Sony Pictures Signs Promotional Deal with Heineken for 'Casino Royale'
 According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures Entertainment has signed a six-figure promotional partnership with The Netherlands-based Heineken Brewing Company to showcase the company's product in the upcoming James Bond action thriller 'Casino Royale.'
Promotional activities will include heavy product placement in the film, to include scenes with new James Bond actor Daniel Craig drinking the beer. While the on-screen placements seem to counter the "shaken not stirred" vodka martini image usually seen in Bond flicks, it may work well with the new tougher, "man's-man" approach the producers are taking with the Bond character. Plans are also in the works for a special tie-in commercial starring Bond girl Eva Green, which will be directed by Oscar-winner Stephen Gaghan ('Syriana,' 'Traffic'), who will have access to the actual production sets for the ad.
No word yet as to how this new beer-swilling, Bond will sit with fans, but the initial backlash to Craig's casting seems to be cooling. On the promotional side, the number of official partners has been cut back significantly from 2002's 'Die Another Day,' which was criticized for going over the top with irrevelant tie-ins. Smirnoff will remain the offical vodka for this installment, will produce a custom commercial, hold an on-pack promotion tied in with the film's release.
The James Bond franchise has grossed nearly $1.3 Billon dollars domestically since the release of 'Dr. No' in 1963, according to Box Office Mojo. 'Casino Royale' hits theaters November 17th.
Guba Movie Download Pricing Experiment Boosts Sales 1000%
Guba, the online video sharing site, today announced that their month long price reduction experiment yielded a 1000% increase in sales and a doubling of their site traffic.
For the last 30 days, Guba has offered new release movies priced at $9.99, catalog titles at $4.99 and TV episodes for 49 cents, though the offerings cannot be burned to a DVD. These prices are at a substantial discount to the current pricing structure at Amazon's Unbox service ($14.99 and up for new releases, $9.99 and up for catalog titles) and the forthcoming Apple download store, which is likely to bow new release movie downloads at around $15 dollars.
Guba currently has deals with Sony Pictures and Warner Brothers, offering 500 and 200 titles from each library, respectively. In all likelihood, Guba is serving as a low-risk pricing test bed due to its lower profile and smaller user base, which is probably enough to keep Wal-Mart from getting nervous. As of late, the mega-retailer has been annoyed at the prospect of downloads being priced below their DVD wholesale pricing of $17 for new releases, and has used their muscle to influence online pricing moves.
So what is the optimal download price for a burnable, DRM-managed feature-length movie? Take the poll below to give us your opinion.
Sony to Bow 'Spider-Man 3' IMAX Release Day and Date with Theatrical Run
Sony and IMAX announced today that ‘Spider-Man 3’ will be simultaneously be released at both conventional and IMAX theaters when the film debuts next year on May 4th, 2007.
According to IMAX co-chairman Richard Gelfond, the film will be available on at least 100 screens, a significant increase from the 63 screens that ‘Spider-Man 2’ debuted on during its IMAX run. This is the third IMAX release announced by Sony Pictures, with the third being the animated film ‘Open Season,’ which will bow in IMAX on September 29th this year.
In addition to adding valuable screens and significant revenue to a film’s launch, IMAX launches have also become an excellent marketing tool for the studios due to high-level of word-of-mouth that the format generates. For example, the IMAX release of ‘The Polar Express’ was widely credited with reviving the non-IMAX version’s fortunes in late 2004, which boosted theatrical revenues above $100 million and helped the title to become a smash hit on DVD.
Last year, the latest installment of the ‘Harry Potter’ series earned over $16 million in its IMAX run, and ‘Batman Begins’ grossed $15.9 million, according to the-numbers.com.
Angry Bond Fans to Boycott 'Casino Royale'
According to the website craignotbond.com, an international group of James Bond fans is organizing a boycott of the next James Bond film, Casino Royale, due to the casting choice of Daniel Craig as James Bond. In a release posted on their website, the group gives a straightforward explanation for the boycott:
Even in the movie business, the old saying that 'the customer is always right' holds true. Since EON and Sony Pictures have chosen to ignore their most loyal customers, we have no choice but to boycott the 21st James Bond film, Casino Royale.
We call upon Bond fans around the world to join us in this boycott. If we all stand together, and stay home when this ill-conceived movie is released, it will send a message to EON [the production company] once and for all, that the sacred trust of Ian Fleming's iconic hero James Bond belongs not to them, but to all of the James Bond fans across the globe! There has not been a response from Eon or Sony regarding the boycott yet. These days, casting choices are an important part of the marketing game, and its hard to see how the choice of Daniel Craig, a rough-edged character actor, helps the Bond franchise. Will hard-core Bond fans really stay away, or are these empty threats? Our hunch is that EON will stay with Craig and milk the "controversy" for all its worth.
