Black Panther- Marketing Campaign
Introduction
This article discusses the marketing strategies adopted by the marvel comics blockbuster movie “Black Panther”Black Panther has become a cultural and box office phenomenon.It is a flagship movie for Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is 18th film of marvel and first -film franchise to have a black American (Chadwick Boseman) in a lead role, and also the first to give a platform to a black director in Ryan Coogler.
Country: United States
Year: 2018
Category: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Release Date: 16 February 2018
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Age Restriction:18 years
Duration: 125 minutes
Budget: $70, 400, 00
Box Office: $?
Before the debut of movie “Black Panther” in theatres, a petition was launched on Change.org which hashtagged “Break Bread Marvel”.
The petitioner wrote, “Through a clever, well-manufactured marketing campaign Marvel studios and their parent company Walt Disney have targeted the Black community with advertisements for the upcoming ‘Black Panther’ film.”
The petitioner pointed out Marvel was capitalizing off the Black community during Black History Month, with Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution will not be televised” playing in the film’s initial trailer.
So the marketers have now realised that there is an untapped market of marginalised people which can generate huge revenues if captured tactically.
So for a marketer and there are many new ways to learn how to achieve a successful campaign.Here are few tips from Black Panther.
Tell the truth:
People love to watch truthful cinema.The story of black Panther moves around Africa and the natives in the continent especially East and South Africans. The movie shows details of the different cultures, African artefacts from West and East Africa, ancient African warriors, respect for ancestors and the typical African kingdom. These details from the African history and people were excited to watch the story created with it.So for a marketing campaign to be successful, there must be something which is factual and which can be connected to the life of audience.
Reach the right people
Reaching your target customers is the key to marketing Disney reached out to African communities by showing a premiere in South Africa and also in Kenya and Nigeria; they built the conversation around the movie and served as a positive representative of the people. Another tactic which became successful was a music tie-in led by Kendrick Lamar, who’s Black Panther: The Album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 music album chart.
Tell a story
The story you are telling must have depth and uniqueness.The viewers of the blockbuster movie fell in love with the idea behind the story and it has built strong anticipation for the movie. Marvel Studios is widely praised for an in-depth storyline which looked simple on the first place but unique and real at the screenings. Everyone had a great experience.
Do something that has not been done before
Marketing needs creativity and novel ideas.Black Panther is the first record making movie which is made in Africa and no one could believe it would ever be done. The makers have touched the untapped potential. Fortunate are those, who got to enjoy T’Challa and the heroes of Wakanda in the theatre and not comic books.
Have an almost all black cast
Have you heard this before? Once you go black, you don’t go back! Well, we’re not sure how true this would be for Marvel Studios but we could learn something from them when it comes to choosing the cast for movies. Many of the cast were chosen from black communities around the world. Using a diverse cast from diverse cultures may have contributed to the success of the movie. Maybe picking one of most exciting young new directors in Hollywood, Ryan Coogler who also happens to be an African American as director of the movie struck a chord.
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