Social Media To Boost Your Movie Market and Brand Campaigns

 

Publicists Learn “How To Do Social Media” at EPPS Workshop


By George S. Mc Quade III
West Coast Bureau Chief


EPPS-ICG Workshop
 

If you want to do social media you need to engage your target audience and treat them intelligently. That was the overriding message at a sold-out Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) crowd at a media workshop on “How To Do Social Media.” It was sponsored by the International Cinematographers Union Local 600, Hollywood, CA.

“It is possible to measure ROI,” but according to Panelist Sally Falkow, Expansion Plus, “Campaigns take four to six weeks of research and strategy and can cost from several thousand dollars to millions. “We don’t go by retainer, but more by the project, because it really depends upon how much time is involved and how long your project runs,” she said.

Falkow was joined by a handful of social media experts, who offered tips and resources on “How To Do Social Media.”

“Movie fans and visitors love behind the scenes marketing of movies,” said Vice President Wayne Bennett of MOVIESET (www.movieset.com), which is based in Vancouver, B.C. The free membership site helps market movies via images, on-the-set interviews and constant blogging. 

Bennet, a 20 year TV and movie production veteran, uses his social media skills to assist television production and publicity departments.


“You have to type what’s going on behind the camera for fans all over the world,” Bennett explained. “It might be the director of photography on how he lit the shot, or in the case of Peter Jackson in King Kong, before Facebook, YouTube and Twitter; he was literally posting photos of prop guys, costume fittings with actors, on the scene location scouts activities and video blogs.   Jackson built this buzz that topped a million fans, who were already engaged in the process and the movie by the time he finished it for distribution.”

  The panel also briefly talked about Widgets, which can be placed on a site or blog, allowing interaction with the visitor without leaving the site. For example:  the Red Cross might have a widget on a blog, where you can donate directly to Haiti earthquake victims.   

Panelists also recommended the funneling all your social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, Twitter on one portal such as www.tweetdeck.com, where you can organize your feeds and tweets. 

  “Nonprofit organizations do not tell there story very well,” said President Larry Eason, DotOrgpower, Los Angeles.  The digital strategy and communications firm helps dot orgs harness the web and new media to achieve their goals. He works with cause leaders to expand their sense of what is possible Online. He claims to be an evangelist for the power of Online story-telling to move the public, donors and influentials. “You need to treat your audiences intelligently when telling your stories,” explained Eason. 

Eason pioneered the use of new media for the Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) starting a first-of-its-kind in-house media center, which was acquired by Virilion where he worked with cause and corporate clients such as eBay and Georgetown University.

“You need to target your community groups, mobile interaction, action platforms, and set your goal,” said Mac McLean, Click Communications, North Hollywood, CA. “Before forming Click Communications in May, 2007, McLean handled theatrical promotions, worked at a national advertising agency and did publicity for major studios.

Some panelists noted that 60 percent of the marketing campaigns are spent on social media strategy versus 40 percent on PR and Marketing. “It is one more layer of client management, but for a restaurant the goal is to get people in the door,” said Caroline Rustigian Bruderer, CEO of K-LINE 7 Co., Orange County.

While everyone thought the best way to market your film is social networking and the best marketing tool is Facebook with more than 400 million users other tactics surface.

“Every movie or TV project has a core audience, and the Internet is the most strategic way to get to those people," explained MOVIESET's Bennett.  "This allows you to do the EPK and other advertising much later.  The concept is the new promotion, and the sooner you engage your audience the sooner they are going to grab onto it, and follow the different phases to the point where you get to your last news release or airing. There will be much more information that surfaces to the top of Google than there would be by putting out a short release over six weeks."   

Entertainment companies and filmmakers are leveraging the power of social media by marketing their films to international audiences and building loyal audiences and communities around their work. Another tactic mentioned are RSS feeds, which in layman’s terms stands for real simple syndication or officially “rich site summary for delivering regularly changing web content.  All agreed that to increase web traffic PR pros need an RSS feed on their client's website or blog to whoever subscribes or wants the content.

MAYO PR - "We don't guarantee media, we just get it!"

Social Media Boosts Media Campaigns Experts Say

Publicists Learn “How To Do Social Media” at EPPS Workshop By George S. Mc Quade III West Coast Bureau Chief If you want to do social media you need to engage your target audience and treat them intelligently. That was the overriding message at a sold-out Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) crowd at a media workshop on “How To Do Social Media.” It was sponsored by the International Cinematographers Union Local 600, Hollywood, CA. “It is possible to measure ROI,” but according to Panelist Sally Falkow, Expansion Plus, “Campaigns take four to six weeks of research and strategy and can cost from several thousand dollars to millions. “We don’t go by retainer, but more by the project, because it really depends upon how much time is involved and how long your project runs,” she said. Falkow was joined by a handful of social media experts, who offered tips and resources on “How To Do Social Media.” “Movie fans and visitors love behind the scenes marketing of movies,” said Vice President Wayne Bennett of MOVIESET (www.movieset.com), which is based in Vancouver, B.C. The free membership site helps market movies via images, on-the-set interviews and constant blogging. Bennet, a 20 year TV and movie production veteran, uses his social media skills to assist television production and publicity departments.

