In the latest earth-quaking, IT-led disruption to business as usual for movie lovers and the marketers who influence them, the biggest movie streaming website, Netflix, scored big at the Academy Awards with 10 nominations, and picked up big wins for best director and best foreign language film best for its made-for-laptops film “Roma”.
While the black-and-white, Spanish-language film could also be seen in theatres, the fact it was made by Netflix has industry professionals paying attention. The campaign supporting “Roma” was backed by a US$25-million PR blitz. Although panned by one big theatre chain as a “made-for-TV” movie after winning four Bafta awards, including film of the year, the move is just one more sign of how more people love staying at home to watch films.
Competition is fierce for the future of Hollywood. Netflix’s “‘Roma’ Experience Day” multi-channel public relations campaign amplified the novelty factor for the film with a sophisticated strategy featuring choice details such as chocolates stamped with the name of the film and augmented-reality entertainment in which attendees at a gala were superimposed into a scene from “Roma” that they could share later. While some say that the Netflix is ruining the film-going experience, the company’s recent PR coup shows that viewers are in charge, and they don’t have to go to the cinema to get premium entertainment, and don’t even have to wait a few months anymore for the official debut on small screens.
The Human & Digital Communications Agency
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