Music lessons from Mean Girls, Wonka and more

Marketing is often thought of as selling ideas, dreams, or just plain old stuff and getting people excited about new products and services. In doing so, it is clear that avoiding misunderstandings is a requirement for all modern he CMO efforts, as the importance of transparent marketing is undoubtedly increasing day by day.Honesty, Indeed, this seems to be the best policy.

An interesting area with a long history is the use of trailers in movie marketing. It’s long been used as a primary way for studios to build awareness and publicity for upcoming releases, and it’s definitely an art form in its own right.

After a hugely successful opening weekend, Wonka is expected to gross $40 million in its opening weekend and continues to do well in 2024. The movie behind the scenes stars Timothee Chalamet, one of the girlfriends of the most famous actors in the world at the moment. , he can also add musician to his resume – on the UK Songs Chart, Chalamet debuted at number 78 with the film’s song, “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This.”

Ok, that’s all very So far so interesting, but what does this have to do with marketing?

If you watched the early trailers for Wonka, you’d be forgiven for not realizing it was a musical movie. Wonka This is not the only thing. An interesting recent report outlines how other films will perform, including: mean girls and the color purple It also seems to have released a trailer that potentially “strategically” omits hints of the songs being present, obscuring the fact that the latter two were even adapted directly from the stage musical version.

The successful trend continues towards the final release. mean girls It reportedly added another $11.7 million in its second weekend of release, bringing the film’s domestic total to $50 million, but for many it was completely unknown that it was a musical. Despite that.

So how important is it that a trailer is an accurate summary of the movie it advertises? Why would it (seemingly) avoid aspects of the movie that are ostensibly important selling points?

This strategy potentially ignores the fact that many musicals are a unique and cherished genre, celebrated for their incredibly emotional storytelling over decades of film history. It seems like it does. Of course, in the ever-evolving film landscape, the lines between different genres often become quite blurred, but creating trailers that are divorced from the content of the film itself is a missed opportunity to reach new audiences. Will that be the case?

Post-pandemic, cinema remains a fragile market, trying to come to terms with streaming and mobile content, but trailers that aren’t entirely truthful can mislead potential audiences, turn expectations away, or even Worse, it may disappoint future audiences. Are you expecting something different?

As exhibitors fight hard to retain their audiences and maintain customer loyalty, this all seems like a strategy designed to lose customers, or is it actually an intelligent strategy? Is it highly targeted marketing?

In the Wonka example, by strategically downplaying or omitting musical elements in a film, its marketers were able to attract a broader audience that might not normally be drawn to the musical genre. You may be trying. After all, not every musical can be a success. la la land or frozen Franchise (see Steven Spielberg’s work) west side story) – Considering the film’s continued success, this may have been a very wise decision, no matter how much Mr. Chalamet’s fans clearly liked the songs included here. not.

Slightly misleading trailers and promotional materials are of course nothing new in the world of movies, but the situation is complicated.For example, the 2011 blockbuster comedy bridesmaids Although the trailer appears to intentionally draw a direct comparison to its blockbuster predecessor, using similar artwork and editing. the hangover – more intentionally outrageous comedy. However, the actual movie is often seen as a much more subtle affair. It is a poignant exploration of female friendship, commitment, and life’s disappointments, yet still includes elements of comedy seen in marketing campaigns. So perhaps this is actually an example of clever marketing. By luring people in with the promise of a familiar formula, Bridesmaids was successful in building an audience. On the other hand, a more “honest” trailer may have turned off potential fans.

The driving force may be the influence of word of mouth (WOM) before and after a film’s release. Research shows that WOM is strongest in the lead-up to a film’s release, which is also when it’s most positive, or what’s known as “hype.” WOM becomes significantly more critical after a film’s release week, and only after that does it affect continued sales, but the argument seems valid, but by then it has already brought in big numbers. (I’m not kidding).

Whether it’s considered deceptive or clever marketing, questions still arise about transparency and the expectations placed on movie audiences. Will this betrayal deter moviegoers from trusting future marketing campaigns? As movie theaters repeatedly declare and emerge from bankruptcy, they revive the everyday habit of seeing movies on the beautiful big screen. Marketers may be willing to continue betting on winning strategies in a world where they are desperately trying to do just that. Let’s hope they continue to be successful no matter what happens.

Considerations for all CMOs

Compared to other sectors, CMOs argue that their audiences deserve full transparency in advertising their products, but perhaps not all the details of what their customers are buying. How many are there?

As 2024 begins, it might be a good time to consider the level of integrity in your marketing strategy and consider whether it’s time to improve things or change direction completely. Consider:

1. Could your current marketing strategy turn away new audiences for your product?

2. Are there new customers you can reach with a more “creative” or surprising approach?

3. How do your current customers feel about the positioning of your end product? Will this affect their continued purchase intent?

4. How can your marketing impact your partners’ and distributors’ ability to sell products? Are you making their lives easier or harder?

There are many things for marketing leaders to consider.

What do you think is the best trailer of all time? Matrix Resurrections.

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