“You have to type what’s going on behind the camera for fans all over the world,” Bennett explained. “It might be the director of photography on how he lit the shot, or in the case of Peter Jackson in King Kong, before Facebook, YouTube and Twitter; he was literally posting photos of prop guys, costume fittings with actors, on the scene location scouts activities and video blogs. Jackson built this buzz that topped a million fans, who were already engaged in the process and the movie by the time he finished it for distribution.”   

The panel also briefly talked about Widgets, which can be placed on a site or blog, allowing interaction with the visitor without leaving the site. For example:  the Red Cross might have a widget on a blog, where you can donate directly to Haiti earthquake victims.

Panelists also recommended the funneling all your social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, Twitter on one portal such as www.tweetdeck.com, where you can organize your feeds and tweets.

“Nonprofit organizations do not tell there story very well,” said President Larry Eason, DotOrgpower, Los Angeles.  The digital strategy and communications firm helps dot orgs harness the web and new media to achieve their goals. He works with cause leaders to expand their sense of what is possible Online. He claims to be an evangelist for the power of Online story-telling to move the public, donors and influentials. “You need to treat your audiences intelligently when telling your stories,” explained Eason.

Eason pioneered the use of new media for the Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) starting a first-of-its-kind in-house media center, which was acquired by Virilion where he worked with cause and corporate clients such as eBay and Georgetown University.

“You need to target your community groups, mobile interaction, action platforms, and set your goal,” said Mac McLean, Click Communications, North Hollywood, CA. “Before forming Click Communications in May, 2007, McLean handled theatrical promotions, worked at a national advertising agency and did publicity for major studios.

Some panelists noted that 60 percent of the marketing campaigns are spent on social media strategy versus 40 percent on PR and Marketing. “It is one more layer of client management, but for a restaurant the goal is to get people in the door,” said Caroline Rustigian Bruderer, CEO of K-LINE 7 Co., Orange County.

While everyone thought the best way to market your film is social networking and the best marketing tool is Facebook with more than 400 million users other tactics surface.

“Every movie or TV project has a core audience, and the Internet is the most strategic way to get to those people,” explained MOVIESET’S Bennett. “This allows you to do the EPK and other advertising much later. The Concept is the production, and the sooner you engage your audience the sooner they are going to grab onto it, and follow the different phases to the point where you get to your last news release or airing. There will be much more information that surfaces to the top of Google than there would be in putting out a release over six weeks.”

Entertainment companies and filmmakers are leveraging the power of social media by marketing their films to international audiences and building loyal audiences and communities around their work. Another tactic mentioned are RSS feeds, which in layman’s terms stands for real simple syndication or officially “rich site summary for delivering regularly changing web content. All agreed that to increase web traffic PR pros need an RSS feed on their client's website or blog to whoever subscribes or wants the content.

MAYO PR - "We don't guarantee media, we just get it!"

TV/Film Production, Hollywood, Tourism and Trade to lead recovery in region report says

   LAEDC Forecast Event

LAEDC Forecast Report Says U.S., California and Southern California face a measured economic recovery, with stronger growth in 2011

                                                       

Entertainment, international trade and tourism cited as regional industry leaders, with an economic boost from major infrastructure projects and a modest rebound in residential real estate 

Los Angeles— A measured economic recovery is underway in the nation, the state and Southern California, according to the 2010-2011“Economic Forecast & Industry Outlook” report released today by the Kyser Center for Economic Research at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).

In California, three sectors will see employment growth during 2010: information, private education and health services.  Like the national experience, unemployment rates in the state will remain high with the LAEDC forecasting a 12.3 percent average rate in 2010, easing down to 11.9 percent in 2011.

“We project that the U.S. economy will grow by 2.6 percent in 2010 and by 3.1 percent in 2011, after plunging by 2.4 percent during 2009,” said Nancy D. Sidhu, Ph.D., the LAEDC’s chief economist.  “However, unemployment rates in the U.S. will remain uncomfortably high, averaging 9.9 percent in 2010 and 9.4 percent in 2011.”

Sidhu observed that consumer spending holds one of the keys to the economic recovery, with inflation-adjusted gains of 1.9 percent in 2010 and 2.7 percent in 2011 forecast, after falling by 0.6 percent in 2009. 

 “California’s economy is also on the recovery track, but the state will still lose 121,800 jobs in 2010,” said Sidhu.  “However, this will be a huge improvement from the 668,200 jobs lost in 2009.”  California’s housing industry will see a modest recovery in 2010, according to Sidhu. For the full story and link to the forecast visit: http://tinyurl.com/yf85d5m

For images and media interviews call Aida Mayo or George Mc Quade, MAYO Communications, 818-340-5300 or Cell: 818-618-9229.

MAYO PR - "We don't guarantee media, we just get it!" 

Social Media Is a "Do or Die Tool" for Entertainment Publicists Experts Say EPPS Mixer In Culver City

New Media …Who Needs it? We do say publicists

Dave Malacrida and Aida Mayo at EPPS Mixer at Culver Hotel, in Culver City, CA, Jan. 27, 2010.

