Add to Amazon Wish List - Version: 1.0.0.0
Autopen - Email Signatures - Version: 0.8.0.1
RSS Subscription Extension (by Google) - Version: 2.0.3
Tab Menu - Version: 1.8.5

We believe that the movie industry has embraced social media in a big way. Not only do social networks and the Internet offer a direct connection to fans and potential consumers, but campaigns can be better targeted and better measured.Avatar, District 9, and Paranormal Activity are all good examples of what social media can do for a film.
Mashable had the opportunity to speak with some members of the marketing team at MGM Studios about the advertising campaign for the film Hot Tub Time Machine, the social-media component and the results so far.
Hot Tub Time Machine is a raucous comedy starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson and Clark Duke about four friends who live it up one night in a ski resort hot tub and wake up in the year 1986. ThinkThe Hangover meets Back to the Future.
The film opens in March. In its promotional campaign, MGM is placing an emphasis on word-of-mouth because it is now viewed as a vital component to a film’s success these days, especially for R-rated comedies. (Hot Tub Time Machine is awaiting a final MPAA rating but I have no doubt this is going to be an R-rated picture.) The Hangover was such a huge success because of its strong word of mouth.
To that end, MGM decided to take a cue from Paranormal Activity and its Eventful collaboration. The studio is launching a bunch of free preview screenings for fans to help build word of mouth surrounding the film. Fans can go to this site and volunteer to host a screening of the film. Hosts can invite nine of their friends, and everyone gets free popcorn and soda, a free t-shirt, and reserved seating. In addition, the host gets a special introduction before the show. If you can’t host a screening in your area, you can also sign up to attend the show for free.
Preview screenings aren’t a new concept, but marketing the screenings directly to fans and creating the type of hosting incentive that Hot Tub Time Machine is doing is pretty unique.
The preview screening campaign and engagement with social networks was born out of MGM’s marketing department. Michael Vollman, the Executive Vice President of Marketing, oversaw the campaign. Sara Bordo, who heads up Digital Marketing, was involved with the social media aspects of the project while Christine Batista, EVP of Marketing Placements and Promotions, has been overseeing the different screenings in cities across the country.
Yesterday, MGM launched the red band trailer for Hot Tub Time Machine via its website and to various movie blogs. Red band trailers contain profanity, sometimes brief nudity and more adult-content than a standard “green band” trailer. For films like Hot Tub Time Machine, these types of trailers are often popular online and can help build word of mouth. In addition to the trailer, MGM has also started spreading the word about theEventful
free preview screenings.
In addition to blogs, Facebook
and Twitter
, a big component of MGM’s outreach campaign for Hot Tub Time Machine was via MTV’s hit reality-show Jersey Shore. During last night’s finale, spots like the commercial embedded below aired, tying together the “hot tub” connections. Justin Slobig, the VP of Theatrical Marketing, oversaw the trailer and the Jersey Shore spot.
As this post was written, the highly anticipated movie, Avatar appeared on Twitter’s list of trending topics.Has social media made promoting a movie easier?
I guess so. History has confirmed it too. Think G.I Joe, Final Destination and Paranormal Activity, which proved their popularity on both Twitter and YouTube.
I have concluded that social media is a perfect match for movies. We love sharing videos and the latest stuff on social sites.
A new movie trailer, anyone?
Movie is social. Social is movie
What do you plan to do next weekend? Catch a movie with friends, perhaps? It is a social activity that many of us enjoy. It is also often a longer process than imagined; consisting of watching the trailer, talking about the movie, reading reviews, catching the real thing, and discussing about it after. Social sites like Twitter and Facebook are vehicles that facilitate this process. Movie is social and social is movie. We love sharing and discussing them.
Promoting A Movie
The industry sure knows how to leverage this opportunity. A cool trailer on YouTube could easily receive millions of views in a few days. Sometimes it doesn’t take much effort to gain exposure. A spoof video from a YouTube celebrity can aid greatly in promoting the movie. The latest that I know of were 2 Final Destination spoofs done by Shane Dawson and Amber Lee Ettinger. Both videos captured more than 6 million views combined.
It gets easier with social media
With Paranormal Activity achieving widespread social media success, it is apparent that more films would consider including social media into their promotion strategy. The message would be more convincing than a traditional ad if there was a buzz created by normal people. Unlike other products (e.g. healthcare), a movie is so much more sharable, making the task easier for movie marketers.
Stock photos powered by Pixmac
via penn-olson.com
Greg can be reached via email at GregSantos(at)Gmail.com or on social hubs like Google Buzz
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn