Wednesday 13 June 2012
Tuesday 13 December 2011
A05 - Evaluation
This is the evaluation for Unit 4: Marketing Strategy Plan + Produce Advertising + Promotional Materials for a New Media Product.
Marketing Strategy Plan Evaluation
For my Marketing Strategy Plan, I created numerous posters showing what I planned to do. The posters were clear and structured. I gave a detailed explanation of what I had designed or planned to do. These were initial ideas that I had panned out, and they were subject to change as I carried on throughout the process of this unit. I kept a valid Marketing Schedule of when each promotional item needed to be created and released by. The schedule was subject to change depending on the demand from listeners and fans. If they fans wanted more material they would either get sneak peeks sooner or they would have to wait until the official release date of each item leading up to the album release.
Produce Advertising + Promotional Materials for a New Media Product Evaluation:
For the next part of this unit, I looked at my designs and re-created my ideas.
I created 5 posters to promote the album, each having a different vowel on them, this was to give the fans a hint of what the album covers were going to be like, as each album cover has a different vowel on it. When I presented my work to a focus group, they said that they wished there was some variation in the design of the posters. They suggested that I used different layouts and colours rather than the red and white. My posters fit legal and ethical standards, in the CAP code (set by the ASA) as they aren't misleading, offensive or plagiarising any one else's work. The logo's of each company have been given for the promotional purpose of the album.
I have taken ideas from the feedback to create a new poster that is green, and has a more interesting design. I decided to keep the bottom of the poster the same as this keeps continuity. Bu as for the 'A' I decided that the focus group wanted a different colour palette and a more eye catching design and this is what I came up with.
My focus group added that they would've liked to have seen a piece of moving image as a promotion. I had thought about doing this, but I thought using adverts on the web and using social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. With a moving image I would create an advert to promote the album. It would be around 30 seconds long and consist of different clips from the band's music videos. (Much like the 'Now That's What I Call Music,' adverts).
They also said that I could produce a DVD of the band performing live. This would be released after the tour had been completed. I have taken inspiration from the Duran Duran 'Greatest Hits' artwork for this, which is very simple. The cover would stand out on a shelf as it looks so different to other live music DVDs. As you can see, I decided to use the name of the tour as the cover rather than using the bands name as well, I did this to make people pick up the cover and have a look on the back of the casing. The DVD would be available in music retail stores, as a download on websites such as iTunes and it would also be sold on the Vowel Please Website.
The article I produced was the highlight of my presentation for my focus group. They really liked the layout of the piece, and that it followed the typical conventions of what you see in music magazines such as NME. The article doesn't feature any expletives, so it is suitable for all ages. If the article was featured in a magazine such as NME, the article would be aimed at teenagers and young adults, as the rest of the magazine may feature strong language and sexual references. My focus group liked that the image was the focal point of the article, rather than there being lashings of text. Teenagers usually prefer to skim read through magazines instead of reading through them.
My focus group found that the unisex t-shirt I had designed was more masculine and male orientated, they suggested that I made a ladies top as well giving it a different cut, a change of colour and a different layout. They also suggested that because the special edition of the album is in gold, that there should be some limited edition merchandise that is gold. This would mean that there would be people who have got exclusive merchandise. I had thought about expanding the merchandise, but I think I would do this as demand increased.
Here I have created a Special Edition Unisex T-Shirt for the AEIOU album/tour. I decided to use a gold swirl design under the AEIOU, to make the t-shirt look more appealing rather than it just being black, whit and gold. I have decided to keep this theme with the original t-shirt and used black, white and red, to correspond with the album's original colours.
The focus group thought that my lanyard was a great idea, even though they did worry that not many people would buy it. From concerts and events that I have been to, you would see people wearing lanyards that have the tours dates on and some information of the people in the band and what they like etc. They said that instead of just having the tour dates and name of the band on it, that I should make a little booklet that has information on the band and exclusive photos in it. I had thought of opening up the booklet and inside there being a big poster that people can unclip from the lanyard and put on their wall.
Marketing Strategy Plan Evaluation
For my Marketing Strategy Plan, I created numerous posters showing what I planned to do. The posters were clear and structured. I gave a detailed explanation of what I had designed or planned to do. These were initial ideas that I had panned out, and they were subject to change as I carried on throughout the process of this unit. I kept a valid Marketing Schedule of when each promotional item needed to be created and released by. The schedule was subject to change depending on the demand from listeners and fans. If they fans wanted more material they would either get sneak peeks sooner or they would have to wait until the official release date of each item leading up to the album release.
Produce Advertising + Promotional Materials for a New Media Product Evaluation:
For the next part of this unit, I looked at my designs and re-created my ideas.
I created 5 posters to promote the album, each having a different vowel on them, this was to give the fans a hint of what the album covers were going to be like, as each album cover has a different vowel on it. When I presented my work to a focus group, they said that they wished there was some variation in the design of the posters. They suggested that I used different layouts and colours rather than the red and white. My posters fit legal and ethical standards, in the CAP code (set by the ASA) as they aren't misleading, offensive or plagiarising any one else's work. The logo's of each company have been given for the promotional purpose of the album.
I have taken ideas from the feedback to create a new poster that is green, and has a more interesting design. I decided to keep the bottom of the poster the same as this keeps continuity. Bu as for the 'A' I decided that the focus group wanted a different colour palette and a more eye catching design and this is what I came up with.
My focus group added that they would've liked to have seen a piece of moving image as a promotion. I had thought about doing this, but I thought using adverts on the web and using social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. With a moving image I would create an advert to promote the album. It would be around 30 seconds long and consist of different clips from the band's music videos. (Much like the 'Now That's What I Call Music,' adverts).
They also said that I could produce a DVD of the band performing live. This would be released after the tour had been completed. I have taken inspiration from the Duran Duran 'Greatest Hits' artwork for this, which is very simple. The cover would stand out on a shelf as it looks so different to other live music DVDs. As you can see, I decided to use the name of the tour as the cover rather than using the bands name as well, I did this to make people pick up the cover and have a look on the back of the casing. The DVD would be available in music retail stores, as a download on websites such as iTunes and it would also be sold on the Vowel Please Website.The article I produced was the highlight of my presentation for my focus group. They really liked the layout of the piece, and that it followed the typical conventions of what you see in music magazines such as NME. The article doesn't feature any expletives, so it is suitable for all ages. If the article was featured in a magazine such as NME, the article would be aimed at teenagers and young adults, as the rest of the magazine may feature strong language and sexual references. My focus group liked that the image was the focal point of the article, rather than there being lashings of text. Teenagers usually prefer to skim read through magazines instead of reading through them.
My focus group found that the unisex t-shirt I had designed was more masculine and male orientated, they suggested that I made a ladies top as well giving it a different cut, a change of colour and a different layout. They also suggested that because the special edition of the album is in gold, that there should be some limited edition merchandise that is gold. This would mean that there would be people who have got exclusive merchandise. I had thought about expanding the merchandise, but I think I would do this as demand increased.
Here I have created a Special Edition Unisex T-Shirt for the AEIOU album/tour. I decided to use a gold swirl design under the AEIOU, to make the t-shirt look more appealing rather than it just being black, whit and gold. I have decided to keep this theme with the original t-shirt and used black, white and red, to correspond with the album's original colours.
The focus group thought that my lanyard was a great idea, even though they did worry that not many people would buy it. From concerts and events that I have been to, you would see people wearing lanyards that have the tours dates on and some information of the people in the band and what they like etc. They said that instead of just having the tour dates and name of the band on it, that I should make a little booklet that has information on the band and exclusive photos in it. I had thought of opening up the booklet and inside there being a big poster that people can unclip from the lanyard and put on their wall.
Here is the beginning of the booklet I am going to create:
Saturday 10 December 2011
A03 - Legal + Ethical Requirements
My marketing strategy plan, advertising + promotional material, all fit legal and ethical requirements.
I have researched bodies such as the ASA, CAVIAR, BARB, RAJAR and The Audit Bureau of Circulation to find out the codes and regulations that need to be respected for my promotional material.
Here is a screenshot of the CAP code used for Sales Promotion:
I have researched bodies such as the ASA, CAVIAR, BARB, RAJAR and The Audit Bureau of Circulation to find out the codes and regulations that need to be respected for my promotional material.
Here is a screenshot of the CAP code used for Sales Promotion:
I must stick to the guideines to make sure that I do not offend, mislead or influence someone wrongly. I believe that all of my advertisments and promotions meet the guidelines set from all regulatory bodies.
Tuesday 18 October 2011
A03 - Produce Advertising + Promotional Materials For A New Media Product
These are the sets of posters that I will use to promote the album in magazines, newspapers and any other form of print. These posters meet the ASA's Advertising Codes as they do not mislead the viewer, and there is no harmful material used within the posters. The companies that would sell the music have given me permission to use their logo.
I have decided to create a unisex t-shirt that will be available on the Vowel Please website. The t-shirts will be available in a range of sizes and retail at £15.