General Mills to Give away free Movielink Downloads
 General Mills will be giving away coupons for free Movielink downloads as cereal box promotions, according to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. The $5 coupons will be in specially marked boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Golden Grahams, among others. The code will allow the customer to rent a digital version of the movie of their choice for 30 days, according the the article.
A joint venture of Paramount, Sony, Universal Studios and Warner Bros., Movielink's content is made up of the partnering companies' catalog titles, and they also have non-exclusive distribution agreements with Disney including Miramax) Lions Gate and others.
After many years of being the official "idea before its time," Movielink's time may have finally arrived. And with consumer acceptance of digital downloads quickly coming to a head, they really need to think about building their brand. Partnering with General Mills gives them the broad exposure outside of their core audience, which until now has probably been tech savvy early adopters. Movielink coupons in boxes of sugar cereals will help them reach teens -- the most voracious of digital content consumers.
Bizarre Product Placement: James Bond to Drive a Fiat Econobox
According to an article on Bloomberg, James Bond will slip behind the wheel of, ahem, a Fiat Panda:
The Fiat Panda, one of Fiat SpA's cheapest models, will make its screen debut in the next James Bond film due in 2006, replacing the luxury cars typically used by the secret agent such as Aston Martin's V12 Vanquish.
The Panda, which is priced from 12,490 euros ($15,379), 21 times less than the Vanquish, will have cinema's most famous secret agent behind the wheel in ``Casino Royale,'' the latest installment of the James Bond saga.
According to the article, Fiat didn't have to pay any placement fees, and just has to provide multiple cars for the production. If this is indeed true, it looks like a major marketing coup for Fiat and a mjor miscue for whoever's marketing the Bond franchise. Any way you look at it, Q is going to have to work some major miracles to make this econobox look even half-way cool. [Via Bloomberg.com: Europe]
Sony Releases Extended 'Stealth' Preview for TiVo Users
According to Jaffe Juice, Joseph Jaffe recently discovered the first four minutes of 'Stealth' waiting for him in his "My TiVo" showcase:
My TiVo showcase offered me the opportunity to watch the first 4 minutes of the just released action movie, Stealth. Obviously the idea here is to show a bit of skin to the audience (and what better way than an action-packed opening sequence...remember Saving Private Ryan?) and have them salivating at the mouth wanting more....
Some of the comments following the entry note that if these recommended clips were tied in to the shows they actually watch, this might be a highly useful (and valuable) promotional tool for Movie Marketers (though we doubt anything short of cash incentives could have got audiences in to see this turkey). We hope, for Jaffe's sake, that 'Stealth' isn't a reflection of his TiVo habits! [Via Jaffe Juice]
VSDA Panel: DVD Marketing Goes Local
Movie Marketers are conducting more local DVD promotions with regional retailers, according to an article in Video Business:
A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment exec said during the VSDA session that the studio is working with retailers in the Northeast to drive sales of a Boston version of upcoming DVD Fever Pitch, which includes more bonus Red Sox material than the standard version.
And Sony Pictures Home Entertainment marketing VP Marc Rashba said the studio is involving stores in some national DVD promos, such as the recent push for TV Land DVD titles. TV Land and Sony ran commercials about Sony TV product available at retail, with Sony providing retailers with special display cases to promote the product more prominently in stores.
The article also mentions how smaller mom and pop rentailers are getting shut out of the mix, particularly when it comes to screeners and advertising support. This speaks somewhat to the irony of the VSDA show itself, which has morphed from a huge trade show floor catering to independents to what it is now: a straight sales session in the suites for the retailers. All you have to do is look at the hot dog machines and tanning beds on the trade show floor to realize the shift away from rental is underway.
[Via Video Business Online]
Sony Pictures teams up with Maven Networks to promote 'Stealth' via Broadband
According to a joint press release issued today, Sony Pictures is teaming up with Maven Networks, a company that specializes in broadband content, to provide high quality streaming elements to promote the upcoming release of 'Stealth':
Sony Pictures Digital's video content will include a series of trailers, games, and exclusive behind-the-scenes video content directly to consumers who opt-in at the film's Web site. With Maven's technology, Sony can reach consumers directly online and build a powerful, ongoing, and measurable relationship with movie fans.
Entertainment companies are now able to offer full-screen, highest-quality video content to promote their films. With more than 58% of U.S. online households(1) now accessing the Internet via broadband connections, former barriers to receiving high-quality, full-screen videos -- such as download time and illegal sharing -- now can be surmounted technologically. Movie studios are among the first to embrace broadband video to showcase their products.
With all the debate surrounding the box office performance this year, there's little doubt in everyone's mind that actual attendance numbers are down. Because of the myriad of home entertainment choices and rising ticket prices, consumers are more apt to explore movie websites in order to choose what films to see -- providing the highest quality of marketing materials is part of this equation.
