Identifying Marketing Techniques

Film marketing involves the activities and strategies filmmakers use to promote and bring in audiences for their films. It is known that major studios have a wide array of financial and business resources for promoting their feature films, which they start preparing very early in the filmmaking process's development phase. 

Short films, on the other hand, are often hard to promote because they are not always eligible for many of the traditional distribution channels. The process of creating awareness and excitement about a short film is therefore more difficult and, depending on the type of short film that is produced, certain promotional strategies are more effective than others.

However, there are two essential functions of film marketing. These are audience awareness and audience interest, which are the basis of a successful marketing campaign.

Most media products generate awareness using three main practices: 

• Media - this can include the use of broadcast and digital advertising, which promote mass awareness.
• Publicity - this typically includes the use of influencers and reviews, which is significantly effective due to the two-step flow of communication model; by allowing influencers to form the opinion of their followers.
• Distribution - this specifically refers to the release of official trailers, posters, press-releases and cinematic distribution, which promote word of mouth and attracts attention from possible target audiences.

Generating interest in films, on the other hand, involves the following: 

• Creative advertising - more recently, this involves creating bite-sized content to reach diverse audiences and broaden interest, which can include teasers, memes and TikToks.
• Social media - many production companies are seen to organically seed 'like-minded' communities to engage with their content, which involves the act of sharing, reposting and retweeting social media posts about certain films.
• Word of mouth - this is known as the process of telling people you know about a particular media product, usually because you think it is good and want to encourage others to watch it.

Moreover, when researching about Netflix and its dominance in digital marketing, I learned about its effective strategies and key principles. Its target market is young and digitally connected individuals, while maintaining an audience of diverse age groups who rely on personalised content.

In fact, Netflix is best known for its customer-centricity and integrated viewing experience. The streaming service focuses on creating a relationship with its customers by engaging them personally and allowing them to access media from any device. Additionally, the platform is continuously updated with new features to gain maximum engagement; most recently, Netflix introduced a library of games you can play as part of your subscription. 

Most importantly, Netflix knows how to create enthusiasm towards its upcoming projects. The streaming service believes in an authentic voice by communicating with its audience like a fan - this can be seen through the company's social media pages. The platform has an interactive communication channel that boosts awareness and allows the audience to be involved. They are quick to hop onto existing social media trends and build on great customer relationships.

For my own short film, I plan to focus on social media marketing. This is due to the popularity it has gained and how accessible it is - specifically to my target audience, which involves teenagers and young adults.