INVOLVING AUDIENCES IN VIRAL CAMPAIGNS

PROMETHEUS as an example of what kind of marketing is possible for entertainment.
By Hunter Bird (Director)

Love it or hate it, you can't deny the buzz that Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS generated for itself.

CoCreate did an in-depth article about the targeting marketing plan that the movie implemented to attract audiences.

 

To summarize the trajectory of the marketing plan:

• The above "TED" Talk went viral. It's placed on Youtube and on the official TED website.
• The hub for the online content, Weyland Industries site, went online, with limited digital content as well as hidden content for users who explored in-depth enough (enough to decipher the hidden Morse code message blinking from a star on one of the pages.)
• Based on signups, "Investors" (the name given to users who registered with the online campaign) were emailed with exclusive content, as well as a preview for additional content.
• Coinciding with Wondercon, a slew of new digital content became available on the website, including a secret video which was sent to fans' phones.
• The campaign then put out job searches on LinkedIn for Weyland Corporation in order to take part in the "Training Center experience"
• Partnering with Microsoft, the website launched a puzzle game that allowed users additional content (and cross platformed to facebook, which yielded additional puzzle clues)
• An additional website, Discover New Worlds, was released. The website featured new content, as well as a multi-website search which yielded new content.
• Finally, at the end of the movie, a logo of the "company" was displayed, as well as the tagline "Building Better Worlds Since 10.11.12" and a url listing to this site.

According to the Creative Director of Ignition Interactive (the company responsible for this campaign), Chris Eyerman stated, "The key is to never pre-package the answers. Insert gaps in the right places and create an environment where people are compelled to talk to each other to get the whole story."

I think about what this could mean for theaters, or the way marketing for shows could occur outside of the theater. The closest example I could think of is Pundrunks' Sleep No More. The website is of the world of the show, and not necessarily of our consumer world. Therefore, the digital content becomes an extension of the world of the show, rather than simple digital content advertising the show as a product. So, users have the chance to continue to interact with the show outside of the theatrical experience. 

I'm not advocating this for every theatrical experience at ALL. (Lord knows I don't need to explore Phantombook or a Leap of Faith twitter account.)

But, continuing to expand theatrical worlds through digital content seems like an exciting new marketing strategy to continue user-interface with the experiences of a show outside of the theater.

HUNTER BIRD Hunter is a director, producer, Angelino, and coffee addict. www.hunter-bird.com
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Comments

[Kimberly Lew (Playwright/Blogger)]

I didn't realize the extent of Prometheus' marketing campaign! It definitely reminds me of Sleep No More-- especially how Punchdrunk's online game Gallow Green actually engaged audience members in puzzles and riddles that led to actual meet-ups.

[karmeck360]

Hey fellow Wednesday blogger!

We love your post and wanted to join in the conversation. We think that Theater IS getting hip to clever social media. I mean... who doesn't love the cast of Anything Goes covering OneDirection(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_PX_LCotTc) ? It went viral (Perez picked it up...) and is a great example of theatre extending beyond it's traditional reach. Long running shows can totally benefit from viral exposure. I feel like it wakes people up and reminds them that the show is still alive, kicking, and tied into popular culture. Wicked shows up on Cupcake Wars -- and boom, new crossover audience for the green gal.

Theatre DOES realize that it needs more than thrilling performance clips. We are more interested in a cool graphichy display of the tony season or in a behind the scenes poke at celebs on bway then a performance clip. we have Music Theatre mondays for performance clips.

In terms of making social media launch a show though -- this is where it gets tricky. Bway shows do not have an epic gestation period like movies. Can't create an epic viral social media strategy. Sometimes a show opens in like a WEEK -- Everyday Rapture, or closes in a DAY -- Glory Days. Social media is ALWAYS an afterthought... (typical ad mtg: Producer: We are not selling soy well...we need more twitter!) and NEVER something folks want to spend money on.

For small limited engagement shows, this makes sense to be frugal -- they might only have 2K facebook likes and 60% of those folks aren't even in New York. Social media is talking to a small segment of folks, many of whom have already seen the show, and the rest who probably won't make it to the city before it closes.

What makes or breaks a show is that Times review really. Not a creative social media campaign. Because the ticket buyer, STILL, is a 65 yr old woman from Ohio or Northern New Jersey who still subscribes to the hard copy of the Sunday New York Times. Maybe her 27 yr old daughter who lives in Manhattan tells her that the South Park people are doing a musical and it's worth seeing. But that buzz is ultimately based on a good product (the show itself), not its packaging.

We hope that Bway theatre will move into the digital future and take a cue from the geniuses behind the Prometheus strategy. But it's challenging when the money, the expertise, the time, and the potential online audience to converse with isn't there.

If only we could call upon Peter Weyland to "To settle for nothing short of greatness." Time to Change the World, Bway!

- Morgan & Lindsay (http://bit.ly/karmeck360)