Luxury fashion label Saint Laurent recently launched its own production company. It will potentially provide a “lifeline for auteur directors, as the streaming revolution and a growing focus on blockbuster franchises restricts financing for independent films”, Yahoo reports. With a number of feature-length projects already in production, Saint Laurent says the movies won’t be obviously advertorial. The unorthodox brand extension has already been a success. Two shorts debuted at Cannes Film Festival – “it’s brilliant, especially because it’s not hitting us over the head with their product,” said Amy Baker, Winston Baker CEO. Indeed, promotional partnerships can be an effective way in which filmmakers can further monetize intellectual property. By choosing the right partner, you can successfully incorporate brands into your production and boost the profile of your film.
What are brand partnerships?
Brand partnerships are partnerships between filmmakers and brands designed to boost the profile of both the film and brand’s product. The brand puts some of its media budget toward the film’s marketing campaign. In turn, the film studio features the brand’s product or logo in the marketing campaign, press junkets, and cast promotion tours. When done right, brand awareness surrounding the film can soar as a result. And, the brand can benefit from tapping into the emotional connection that exists between the fans and the movie. Just look at James Bond blockbuster No Time to Die as an impressive example. The promo campaign for this movie was worth $150 million, and featured over fourteen brand partners including Aston Martin, Nokia, DHL, Chopard Jewelry, Smirnoff Vodka, Bollinger, Jaguar, Land Rover, SWATCH, and Heineken. A complimentary marketing campaign was created for each brand partner, some featuring actors from the movie.
Choosing the right bran
It’s important to take time to choose the right brand to partner with. Otherwise, a bad partnership can ultimately end up damaging your film’s brand. So, consider your film’s target audience. Then, have a think about the story points, themes, or locations within your film that may gel with a certain brand; this should give you ideas of who you want to work with. Trust should also be the foundation of any successful business relationship. So, be sure to do due diligence on potential business partners as needed. For instance, you should ensure your attitude and goals should broadly align with your chosen partner to ensure a cohesive and friction-free relationship.
Define the terms of the partnership
When a filmmaker decides to partner with a brand, clearly defining the terms of the partnership should be a priority. Get clear on exactly how your partnership will work. What are both party’s responsibilities and commitment levels? Also, define exactly what actions can and can’t be done. Specifically, you’ll want to clarify the brand’s access to things like film imagery, as well as whether film merchandise can be used as prizes, for example. Ultimately, there are many different ways a partnership can go – whether it involves just a standalone ad, placement fee, or a cross-channel marketing campaign. So you’ll have to consider what works best for your production.
Approve marketing materials
As the rights holder, the film studio needs to approve all marketing materials before they go live. Materials can include TV and radio ads, social media campaigns, press advertising, dedicated marketing campaign websites, as well as product packaging, for example. You may also want to consider the use of the word “free”: it’s one of the most powerful words in marketing, and works as an emotional trigger for consumers, making whatever’s being offered irresistible. So, for example, within a brand partnership, this could look like – “free movie tickets when you buy this product”. Although the brand covers the cost of the free tickets, filmmakers can sometimes think offering anything for free devalues their work. If this is the case for you, you may want to consider alternative phrasing, such as “buy the product and win one of 5,000 movie tickets”.
If done correctly, brand partnerships can be an effective marketing tool for filmmakers. By taking care to partner with the right brand, you can find ways to successfully further monetise your intellectual property.