By George S. Mc Quade III West Coast Bureau Chief

Publicists who battled endless, speculative chatter of 24-hour cable — something that publicists of old never had to contend with before are now overwhelmed with social media of which they can’t work without it, according to the chatter at a recent Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) mixer (1-27-10) in Culver City, CA.

When asked a year ago at an EPPS mixer in Hollywood how “new media is impacting the way they do business?,” more than 90 percent said they were not using it as much as they had hope to, because they were either “afraid of it,” or didn’t “understand it, yet.” Today it is a different story. It’s do or die.”

Ann Simley and Sergio Diaz at EPPS Mixer

When Asked “Do you use social media today,” the response had changed to a big “yes.”

“Yes, I am using social media, because it brings in new clientele we did not have access to previously, and it’s inexpensive,” said Ann Simley of Communications Interchange, Inc., Beverly Hills, CA., who also won an O’Dwyer Directory of Public Relations door prize.

“Social media is very, very important, because you’re getting the word out, making people more aware of your product and new services,” said Tiffany Young, director of Sales and Marketing, Radisson Hotel in Whittier (Calif.). “It brings additional revenues and awareness for the entire brand of hotels.”

Stephanie Gonzalez, Dave Malacrido and Aida Mayo

“I was in the convergence department at Rogers & Cowen so I pretty much did all new media, and they had just open a new media department when I arrived to do my internship,” said Stephanie Gonzalez, a Cal-State Northridge graduate, and budding publicist looking for a new job in 2010. She believes her social media training will give her the edge in trying to find a good job in public relations in the near future. “You have to either get in or get out of new media as there is no way around it at this point,” Gonzalez explained.

“Even if you don’t get as many followers as you want on something like Twitter, the fact that you can follow people who you want to follow to make it work for you says it all,” said Dave Malacrida, Buzz Master Public Relations, Westlake Village, CA. “I was selected by Up in the Art Director Jason Reitman to win this $400 dollar piece of luggage that George Clooney used from the movie, because I tweeted one of my travel rules, and he was looking for it. And all of a sudden out of the blue I formed a kind of pseudo relationship with Jason Reitman, so it’s kind of weird, but we’re temporary friends. I gotta be honest I am probably one of a few publicists, who are not on Facebook, because I honestly don’t have time for it. So tweeting is fun, and I think what Apple has come out with such as the Ipad, and images in the media speak a thousand words,” said Malacrida.

“With the changing of the new media in Los Angeles you can’t afford to ignore the latest and greatest in social media trends,” said Camera Operator Jonathan S. Abrahm, SOC, LA. “Stay on top of it and you will be ahead of the game. I use Facebook to network and sometimes LinkedIn, and I can’t afford to go with out the Internet job sites.”

Actress Sean Young and Henry Bollinger, EPPS pres.

“I use Facebook, but get friended constantly, because there so many other people with same name, like a football player, so I rely on my website,” said Actress Sean Young, who played “Rachael” in the hit 1982 movie Blade Runner.

“I’m always checking blogs, emails, eZine s, social sites, Facebook and Twitter“, said Independent Film Publicist Glen Anderson. “I’m always getting requests ‘to be my friend’ or ‘be my follower,’ it’s a fun way to do movie marketing.”

“Social media is vital, especially for me, because I just finished writing my Memoir, ‘On Butterflies Wings,’ and I have an agent, who is interested in it, so through Facebook I can connect with a lot of people,” said Tonya Anderson, author and publicist. “I went to high school in England and now I can connect with a lot of old friends from Europe, people I haven’t seen in years. When my book comes out it is going to be a great platform to promote the book, website and blog. It expedites everything and very efficient, she said.” Entertainment Publicist Carol Eisner also can’t live without tweeting and social media. “It’s incredibly important, and it’s almost 90 percent of what I do now, and I’m recommending it to everybody. It’s truly part of getting the word out; it’s 90 percent of it.”

“Publicists can not keep up with it,” said Leslie Stoddard, regional sales director, VMS, a national video monitoring service, Los Angeles. “That’s why PR firms hire us to track their Online reputation with social media, and it could be Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or whatever, we have to find and monitor those conversations. It’s critical today for clients.”

“A lot of people spend tens of thousands of dollars on a website that goes no where fast,” said Aida Mayo, president MAYO Communications, Los Angeles, which specializes in new media and social networking for entertainment and nonprofit clients. “Often we will suggest to startup companies to develop a blog and start new media groups and a website later if they are behind the eightball.

EPPS Mixer at the Culver Hotel, Culver City, CA.

Social media fast forwards everything from relationships to media campaigns. We take small newspaper articles that quote our clients and expose them to millions of eyeballs in less time it took to get the article placed,” she said.  “If you do not have some platform in the social media circles your competition will swallow you whole and steal your business.”

For other media  trends and stories about the entertainment industry, media and movie business visit:
http://mayocommunications.wordpress.comMAYO Communications Blog

and on FaceBook or Entertainment Publicity on LinkIn

ENTERTAINMENT PUBLICISTS.

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