Marketing "The Hunger Games" is No Joke

So my lack of life and free time had me craving a good movie this week; somehow the first thing that came to mind was “The Hunger Games.” This movie is set to premiere Friday at midnight and it’s already estimated that it will meet with huge success. New York Times reports that “The Hunger Games,” which cost about $80 million to make, could have opening-weekend sales of about $90 million, and continue to sell to the level of “Iron Man,” which went on to make over $585 million worldwide in 2008.

But what could possibly be behind “The Hunger Games” craze? A lot of things really; the movie seems to have a great story, quality actors, and a modern yet medieval feel to it that has at least got my attention. Still, all this is besides the point; after all it doesn’t just take a good movie to be able to sell. It takes marketing, and in the case of “The Hunger Games,” quality and well thought out promotions is what is really fueling the craze, given that not many people have actually seen the movie yet. We’ll take a closer look at a few reasons why the campaign was so successful.

1. Lionsgate has been very resourceful and exceptionally efficient when using the web. By using well-known promotional tools on go to sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumbler and many others, they have gotten their name out there and done so while spending significantly less than your everyday blockbuster. Their marketing budget is only $45 million compared to the routine $100 million spent by bigger studios. Definitely a good example of technology and trend awareness.
2. Lionsgate has also been highly innovative in using all of its resources. It has done it all from virtual tours of Panem (the city where the movie takes place) to Panem digital ID cards, Twitter scavenger hunts, digital puzzles, and give away prizes. There is simply too much going on with this movie, to ignore it and the fans seem to love it.
3. However, even with all the modern and innovative approaches that Lionsgate has chosen to incorporate, there was still room for the classics in “The Hunger Games” campaign. They gave away 80,000 posters, secured almost 50 magazine cover stories, and advertised on 30,000 billboards and bus shelters. Staying close to the roots of movie promotion has basically made “The Hunger Games” almost impossible to escape and being able to cover so many streams of exposure will no doubt have a huge impact in sales, once the movie is out.

4. The Lionsgate marketing team has also been very conscientious about their campaigns. They considered all implications and the image that they wanted to encompass for themselves and the movie. From the beginning they understood the delicate issue of a movie that shows children killing other children, and they established very important ground rules. They agreed that the campaign must never show the actual games, which helped sensor as well as draw in fans with a stronger sense of curiousity.  They agreed to focus their ads on “only one wins” rather than, “23 children die.” And finally, they barred the phrase “Let the games begin” in order to stay true to their morals and rather than glorify competition, emphasize that the children of this movie are victims. Because of their attention to detail and ethical approach to campaigning, the movie has been very well received by almost everyone, and fans are lining up, not for action and gore but for a deeper meaning and the message that the movie seems to send.
5. Finally, Lionsgate has also incorporated a great deal of organization to its campaign, which has probably played the biggest role in keeping the promotions consistent and focused throughout the many months it has been publicized. They used spreadsheets (coded in 12 colors) that detailed what would be introduced on a day-by-day, and even minute-by-minute, basis over months. They incorporated a great deal of variation, exposure methods, conscientiousness, attention to detail, and attention to timing, always baring mind that their efforts are not just for ticket sales. Their goal is to achieve long-term success and propel DVD sales as well as excitement for the following movies that make up the four movie franchise of the “Hunger Games.”

Lionsgate’s marketing efforts for “The Hunger Games” are truly a great example of quality staff working towards a well-defined and solid goal. By defining their goals and rules and well as a detailed game plan they were able to execute their campaign in a very successful way. They incorporated classic tools as well as innovative web based efforts, all while keeping in mind that there must always be a sense of cautiousness towards sensitive issues and the public’s perception of any potentially dangerous topic.

In my opinion Lionsgate did an amazing job, and while the movie has yet to premiere, all signs seem to point to a very successful franchise that will no doubt lead to continued sales and maybe even new records. I can’t imagine what Lionsgate could have done better, and what's even better is that all of these basic tactics, and tools can be incorporated to almost any marketing campaign. It seems we might all have a lot to learn from the Lionsgate effort, but what do you think?