This is a lanyard that will be sold on the Vowel Please online store, which is accessible from the Vowel Please website. The lanyard will come with a plastic pouch which will have a card showing all the dates from the tour. The lanyard + pouch will retail for around £7.
This is the booklet that will be sold with the lanyard. It includes a full list of all the tour dates/arenas. This was created on Photoshop using just the text tools.
None of the merchandise created for the 'Vowel Please,' band does not include any harmful material that could be offensive to viewers.
This is a mock up of the style of article that will appear in music magazines. This is a layout that is similar to the ones in NME and other music magazines. I created this on Photoshop, as you can see in the image above. I took a photo and then made up a small section of an article just so you can get the feel of what it would look like. There is a slight chance that in a real interview and article that the text could include some expletives, which may be offensive to readers. This would be down to the company holding the interview.
Risk Assessments
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Tuesday 4 October 2011
A02 - Major Official Bodies
What is BARB? Outline it's function and how it works:
What is RAJAR? Outline it's function and how it works:
What is the Audit Bureau of Circulation? Outline it's function and how it works:
What is the ASA? Outline it's function and how it works:
What is CAVIAR? Outline it's function and how it works:
What is CAP? Outline it's function and how it works:
Tuesday 27 September 2011
A01 - Marketing Mix: The Debt
The Debt:
The Debt is a film directed by John Madden, produced by Marv Films and Pioneer Pictures. It was distributed by Miramax Films worldwide, as well as UPI, Focus Features, Alliance Films and Golden Village Pictures. The film took an estimated $20,000,000 to make, and it has taken $26,564,431 as of the 18th September. (IMDb) The film is a thriller that has a UK Certification of 15 and an American Certification of R. You would expect to see this film in a multiplex cinema such as Odeon, or Cineworld, rather than art house screenings. It will be released in the UK on the 30th September 2011, but it was released on the 31st August 2011. And it is aimed at a middle aged audience as there are links back to the war, and middle aged people may remember their parents talking about the war. If a teenager or young adult was watching this they may find it very confusing if they don't know a lot about the war.
'The espionage thriller beings in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciaran Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of a mission they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable person cost, the team's mission was accomplished - or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.' -Written by Focus Features (IMDb)
Trailer
This is the full theatrical trailer for, 'The Debt,' I have not been able to find any teaser trailers for the film, and I also haven't seen it advertised on TV.
Here the trailer begins with the rating of the film from the MPAA, as this is the American trailer. In the British trailer you would not see the rating until the end. The colour palette at the beginning is warm and show sunsets, and throughout the film the colour palette gets darker and darker as you get deeper into the film and the plot. A mix of slow motion, military aircraft and silhouettes as the next shot, keep you in suspense and carry out an enigma. The woman explaining their story now in the 21st Century then goes on to talk about the 3 main characters. Whilst this is happening a montage of each character is being played in time to the description of their characters. In this montage we see parts of them from now and also when they were younger in their first mission together. Flashes are used to put this together and to help show the difference in time. In the montage of the main female character 'Rachel,' is seen in the beginning with a plaster on her cheek and in the newer footage she has a scar. This is an enigma hat you know will be followed throughout the film.
There is then a montage of World War 2 footage. We can tell that this is WW2 footage as there is a swastika in the top left corner. This helps us to understand what time zone the film is set in. We then see the 21st Century woman talking about the mission more, and we have knowledge of what era the film is set in, and that 'Rachel,' is part of MOSSAD (National Intelligence Agency of Israel).
The trailer features many conventions that are typical of a thriller film, for example, fast editing. Fast editing is used to make everything seem of a quicker pace. This gives the audience an impression that the film is full of action and mystery. This action and mystery is also portrayed by the use of different angles for shots, all separated with black flashes.
The trailer then goes on to a blue background with text about when the film is out, the first being, 'This Summer,' it then cuts to a different part of the film. Underneath the text are lines and squares that seem to be a reference to underground tunnels, train lines, or control points from the war.
It then goes onto say the names of the actors/actresses involved in the film, and also the film's slogan. There is then a brief moment where the footage goes back to its original speed, and it then it goes at a fast pace again and the film's title then fades up.
The music in the trailer is very slow to begin with and it then picks up with the speed of the video footage. There are voice overs in the trailer, which are actually the actors in the film, rather than a narrator. The typical sound effects of a thriller are used, for example heartbeats. Heartbeats are used to give a sense of tension and that someone is on the edge and nervous. Their blood pressure is racing and so should yours. It is a very stereotypical piece of music for a thriller.