[Via Marketwire]
Marketing Preview: Superman Returns
Super Hero Hype is giving a brief overview of the advance marketing strategy behind the upcoming Superman Returns movie. Even though its coming from "anonymous sources," it looks in line with what we would expect from Warner Brothers:
The marketing will begin over a year in advance-starting with the teaser trailer that is now scheduled to air with Batman Begins, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Word is Sony Pictures Imageworks is about to start work on about 10 special fx shots that will be featured in the trailer. The official website is also scheduled to be activated around this time, as well, a teaser poster. Then in November, the second trailer will be released with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Rumor is W.B. wants to have the same trailer with King Kong as well. W.B. is also currently shopping for movie tie ins and product placement, and it comes as no surprise that the companies are lining up.
That's nearly 12 months of constant PR and marketing activities leading up to the theatrical, and almost 18 for the DVD release.
Superman Hype! - The latest Superman news and rumors
Amityville Horror remake backed with online ad push
In their latest issue, Brand Republic covers the online movie marketing push for the Amityville Horror remake. Sam Ball of London-based Lean Mean Fighting Machine, the agency behind the ad, described their approach:
It was important that the flies looked and behaved realistically to create an impression of a plague of disgusting flies infesting your computer. By giving each fly its own simple artificial intelligence the illusion was made possible despite the tight file size restrictions.
Horror marketing campaigns are becoming quite the playground! We would really like to see this ad -- if anyone has a link, please forward it to us.
Amityville Horror remake backed with fly-ridden online ad push - Brand Republic
Sony Will Release Four Movies for the PlayStation Portable
According to CIO Today, Sony has announced that they will release four movies in the UMD format. The titles will street on April 19th following the PlayStation Portable's release in late March.
According to the article, Sony will use UMD-formatted movies to expand the adoption of the PlayStation Portable beyond young males. However, the initial slate doesn't look like it will deviate from their device's core user base:
The movies the company has chosen, however, may not do much to expand that demographic out of the gate. The four titles -- "XXX," "Hellboy," "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" -- have a fairly limited appeal. They do add to the device's reputation as a viable video viewer, though.
Sony already has announced that it intends to include a copy of "Spider-Man 2" in the first one million PSP units to be sold in the U.S. There is no word on whether or not the movie will be available for separate purchase.
So which titles should Sony release? I would personally like to see more sophisticated fare like 'Closer' or 'Monster' -- what would you movie marketers out there like to see?
CIO Today - Worldwide Technology - Sony To Release PSP-Compatible Movies
A closer look at the MGM/Sony/Time Warner Triangle
According to Variety, the negotiations between MGM and Sony have hit a roadblock. The much simpler and tax-efficient Time Warner offer could win out.
With all of the buzz going on about this lately, I thought it would be interesting to backtrack and provide a "Q&A" of sorts. After all, understanding the financial value of a film property/library and the implications when a company purchases one can help put individual title marketing into perspective.
By the way -- if you have a Q&A you'd like to add (serious and funny accepted), put it in the comments, and I'll update the list.
Why is MGM a target for acquisition?
In the golden age of DVD, content is king, and MGM has a 4,000 plus title library. Current valuations (depending on if you're buying or selling it) range from $3.8 to 5.5 billion dollars. Here's a link that's a must read as a backgrounder on MGM's value to a potential buyer.
How do you value a film library?
Film Library Valuation typically uses an "income approach" -- that is, based on historical revenue from each title, you make a determination of expected future revenue from all streams (Video, DVD, TV sales and VOD). For titles without any historical data, a weighted average is used to compare similar films. Next, a "decay rate" is used to determine the annual decline in value of the asset.
After this, you add up all future revenues, and deduct contribution margins (Contribution margin is sales revenue less variable costs) and taxes. You discount this future cash flow to present value, and bam -- the magic number.
Many details are missing for simplicity's sake, and I'm not an accountant, so lemme know if I'm way off base here.
What's The Basis for Time Warner's dispute over MGM's valuation of around $5 billion?
My guess is that TW has a problem with two things: MGM's decay rates (they are probably rosy about the long-term DVD growth prospects) and the income stream projections for lower-quality titles (MGM has 200-300 "major" titles that drive up the library's average per-title performance).
What will happen to the MGM brand?
Despite the company's reduced output of new films in recent years, MGM has one of the highest brand-recognition factors of any major studio. Whoever purchases the company, expect to see an effort to leverage the brand (TV channel? Consumer Products? Print?) -- especially if purchased by a diversified media company like Time Warner.
Since Time Warner (or Sony, if they come up on top) already has a well-oiled distribution arm, what will happen to the staff at MGM?
The reality, unfortunately, is that we can expect massive lay-offs. There have been reports (unsubstantiated rumors, actually), that Time Warner may divest the distribution and marketing arm of MGM. Potential buyers could include someone like Steve Jobs (Pixar) or Harvey Weinstein, both of whom are at odds with Disney. Both men would very like have the access to capital necessary for a deal of that scope.
Related Links:
MGM
Time Warner
Buying Universal puts GE in the movie business
Yahoo! News - Inside Move: 'Hobbit' could end up nestling with 'Rings'
|
|
|
|
|
