And so the debate goes on. Some might argue that the future of film distribution lies in online, while others have a more sceptical view of this issue. John Flahive managing director of Wavelength Pictures is yet to be convinced that the online experience can compete with a more traditional viewing experience. He argues that the industry has made money from audiences for whom a quality viewing experience matters.
I have to say that sometimes the cinema viewing experience can also let you down. Iâm thinking full-on air conditioning, uncomfortable seats and small fortune for a bag of popcorn verses home comforts and a nice glass of wine and most importantly a pause button.
But love it or hate it the cinema experience might not be the only way in which we view film in the future. But how can film distributors capitalize on the benefits of online rather than lose out to piracy and basically be beaten by the download bug in the same way that the music industry took a huge hit?
The answer could be found in social media. Actively involving audiences in a conversation and embracing UGC, while also distributing content and assets through social media channels. Lori McDaniel agrees and thinks that social media is the right bridge to connecting online distribution with profit saying âWhen companies realize that users crave the emotional connection and fun found in social media experiences, and when these experiences are tied to accessing content…voila…repeat business, brand loyalty, and profit.â
With 19.2million users visiting a social media site in January this channel of communication is gaining momentum. We would actively encourage film and entertainment clients to start listening and engaging in this space, in order to stay ahead of the game and above all at the top of the box office charts!
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All posts for the day August 12th, 2009
There are certainly no shortage of agencies offering social media tactics to brands however in our opinion almost all of this activity is crudely forcing a conventional advertising approach into this new social media environment.
Social media has disrupted the conventional marketing model. People are one click away from the perfect job, the ideal product, a damming video diary or the 5 star review. Access to, and control over, this information results in different behaviour and attitudes. We believe social media is disrupting markets and the result will be more profound than the introduction of the Internet.
On a more pragmatic level and to help brands get some context we suggest that social media is not dissimilar to branding for a number of reasons, firstly it’s very nebulous and as a new concept difficult for organisations to get their heads and arms around, secondly it’s about building reputation and that takes time to build. On the whole it is a long term investment which ultimately adds value in terms of brand equity and the impact of getting it right, or wrong, is organisation-wide, therefore representing a huge internal orchestration challenge.
Brands need to adopt different mindsets, models, approaches and strategies to meet their commercial objectives. Brands are starting to invest budgets in order to adapt to this change but they need an agency that has the ability to help them strategically navigate through, as opposed to just blindly rolling out tactics, regardless of how ‘cool’ they are.
Steve Sponder, Chief Digital Officer, Headstream
