Film marketing

The film marketing landscape has changed significantly over the past 15 years. Similarly, academic research on film marketing has followed these changes. In common with wider trends in the marketing and consumption field, predominantly facilitated by the development of Web 2.0, film marketing is in a process of shifting from traditional new product development to new forms of engagement with consumers. In doing so, film marketers can embrace the power of the crowd, both in funding and developing film, to aiming for the spreadability that Jenkins et al. (2013) signal is the (near) future for producers of cultural or entertainment products, such as film. Therefore it is timely to consider where we stand in relation to current academic research on film marketing and consumption. Before we move on, it is important to consider what exactly we mean by the term film marketing. Durie et al. (2000: 5) defined film marketing as “any activity that assists a film in reaching its target audience at any time throughout its life.” This broad definition implies that film marketing encompasses a range of activities, and as noted by Kerrigan (2010: 9) “begins at the new product development stage and continues through the formation of the project ideas, through production and into distribution and exhibition.” Therefore, it is necessary to consider the key stakeholders at each of these stages, as well as to acknowledge, as Kerrigan and Yalkin (2009) did, that film marketing as a research area should not stop at the exhibition stage, but must consider value creation and recreation activities that take place for and between consumers before, during and after film consumption.