Marketing Executive

Marketing Executives are in charge of producing and planning marketing campaigns for the final film. They liaise with both the filmmakers and the distributors to determine the target audience which allows them to understand how they can make the movie enticing enough to draw in customers. Marketing campaigns should begin to reach the target audience before and during the film’s release, through ads or social media.

To begin, marketing executives must have a knowledge of film and marketing. They must also be aware of current trends, and be able to think tactfully and strategically to create a campaign that will appeal to the public. Marketing executives need to be competent in organising, planning, communicating, presenting and networking. When using those skills for coming up with a new campaign, they need to keep finance in mind – they must be aware of the budget. Lastly, creativity, good writing skills and good computer skills are self-explanatory.

Generally, a qualification in marketing, PR, or something else business related is required, though it is possible to work your way up if you show enthusiasm and willingness. In marketing, experience is important, and success in that experience is what employers look for, so find some work experience and don’t shy away from lower level jobs. As for salaries, they are competitive – for a starting salary, you can expect something around £17,000-£22,000. The average is between £25,000-£35,000 and executives with a substantial amount of experience can earn around £40,000. It’s not unusual for a good marketing director to earn in excess of £100k.

As I have a knowledge of film and an interest in marketing, as well as creativity, strategy and tact, I feel that I could lend my hand to a marketing role well; it is certainly something I would consider.

Good advertising can make or break a film’s success. For example, the marketing for IT (2017) was clearly thought out and put into practice extremely well:

The trailer – and film itself – shared a resemblance to Stranger Things (set in the 80’s, dark atmosphere, perilous adventures). The marketing/business teams saw how the show stormed Netflix, took over social media and won over many people, so they wired the trailer and advertising for IT to give off the same vibes, knowing fans of Netflix’s tv show (and the aesthetic) would watch their movie – meaning, buy tickets and make them money.

The creepy tagline used for the advertising campaigns; “you’ll float too” was plastered everywhere, it made the public anticipate the movie because the threat was just so casually terrifying. It also made avid readers want to watch as well because of the quote’s prominence in the original book.

They also worked on creating a real-life, replica version of the “IT House” – another wonderful advertising stunt. This haunted house lured many people to the LA street corner it was built on, but only after they had made a reservation and payed online. The tour of the house was led by one of the characters, Georgie, in his iconic yellow raincoat. Having the tour led by a character made the experience feel almost real and prompted visitors to become fascinated with the story. They also produced a VR experience, placing the viewer in Derry and getting them hooked on the feeling of adrenaline.