Chapter 88

The exciting trailer for "The Matrix" has also significantly increased the anticipation of its fans, causing a surge in traffic to the official website. Some media outlets, which had previously been dismissive, seem to have changed their stance, at least acknowledging that the trailer was pretty good, right?

However, overall, the promotion still needs to be further strengthened. This article is first published by ...

Currently, in the film industry, the focus of the entire Hollywood and global film community is on the release of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." This unprecedented sci-fi film grossed $64.82 million on its opening weekend in North America, and subsequent box office numbers have continued to set new records. The entire country is in a frenzy, with long-lost Star Wars memories awakening in people's minds, immediately sparking a viewing craze.

Lucas is still Lucas, and "Star Wars" continues to meet expectations.

Despite Queen Amidala having started school, there were rumors that she would be absent from the premiere due to the start of the school year. Fortunately, the fans' anticipation paid off, and the talented and beautiful Natalie was still present at the premiere, with her popularity rapidly rising.

If last year's hottest new female star in Hollywood was "Titanic" Kate Winslet, then this year it undoubtedly belongs to Natalie Portman.

Chen Tian, who occasionally went to the cinema to watch the film, had some complaints about Amidala's appearance. Ignoring the hairstyle, the two red dots on her face were simply off-putting. He really couldn't understand how Lucas came up with this look.

Having the leisure time to watch movies is rare for Chen Tian, who has been busy with the film recently.

After a slight refinement, the film successfully passed the review. Due to the numerous fight scenes, it was unfortunately rated R, recommended for viewers 17 and older. Although this would exclude some children from the theaters, the impact was not significant.

To submit a practical and feasible promotional plan, the three companies gathered for close discussions, with everyone in the meeting room on high alert.

Warner Bros. presented their promotional plan, which followed a routine approach, leveraging their strong media influence. In terms of promotion, Warner Bros.' marketing personnel were experienced and would be the main force, with DreamWorks and Matrix playing supporting roles.

However, the promotional plan they proposed made Chen Tian frown, and even more disappointingly, everyone else seemed to agree.

"Is this your promotional plan?"

Chen Tian interrupted Warner Bros.' distribution business manager, Philip R. Slay, with evident dissatisfaction, "To me, this is outdated and stale, with no innovation. If this is your plan, I am very disappointed."

Philip R. Slay looked at him with displeasure, "Warner Bros. has always succeeded with this approach. I wonder what your brilliant idea is?"

Chen Tian frowned, "That was in the past. From now on, we need to break through, and it starts with my film. Have any of you noticed the recent witch murder case that has been spreading on the internet and in the media?"

Peck, who was on his side, though not understanding why his boss mentioned this, immediately responded, "I've heard of it. It seems they even accidentally filmed a documentary that is set to be released soon."

"That's fake," Chen Tian negated, "It's a genuine movie promotion, using word-of-mouth to spread the word. If you pay closer attention, you'll find that a film company's promotional team is behind it, otherwise, it wouldn't have such a long-lasting effect."

Peck said, "But is this kind of promotion effective? There are all sorts of things said online, and the majority don't believe it."

Chen Tian said, "This is the viral marketing plan I want to propose, viral marketing on the internet!"

So-called "viral marketing" involves using word-of-mouth to spread information like a virus, rapidly replicating to reach thousands or millions of people. It's a new promotional method where "everyone tells everyone else," leveraging others to spread the word, achieving a "marketing leverage" effect.

To describe it simply with numbers:

11

1111

11111111

1111111111111111

11111111111111111111111111111111

...

An exponential spread, "one to ten, ten to a hundred," can create a burst of interest after just a few generations.

Because this marketing approach is cost-effective and highly effective, it has become a unique tool in online marketing, increasingly utilized by more and more businesses and websites.

However, using viral marketing for film promotion is still very rare.

"The Blair Witch Project" was a pioneer, and it will create a box office sensation in October, much like "The Sixth Sense" did last year. But in Chen Tian's view, their model is still very immature.

Chen Tian suggested, "We can't reveal everything at once. That might gain some attention, but with nearly three months until the release, who can guarantee that the audience won't lose interest? We need to continuously release clues, giving people a taste of the film but leaving them with more questions, thus piquing the curiosity of moviegoers and keeping them talking and interested in the film."

"Can you be more specific?" the others were curious.

Chen Tian, lacking a pre-prepared plan, had to patiently explain, "Viral marketing can be divided into two main categories based on the method of spread: 1) word-of-mouth; 2) the internet."

"If we break it down by specific channels, it can include: email, social networks, blogs and forums, television and radio, direct mail and flyers, outdoor advertising, and text messages. For a film, the forms of viral marketing can be diverse, such as videos, flash, games, software, images, and text. I believe creating some small games, short videos, and flash content is easy for you. As long as you can spark the interest of moviegoers in these areas, the promotional plan will be successful."

The origin of "viral marketing" is debated, but it is generally believed that the term was first coined by Harvard Business School graduate Tim Draper and Harvard Business School professor Jeffrey Rayport.

In 1996, Jeffrey wrote an article for "Fast Company" magazine, where he first used the term "viral marketing." The following year, Tim Draper and his venture capital partner, Steve Jurvetson, used the term to describe how Hotmail used user emails to promote itself.

The earliest known exploration of viral marketing was by media critic Douglas Rushkoff in his 1994 book "Media Virus: Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture," where he proposed a method of "infecting" users to spread the word, similar to viral marketing.

However, it's undeniable that the term only began to gain traction in the past couple of years, making it a relatively new concept, so it's not surprising that the others were unaware.

Chen Tian frequently browsed the internet, so he was quite familiar with it.

"It sounds like it focuses more on the internet. I reserve my opinion on its specific effectiveness," Philip R. Slay said, "This film has a significant investment. For everyone's sake, I would prefer a more stable approach."

Chen Tian frowned, "Then let's find a middle ground. We can't abandon traditional media channels, but we need to slow down and coordinate with online marketing. We can't reveal the plot and posters all at once."

They eventually reached a difficult compromise, but Chen Tian was still frustrated.

As soon as he left the meeting room, he found Peck, "Peck, our promotional channels are far behind Warner Bros. and DreamWorks. I hope you can improve our various channels, including promotion and distribution, during this period. The next film will be the best test of whether Matrix has the capability to independently distribute films. I really don't want to attend such a contentious meeting again. Do you understand?"

Peck nodded, "I understand. I have already started integrating the promotion and distribution departments. However, the time is too short, and we haven't been tested by the market, so we still need to rely on them."

"Alright, work with Kondo and use the next film as a test."

Peck said, "Boss, are you sure you want to return to China to shoot the next film? That will definitely lose some American audiences. After all, not every foreign film has the opportunity of 'Life is Beautiful.'"

Chen Tian was also helpless, "The film must be shot in China, but we can re-dub it. The version shown in the U.S. will be in English, and I believe a good film will have little barrier."

Peck said helplessly, "Let's hope so."

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