The Role of the Distributor

Distribution Plan

Distribution is the highly competitive business of launching and sustaining films in the market place. In order for films to become talking points in society, it is the distributor's challenge to bring each one to market in various different ways. One of the most predominant and important ways is to first identify their audience as it is the task of the distributors to identify and deliver the largest possible audience for every film. They need to be able to create a profile of the audience they are aiming at and consider reasons such as why they would go and see it. The idea is to deliver the largest possible audience so that it increases the distributors chance of creating a film that becomes a talking point. As well as identifying their audience they need to estimate the revenue potential across all the formats of its release and create developing plans and partnerships to build awareness of and interest in the film. The aim is to convert as much interest as possible into cinema visits so that it will persuade exhibitors (cinema operators) to play the film.

Marketing Plan

To compliment the distribution plan, every film will have come up with a detailed marketing plan. The marketing objective is to create visibility, raise awareness and engage interest in order to compete in the competitive market today. Without a clear marketing plan, the likely hood of a film becoming successful would be very low as it is important to establish how the film makers are going to reach their audiences in compelling ways so that they are persuaded that it is a must see film.

Advertising
There are many ways in which the film makers can market their film through different advertising methods. The most predominant ways used to advertise films today are:

Word of mouth: Social recommendation can create high levels of awareness and strong interest in a film. However, negative word of mouth can be extremely difficult to overcome, so it is important that post-release will give the film a positive buzz and further advertising will also help to sustain the film and make it more appealing.
Posters: These can be a very important factor when it comes to advertising a new film as there are often a dozen or more different posters on display in a cinema at any one time, so therefore it is vital that the distributors and their designers must work hard to make sure each poster really stands out to an audience. The main image or artwork is what really needs to catch the eyes of the target audience whilst its stars, genre and ratings of the film are also vital factors of the posters.
Trailers: These are the single most cost-effective marketing technique which are played on the big screen to a captive audience of active cinemagoers and also on TV and online for any interested viewers to see. Whether it's an early teaser trailor (typically up to 90 seconds) or a full trailer screened shortly before a film opens, both give the audience a chance to see glimpses of the film which will need to encourage the audience to go to a cinema and watch the film. They will be representative glimpses of the most dramatic sequences but early in the production, so that the editing and the special effects will not be quite finished at this stage.
Online and mobile: Most films have an official website where audiences can view things such as: trailers, stills galleries, production information and behind-the-scenes footage. By having a website for a new film, it helps the distributors to start building awareness for the film at an early stage where they may post updates online such as news snippets or teaser images, seeding interest among fans. By keeping the audience up to date with things such as video diaries and blogs from the set, it makes the core audience feel part of the film making process.
The immediacy of social media: Once a film has been screened, comments are shared instantly and constantly around the world where opinions and feedback will be shared. This can be an important factor as distributors are eager for their films to be part of the conversation in online networks.
Broadcast, ambient and print media: Media proliferation has enabled advertisers to have a multitude of options when it comes to deciding how and where they want to advertise a product/service. Poster sites, local newspapers, radio stations and hundreds of digital TV channels are a few of the main places where promotions may be placed.

Publicity

By having a really good publicity team, it will allow a media product to receive good publicity and get people talking. Publicity teams, often supported by specialist agencies, arranges media interviews with available members of the film's cast which creates good publicity for both cast members and the film itself as both will be gaining publicity. Film publicists compile press kits for journalists, containg cast lists, biographies, notable facts about the production and a synopsis, all of which will create publicity whilst also presuade target audiences to connect with the making of a film and be presuaded to go and watch it. Also, by having a selection of images taken from the film approved for publicity use to be disseminated via online pressrooms, it allows distributors to devise 'hooks' or 'angles' for feature articles and media promotions.

Promotion
The promotion of a film can have a big impact on how successful a film will be. Promotional partnerships generate displays for the film in places where conventional advertising cannot reach such as shops, restaurants or on packs. They also enable customers to interact with the film characters by collecting premium items or entering a competition.

Other ways of promoting a new film include: merchandising, premieres and experiences, preview screenings and festivals.