Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time is a popular TV show playing on ABC family. The show markets heavily on social media, particularly Facebook. They post multiple times a day leading up to the premiere of the season and then just as heavily while the show is going on. They way they keep up content is by asking fans opinions on events that took place on the show and new characters. Also, they post an excessive amount of spoilers leading up to an episode. Here is the season finale sneak promo:

Their marketing strategies have been criticized however. Some fans and critics claim they share too much and that there is no mystery when watching a show. On top of previews they also include sneak peeks like this:

Once Upon a Time argues that fans do not have to watch the clips if they do not want to. They make them available to the fans that can't get enough. They also say it is like watching the preview of a movie; you won't know the full story unless you watch the episode. What do you guys think? Too many spoilers or just the right amount?

Fright Night

Right now I am in a play called Fright Night. The play is produced by a UGA group Thalian Blackfriars. To get the word out about the play, the Thalians use social media marketing to help sell tickets. They have been putting behind the scenes footage of the play on their Facebook page and tweeting about updates and puns about Dracula and Frankenstein.

The most interesting thing they have done is their #24hoursofear campaign. Every hour for 24 hours before the opening night, the Thalians have been posting a picture of a member of the cast with the caption sharing their worst fear. Not only did the pictures generate lots of hype and shares from friends, it resulted in a sold out opening show! 

Welcome to my house

So we all know Halloween means haunted houses galore. I visited three haunted attractions this past weekend which is a big deal for me because I have never been to a haunted house before. Some were surprisingly better than others, which lead me to to wonder why some were not as popular. I decided to look into how they were marketing themselves on social media. Netherworld, the #1 haunted house in America, doesn't really need to market itself too much because it is already well recognized. However, they have a blog that is updated frequently. They also are very active on facebook and twitter.

Bloodwood, which is a local haunt in Rome, Georgia is only really known by the locals. They are well known by the people of Rome for being very scary and having good effects. I was surprised I liked it even better than Netherworld which is double the price. Still, online it is very difficult to find information on Bloodwood. They only have a Facebook page which they seem to rarely use. It's a shame unfortunately, but Bloodwood would probably be just as popular as Netherworld if they would market themselves more on social media. Without that kind of marketing, it remains unknown except to the locals. Maybe that's how they prefer it though.

Halloween Haunts and Marketing

October is upon us and we all know what that means--haunted houses, scary movies, trick-or-treating, and costumes! Many companies are using the Halloween theme to create ads on YouTube. Geico, for example posted a hilarious ad that is a parody about bad decisions characters seem to make in horror films. While this might not directly make people call Geico for insurance; it certainly grabs attention.

Geico Commercial:

Another big trend we have seen for marketing during Halloween especially are pranks! Pranks are often used to market upcoming horror movies. Carrie and Deliver Us From Evil both did amazing, elaborate pranks last year in order to raise hype for the release of their films. This year, Ford decided it would get in on the fun. Teaming up with a local haunted house, they devised a car wash prank. 

Ford Prank:

 

These pranks and types of commercials function to grab attention and entertain rather than to sell a product or service. They make companies much more likable, as least to me, because I appreciate the Halloween spirit. This type of marketing helps to break down the wall between consumers and the company and show that the company is interested in our entertainment and amusement. I love seeing the new creative pranks companies come out with! Plus, it helps get me in the mood for visiting my FIRST haunted house THIS Saturday! Wish me luck!

Annabelle

So with the October month upon us, horror movies are all competing to raise the most hype for their releases. Annabelle is the prequel to arguably one of the best horror films in 2013, the Conjuring. It is clearly riding on the success of its predecessor with the tagline "Before the Conjuring there was..." However, the biggest reason for the intense hype around this movie is the social media marketing that went into it. Annabelle has its own website where you can listen to the soundtrack, watch clips, learn about the movie, and even create your own Annabelle doll with pictures of you and your friends. The Facebook campaign was very active showing off exclusive extras and behind-the-scenes footage.

There were also multiple teasers. Some just included images of the doll and creepy music and barely clips from the movie but it sparked interest. Many of their posters and online campaigns included #Annabelle at the bottom which caused a twitter frenzy as many started using the hashtag. Most of the social media campaigns subtly linked views to campaigns from their other social media sites. For example, Facebook frequently mentioned twitter and the Annabelle doll site. Annabelle went into theaters on October 3rd and was one of the most anticipated movies of 2014. The biggest reason for the intense hype around this movie is the social media marketing that went into it. 

Responsible Drinking

Budweiser is one of the leading sellers of beer in the United States. Although most beer commercials feature the ideals of fun and status, which they claim alcohol can give you, Budweiser took a different approach with the following commercial:

This ad delivers a touching story of a dog waiting for his owner after he goes out drinking with friends. Just when you this the owner most likely was never coming back, he walks in the door saying he decided not to drive home that night drunk.

The theme of the commercial is not to buy Budweiser beer but instead to make responsible choices and not drive intoxicated. In this new trend of social media marketing, companies show they care about the well-being of their clients, not just the sales.

Budweiser is reminding consumers that although they are a beer company, they encourage drinking responsibly. Naturally this video has gone viral and has achieved what the company wanted, brand awareness and hype, all while teaching a very valuable lesson.

#Like A Girl

Two months ago, Always launched the "Like a Girl" campaign. The video featured boys and girls of all ages realizing the negative effects of gender stereotypes over the years. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

Whether or not this campaign has raised sales is questionable because there was not a significant increase. However, brand awareness for Always was definitely risen because the ad cleverly encourages viewers to visit the website to help the cause. Always is a popular brand for feminine hygiene products such a tampons and pads. Their campaign that girls should be proud to be girls and that the phrase "like a girl" should not be an insult is powerful and true. 

Always tackles the problem that girls lose self confidence during puberty, a critical stage in life. During this time they feel embarrassed of their body and their outer image. Gradually, "like a girl" becomes an insult during this stage. I applaud Always for such a moving campaign, even if it was obviously a marketing strategy. Regardless, it worked. Not only did the video go viral and brand awareness increase but it encouraged people to talk and debate about this topic, which is definitely something that needs to be done.