MARVEL CHARACTERS IRON MAN / HULK = BRAND ENTERTAINMENT
Like many of you I grew up reading Marvel comics featuring the Marvel Universe of Super Hero characters. I spent many hours imagining what it would be like to be Spider-Man,The Incredible Hulk, The Silver Surfer, Captain America, and Iron Man or to be part of a team like the X-Men or the Fantastic Four. I am a Marvel fan and have also seen all of the television shows and movie adaptations over the years and
I am happy to see the blockbuster box office success of the Marvel Comics Film Franchise. Who is your favorite Marvel Character?
I realize that some of the films based on Marvel characters have not been as well received as others. However, I am pleasantly reminded of the movies of one of my other favorite film franchises, James Bond 007, based on Ian Fleming's fictional spy character from his novels. James Bond films have also had varied levels of success and have survived and thrived over 40 plus years, 22 films and six lead actor changes. (The Sean Connery James Bond films from the 1960's are my favorite in the series but I enjoy the new films with actor Daniel Craig too.) Which actor is your favorite Bond?
I am eagerly awaiting the release of Iron Man on May 2nd and The Incredible Hulk on June 13. Iron Man (starring Academy-Award nominated Robert Downey Jr. and Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow ) and “The Incredible Hulk”(starring Academy-Award nominated Edward Norton) are the first films produced by Marvel Studios. Which Marvel film are you most looking forward to?
How is Marvel Brand Entertainment?
As a marketer I am impressed with how Marvel has strategically marketed the characters
as celebrity
brands paving the way for Marvel's success. Brands want their products integrated with the characters and story in Marvel films through product placement and marketing tie-ins. The Audi R8 , part of the Iron Man product tie-ins, is driven by the Iron Man / Tony Stark character in the film and is also featured in Audi sponsored advertising referencing the film. (James Bond drove Aston Martin and BMW autos in his films.) Burger King and 7-Eleven
also have product tie-ins in Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk. Why are product placement and marketing tie-ins important?
Product placement in films is important because it can provide positive associations with the character and product but more importantly it provides cross-promotional advertising for the brands and film that extend the films reach in the hopes of creating a blockbuster opening at the box office. The bigger the opening the bigger the exposure and benefit to the brand partners. A big opening also helps to ensure the online and retail sales of related movie-themed licensed merchandise like toys, t-shirts, games, etc.
Filmmakers also realize cost savings because companies supply some of the products used in the film. Research studies have shown that product placement can create higher awareness and recall among consumers than advertising alone. Combining both product placement and advertising / promotional marketing techniques results in an even greater impact.
Companies are also creating their own branded entertainment, also known as branded content or advertainment, in the hopes of entertaining and engaging consumers and avoiding having their advertising ignored and deleted by consumers who use digital video recorders (such as TiVo) and video downloads to skip over or avoid commercials in a cluttered marketplace.
Procter & Gamble Productions produces the daytime soap operas "As The World Turns" and "Guiding Light." Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser brand products introduced Bud.TV which produces numerous online shows and also shares consumer-created content to entertain and engage their customers. Many other brands like Burger King are trying to engage consumers through video games or Advergaming. Marvel is also releasing the Iron Man video game to coincide with the launch of the film. Many other brands like Nike Plus are providing online tools, content and Social Media to help make consumers lives easier and better.
Branded Entertainment practices such as product placement, advergaming, consumer-created content, and other Social Media tools that help share content are all ways for marketers to be invited into consumers lives to engage and entertain consumers with their brands.
Many fans look forward to branded entertainment when it is successfully done but what kind of backlash can occur when the practices outlined above are seen as intrusive and interruptive?
You can learn more about what can happen when Hollywood promotion goes too far in church and schools in an editorial I wrote for the Christian Science Monitor.
I look 4WARD to your feedback.
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