic World Dominion,” while Applebee’s unveiled a promotion mid-month with “Top Gun: Maverick.” Universal Pictures premieres the sixth full-length theatrical film of the dinosaur yarn … [Read more...] about Film Tie-ins Rebound at Restaurant Chains
Rattled Video Streamers Tackle ‘Churn’
Experiencing sudden chaos from an unexpected leveling of growth, Netflix, Disney+ and other subscription video-on-demand (S-VOD) services are shoring up their economics, trying to curb costly customer churn. Hot competition among S-VOD platforms made for lax industry practices such as generous account sharing; signups with no contracts allowing for quick cancellations; and … [Read more...] about Rattled Video Streamers Tackle ‘Churn’
Cinema Rises From the Dead
After pundits emphatically proclaimed cinema-is-dead/won’t ever come back during the 2020-21 pandemic lockdown, exhibition enjoys a surprisingly swift comeback in 2022. That bounce-back is well deserved. The reasons? Competition from video streaming suddenly diminished when downbeat Netflix earnings April 19 lowered the perceived sky-is-the-limit upside of video … [Read more...] about Cinema Rises From the Dead
Movies Embracing In-House Data Amid Crackdown
A regulatory crackdown promoting online privacy makes in-house consumer lists more valuable, because of restrictions on similar lists if compiled by third parties. That drives Hollywood to marketing lists plucked from exhibitor rewards/loyalty programs — like the Marcus Theatres slide pictured — and film distributors' direct-to-consumer initiatives. Granular consumer data — … [Read more...] about Movies Embracing In-House Data Amid Crackdown
‘Ambulance’ Cinema Stumble Blamed on Netflix
The boxoffice stumble of Universal Pictures’ action thriller “Ambulance” is blamed on Netflix streaming original movies in the action-adventure genre, diminishing audience desire to hoof to cinemas for the same. Helmed by pedigree action-film director Michael Bay, R-rated “Ambulance” ranked fourth the past weekend with a weak $8.7 million in boxoffice for the three-day … [Read more...] about ‘Ambulance’ Cinema Stumble Blamed on Netflix
Deleted Scene Reignites ‘The Batman’ Buzz
A 5-minute deleted scene just posted online for cinema blockbuster “The Batman” creates a post-premiere wave of publicity and, more importantly, sets up a sequel movie and TV series for fans of the comic book-adaptation franchise. The posted polished scene that is not in the PG-13-rated movie is dark and visually blurry. In it, Batman (portrayed by Robert Pattinson) … [Read more...] about Deleted Scene Reignites ‘The Batman’ Buzz
Tiny ‘Frequent’ Demo Drives Boxoffice
Cinema is still a “frequent moviegoer” affair. Major studio trade group the Motion Picture Association estimates that 3 percent of the U.S./Canada population accounts for an outsized 34 percent of movie ticket sales. That 3 percent that drive cinema economics are “frequent” attendees, defined as individuals that buy at least 12 movie tickets a year, according to the MPA. … [Read more...] about Tiny ‘Frequent’ Demo Drives Boxoffice
Financier Disses Pairing VOD With Cinema
A financier that invested billions of dollars in producing films with Warner Bros. Pictures asserts in a lawsuit that simultaneous streaming with cinema premieres diminishes economic return, especially from piracy spawned by streaming. Australian media company Village Roadshow (VRS) sued Warners for premiering its calendar 2021 film slate (17 theatricals) on corporate … [Read more...] about Financier Disses Pairing VOD With Cinema
Netflix Touts Its Films in Super Bowl Blitz
Video streamers and Hollywood personalities took center stage in pricey Super Bowl commercials and eight movie-focused spots were in the mix yesterday. In an endorsement of the film genre that many pundits overlook, Netflix bought a long 60-second spot simply touting its movie slate dubbed “Movie Preview and the Adam Project” (“Project Adam” is an original supernatural … [Read more...] about Netflix Touts Its Films in Super Bowl Blitz