300 Will Continue to Change the Way that Movies Are Marketed

300 basically came out of nowhere and rocked the movie theaters last weekend for a total North American take of over $70 million dollars. The movie didn't feature any big name actors. The story was based on the graphic novel 300, which was written by Frank Miller. The movie was tremendously well-marketed, with commercials for 300 dominating television shows and sporting events. However, you can market all you want, but you need to get people in the seats. Why was 300 such a phenomenon, and why it is going to continue to change the way that movies are marketed?

Even more astounding than the 70 million dollar first weekend figure was this figure. According to Warner Brothers, over 60% of people went to see 300 because of the Internet. Not because of commercials on TV, not because of billboards, but because of the Internet. For the IMAX presentation of 300, the number was closer to 70%. Almost 70% of people that saw 300 in IMAX went because of the Internet; whether it was advertising on the Internet, positive buzz, an early review, etc. This is major, major news, and here's why.

Film studios think in the short-term. When Pulp Fiction came out, film studios scrambled to make similar movies. When Spiderman came out and lit up the movie theaters, all of a sudden there was a rush to turn Marvel Comic superheroes into movies. With their marketing dollars, it is going to be the same thing. Now, all of these film studios are going to sink MAJOR dollars into Internet marketing, and it is only a matter of time before more dollars and more attention is spent by these studios on the Internet, and less on television campaigns.

The Internet is so appealing because you can create a much more intimate experience with the user. Film studios will be able to stretch out their dollars a lot more, and see direct results from their marketing. In addition to straight banner advertising, studios will spend more dollars trying to influence prominent reviewers on the Internet. Positive buzz on the Net is a very important tool, as evidenced by the success of Snakes on a Plane. You spend dollars on these movie review sites, fly these reviewers out to sneak previews of movies, and you are more likely to create a positive buzz. It's not necessarily right, but it is the way things to going to go.

The Internet is quickly becoming the preferred advertising medium for companies. For film studios, I think that the success of 300 has firmly thrust Internet marketing into the #1 advertising medium for large and small studios alike.