Posters
The posters made for The Debt, vary according to the country that the film is being showed in. For example the British and the American posters. The British (Top Image) is very plain compared to the American poster (Bottom Image). American posters like to have a lot of information in them, and this poster includes a small image of where the film is set. The British poster simply has 2 images, a splash, the name of the film, release date, names of the actors/actresses, the names of the production team and the film's certification. The American poster has a different bottom image, this could easily give a different impression of what the genre is for the film, making it look like an action film, because of the clear view of the gun, rather than a thriller. It seems that American's prefer to have a busier poster rather than something quite traditional and plain.
Compared to the Glee posters, these are very mysterious, but simple as the Glee posters, are bold with a different character on each showing the 'L' sign with their hand and filling in the word Glee. The Glee posters are also simple, but because of their bold colour scheme it has more of an impact.
The official website for The Debt is on the 'Focus Features,' site. There are sub sections to the website with an overview, story, videos, photos, news and reviews to name a few. There are also the 2 images on the American poster in the middle of the page, making it easier for the audience to figure out that they are on the right website. There are also ratings for the film at the top right hand corner, which is one of the first things that the audience sees. The Debt website is more sophisticated compared to the fun nature of Glee. The Glee website is covered in adverts and sponsors. As the show is sponsored by Cadbury's, 'Dairy Milk,' there is promotion for them all over the webpage. The Glee page is a lot bigger, and there are more links to buying the soundtracks for Glee and how they can follow them on Twitter and Facebook. The Debt also has links to Facebook, Blogger and Twitter, but it isn't as visible. There is also a part of the website that is dedicated to booking tickets and viewing showtimes in America. This is a great way to promote the film, as the audience can read up on the film and what it's about and then book the tickets straight away.
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter etc.)
Film Reviews
Many film magazines and newspapers have reviewed 'The Debt,' these are more in depth about the film compared to the film premiere. They talk about the cast, the plot and then give it an overall review, when the premiere is more focused on what the cast is wearing. As the reviews are in depth it gives you the chance is see if you want to go and see the film or not. This is why film critics are invited to the film premiere, so they can recommend the film for you. Radio 5 Live have also reviewed the film on 'Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's Film Reviews' a popular show for the avid film viewer.
TV Appearances
To market and promote the film, the most recognised stars from the show take part in chat shows and other interviews. The stars ususally go on shows that represent the target audience of the film. For example Jessica Chastain went on BBC Breakfast to talk about the show, and Helen Mirren went on The Jonathon Ross Show on ITV. As you can see the more high end stars such as Helen Mirren, go on the more popular evening shows. Also Helen Mirren was on The Jonathon Ross Show as Ross's wife was one of the writers of the film. The producers, directors, and other members of the crew, often hold press conferences, and talk more to higher end tv shows and websites that may have film blogs. Usually people are more interested in seeing what the stars thought of the film.
Cinemas
Promotion is also given on cinema websites. Front running cinema's Odeon and Cineworld give short reviews of the film, and they also say that you should see it if you like different films. For example, Cineworld has said that you should watch 'The Debt,' if you enjoyed 'Munich,' 'Defiance,' and 'The Reader.'
The Debt is a film directed by John Madden, produced by Marv Films and Pioneer Pictures. It was distributed by Miramax Films worldwide, as well as UPI, Focus Features, Alliance Films and Golden Village Pictures. The film took an estimated $20,000,000 to make, and it has taken $26,564,431 as of the 18th September. (IMDb) The film is a thriller that has a UK Certification of 15 and an American Certification of R. You would expect to see this film in a multiplex cinema such as Odeon, or Cineworld, rather than art house screenings. It will be released in the UK on the 30th September 2011, but it was released on the 31st August 2011. And it is aimed at a middle aged audience as there are links back to the war, and middle aged people may remember their parents talking about the war. If a teenager or young adult was watching this they may find it very confusing if they don't know a lot about the war.
'The espionage thriller beings in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciaran Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of a mission they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable person cost, the team's mission was accomplished - or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.' -Written by Focus Features (IMDb)
Trailer
This is the full theatrical trailer for, 'The Debt,' I have not been able to find any teaser trailers for the film, and I also haven't seen it advertised on TV.
Here the trailer begins with the rating of the film from the MPAA, as this is the American trailer. In the British trailer you would not see the rating until the end. The colour palette at the beginning is warm and show sunsets, and throughout the film the colour palette gets darker and darker as you get deeper into the film and the plot. A mix of slow motion, military aircraft and silhouettes as the next shot, keep you in suspense and carry out an enigma. The woman explaining their story now in the 21st Century then goes on to talk about the 3 main characters. Whilst this is happening a montage of each character is being played in time to the description of their characters. In this montage we see parts of them from now and also when they were younger in their first mission together. Flashes are used to put this together and to help show the difference in time. In the montage of the main female character 'Rachel,' is seen in the beginning with a plaster on her cheek and in the newer footage she has a scar. This is an enigma hat you know will be followed throughout the film.
