Research, Testing, Target Audience and Strategy
Research - GMTR would acquire qualitative research to explore perceptions, attitudes and motivations from time to time from industry factions and exhibitors along with quantitative research on audiences exhibiting certain behaviors, attitudes, etc.. Other research would be collating and analysis of secondary data that already exists for distribution of movies and other significant data for decision making and strategy development.
Audience Tests - These audience tests help to:
- Finalize movie editing
- Determine audience targets
- Optimize screen rollout
- Focus advertising and publicity direction
- Optimize advertising and publicity spending
- Determine Playability versus Marketability
The Target Audience - Once the audience is defined, the marketing plan for exploiting the film can be finalized. The marketing plan includes advertising, publicity and promotion with a budget for the film’s distribution.
Strategy - "If the strategy is right, it will transcend poor implementation and performance. But good performance and implementation will not save a poor strategy."
Try to select the movies that the audience needs. To exceed audience expectations and not leave them with the feeling of getting "ripped off". The movie has to work for the audience in order to “get legs”. There is good and bad word-of-mouth and so the success of the marketing and distribution rest mainly on the film’s acceptance. Marketing decisions determine if the movie is for theatrical release, direct to television sale, direct over Internet release or direct to DVD sale.
Focus: on the target audience’ needs
Means: Integrated marketing
End: Profits for participants through audience satisfaction
Top Five GMTR Practices
- Planning
- Research
- Adequate Financing for Each Release
- Great Film Management
- Effective and Efficient Marketing
Top Five Priorities
- Understating the movie and the audience for the movie
- Determining the film roll-out target [theater, TV, DVD, domestic, foreign]
- Determining the marketing and distribution budget to maximize profits
- Generate maximum sales revenues
- Maximize participant profits
Grass Roots Marketing - GMTR came up with grass roots marketing concepts 25 years ago. This approach is what we call "getting close to your audience". The tactics vary from military marketing from the top, Pentagon, to inviting ministers and leaders to view the film locally. This practice drifts into Internet communication networking techniques.
Expectations are what people buy, not things. The audience's anxieties build up after the purchase decision is made. It helps to understand before the purchase how the customer’s expectations are shaped by the promises and behavior of the distributor. If you promise that this is the Number One Hit This Year, A Home Run. I Love this Movie, A Stunning Movie Experience, #1 Movie in America, The Best Picture of the Year, It’s the Movie to See Right Now,----If you promise the moon, it is reasonable for the audience to expect it!
Partners GMTR relies on the Partners for implementation of these important strategies.
Additional Information
- Our Mission and Vision
- Our Partners
- President of GMT Releasing
- Celebrity Tours, Movie Releases, Grass Roots Marketing
Release Slate 2012 -- 2013
Related Sites
- Creative Movie Accounting
- GMT Studios
- Divided Roads
- GMT World Television Network [in beta testing] (Founding Stockholders)