This story was created in paid partnership with Amazon Ads.
There’s nothing quite like awards season in Hollywood. For four months from November to February, the entire industry is galvanized to celebrate the best storytelling on both sides of the camera, and new classics get enshrined in the awards ledger next to unheralded newcomers and indie phenomena.
It’s as exciting a stretch in the industry as there is, but all those red carpets and teary-eyed speeches belie the complex, competitive campaigns that Hollywood marketers have to endure as they try to capture the attention of audiences and tastemakers from around the industry. Gone are the days of simply getting a movie on as many cinema screens as possible, or airing trailers on cable TV during every major network commercial break. Competing for the adulation of awards voters, the recognition of audiences, and the regard of Hollywood influencers requires a multipronged approach that spans mediums and tactics. And sometimes you have to get a little original.
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When legendary director David Lynch set up camp on a busy corner of Hollywood Boulevard with a black-and-white cow, a seemingly endless supply of cigarettes, and a sign to lobby for an Oscar nomination for Laura Dern for her role in 2006’s Inland Empire, it was rightly viewed as a bizarre and effective way to capture headlines and eyeballs all over the country. The stunt was a perfectly Lynchian exercise in all its absurdity and earnestness, but in many ways the director’s effort reflected the nature of modern advertising in Hollywood. You have to delight and surprise people to be successful, while simultaneously reminding them what they love about the movies in the first place.
One challenge Lynch didn’t have to deal with 15 years ago, though, was the sheer competition for eyeballs and interest that has pushed contemporary marketers to evolve and expand their arsenal. According to the research firm Parks Associates, there are more than 300 streaming services available today, and the average American uses seven different platforms. This means that audiences have a wealth of choices when it comes to how and where they engage with their favorite content, whether they’re at home or on the go.
But the ubiquitous access that streaming has introduced hasn’t done anything to weaken the emotional connections that consumers develop with their favorite movies and series. In fact, it’s clear that the relationship between content and audiences is increasingly vital, and that link is driving everything from how consumers spend their money to what sort of other media they engage with. According to a recent survey from Amazon Ads and Kantar, nearly half (45 percent) of survey respondents were likely to have an emotional connection to their favorite content and characters, and 43 percent said that their favorite movie and/or series-based content is very important to their daily lives.
Audiences aren’t just watching; they’re immersing themselves in the stories and worlds they love. For example, they’re listening to podcasts to learn more, and they’re buying licensed toys, a category that is projected to hit $35 billion by 2023. Sixty-nine percent of licensed toy shopper respondents from the survey agreed that their emotional connection to content influenced purchase decisions in the last year, with nearly the same number (68 percent) saying that they were likely to purchase a product featuring licensed IP in anticipation of a movie and/or series release. That number grows as audiences engage with content as well, with 78 percent likely to purchase a product featuring licensed IP after having watched a movie and/or series release. It’s clear that the connection between audiences and content is not only creating emotional ties, but also driving commerce and influencing purchase decisions.
The emotional resonance between audiences and content is undeniable, and Amazon Ads can help movie studios and entertainment marketers fuel those connections by crafting content strategies that engage with people while they’re enjoying their favorite content, wherever that may be. Amazon’s offerings, from IMDb to FireTV and Twitch, can empower marketers to engage with consumers in different, complementary ways, creating cohesive marketing efforts that build meaningful connections from the minute a trailer airs to release and beyond.
Movies and audiences form special connections, and great marketing campaigns should reflect and augment those relationships. By using tools like Amazon Ads, entertainment marketers and studios can bring their campaigns to audiences with breadth and variety, helping connect audiences with the content and products they love. Navigating the marketing life of an award-winning film is a lot more complex than it used to be, but it’s still about bringing the joy of Hollywood to the audiences that love it most.