The trailer features many conventions that are typical of a thriller film, for example, fast editing. Fast editing is used to make everything seem of a quicker pace. This gives the audience an impression that the film is full of action and mystery. This action and mystery is also portrayed by the use of different angles for shots, all separated with black flashes.
The music in the trailer is very slow to begin with and it then picks up with the speed of the video footage. There are voice overs in the trailer, which are actually the actors in the film, rather than a narrator. The typical sound effects of a thriller are used, for example heartbeats. Heartbeats are used to give a sense of tension and that someone is on the edge and nervous. Their blood pressure is racing and so should yours. It is a very stereotypical piece of music for a thriller.
Posters
Compared to the Glee posters, these are very mysterious, but simple as the Glee posters, are bold with a different character on each showing the 'L' sign with their hand and filling in the word Glee. The Glee posters are also simple, but because of their bold colour scheme it has more of an impact.
Example of a Glee Poster:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MJLaRZQfG-4/TksJmrvWXgI/AAAAAAAAAm4/vtfeJH8FWPQ/s1600/vvallpaper.net_glee_Kurt_humer_chris_colfer.jpg
Website
The official website for The Debt is on the 'Focus Features,' site. There are sub sections to the website with an overview, story, videos, photos, news and reviews to name a few. There are also the 2 images on the American poster in the middle of the page, making it easier for the audience to figure out that they are on the right website. There are also ratings for the film at the top right hand corner, which is one of the first things that the audience sees. The Debt website is more sophisticated compared to the fun nature of Glee. The Glee website is covered in adverts and sponsors. As the show is sponsored by Cadbury's, 'Dairy Milk,' there is promotion for them all over the webpage. The Glee page is a lot bigger, and there are more links to buying the soundtracks for Glee and how they can follow them on Twitter and Facebook. The Debt also has links to Facebook, Blogger and Twitter, but it isn't as visible. There is also a part of the website that is dedicated to booking tickets and viewing showtimes in America. This is a great way to promote the film, as the audience can read up on the film and what it's about and then book the tickets straight away.
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter etc.)
The UK Facebook site for 'The Debt,' features photos, videos and links to interviews and reviews from other sites and newspapers. The page as of the 29th September 2011 only has 95 likes. The reason this might be so low is that the film is aimed at middle aged people, and usually middle aged people aren't on Facebook. The UK site has a lot less likes than the American site, which has 22,870 likes. This may be because the film was heavily publicised in America, and not many people actually know about the film in the UK. The American Facebook site is very much the same, but the articles are related to America not the UK. I haven't been able to find an official Twitter for the film, but The Debt has been used as a hash tag #thedebt along with the stars name #helenmirren #samworthington etc.
The film premiere was covered by Hello! magazine, Metro newspaper, The Mirror to name a few. The newspapers and magazine's were only interested in what Helen Mirren looked like, rather than what the film is like. That would've been left to the film and entertainment section of the newspaper/magazine. At the film premiere's the focus is usually on what the actresses/actors are wearing.
Film Reviews
Many film magazines and newspapers have reviewed 'The Debt,' these are more in depth about the film compared to the film premiere. They talk about the cast, the plot and then give it an overall review, when the premiere is more focused on what the cast is wearing. As the reviews are in depth it gives you the chance is see if you want to go and see the film or not. This is why film critics are invited to the film premiere, so they can recommend the film for you. Radio 5 Live have also reviewed the film on 'Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's Film Reviews' a popular show for the avid film viewer.
TV Appearances
To market and promote the film, the most recognised stars from the show take part in chat shows and other interviews. The stars ususally go on shows that represent the target audience of the film. For example Jessica Chastain went on BBC Breakfast to talk about the show, and Helen Mirren went on The Jonathon Ross Show on ITV. As you can see the more high end stars such as Helen Mirren, go on the more popular evening shows. Also Helen Mirren was on The Jonathon Ross Show as Ross's wife was one of the writers of the film. The producers, directors, and other members of the crew, often hold press conferences, and talk more to higher end tv shows and websites that may have film blogs. Usually people are more interested in seeing what the stars thought of the film.
Cinemas
Promotion is also given on cinema websites. Front running cinema's Odeon and Cineworld give short reviews of the film, and they also say that you should see it if you like different films. For example, Cineworld has said that you should watch 'The Debt,' if you enjoyed 'Munich,' 'Defiance,' and 'The Reader.'
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