Our Ad Campaign--Phase Two

[peteinportland]

Well, after much deliberation and discussion we have decided the second phase of our ad campaign would focus on Internet advertising using the banner posted here:

http://davecullen.com/forum/index.php?topic=2016.msg102791#msg102791

We feel this will be the best use of the donated money, will reach the widest possible worldwide audience, and will allow us a much greater opportunity to speak to people in depth via click thur to our thank you web page. 

At first, we were leaning toward a small ad in USA Today; however the more we listened to our members and our donors, the more we felt that may not be the best move in order to make the biggest impact. We followed the discussion and the planning for several days and felt that this would be by far the best course of action. A great big thank you to all of you for your comments and your feedback and your efforts. You are an amazing group of people.

The goal of this campaign is twofold:

1. We want to use the BEST PICTURE headline and the dozy embrace to brand that concept in people's minds so that when they think of the Best Picture of 2005, they think of BBM. Also, we especially like the idea being branded with an image of Jack and Ennis in an embrace. This continues our campaign to let people know what all of us think is the consensus BP of 2005 and of our love and appreciation for the movie. The fact that we can do this with a fleeting impression of the banner makes this a great opportunity.

2. It will allow us to spread a much larger message to people who click on the banner and who are linked to our thank you web page. Even with a small number of people clicking thru, we will possibly get thousands of people to view our page who would not go there from a print ad. After all, it is very simple for someone already online to click on a link and look over our page. It takes actual work for a print reader to write down a URL and then go online to find the page. It also allows us to reach a diverse audience around the world as opposed to just an audience in the USA. Since this has been a worldwide effort, we want it to be seen around the world. Our web page will be updated and will discuss our campaign, our personal reactions to BBM and how it has impacted us, our love for the movie, and send our thanks to everyone involved with BBM. It will also help people discover our site and/or become involved with future and current efforts to spread the message of BBM (from us and others).

Our goal is to look at placement on sites frequented by people who watch movies such as rotten tomatoes, moviefone, fandango, IMDB, and others. We might also look at some high traffic sites such as msnbc or yahoo movie pages or google or ny times or slate. We will be able to track exactly how many people viewed the banner and how many people clicked on it. It is much better marketing feedback than we would get from a print ad.

This also will allow us to change our focus enough so that the progression of our campaign might be of interest to the press and the industry. Switching from a large print ad to targeted web advertising will be seen as a smart progression, especially when we articulate the two goals above. We brand BBM as BP AND we offer a comprehensive web page for people to visit and to learn much more than we could convey in a small one time print ad.

So, here is what we want to do over the next week as we prepare for this second part of our campaign:

1. Research the possibilities for web advertising (sites and pricing) and develop a campaign plan based upon our budget (about $15,000) that lists sites and dates for the ad buys.
2. Revise our current web page to create a better design and to better target the messages we want people to take away from our campaign.
3. Work on a targeted press release that explains phase two of our campaign.

This thread is to talk about the second phase of our campaign! We appreciate all of your feedback and support and help on this.

[gattaca]

I like the direction you are heading in.. We've made a positive strong point in Variety - now let's reach for a lingering cozy embrace in the internet space where we will reach many more people over a larger window of time.   Focus is gearing up for a DVD release campaign - so.. let's not compete with that.  Also by selecting this route,  we can use several of the wonderful phase 2 designs I've seen, rotating them as the ad changes or on different sites.   I like it immensely b/c it gives us a long term advertising voice... that's not in here and gone in a single issue of whatever...  Vincent

[yeti8080]

I can't believe this.

I've checked in on this site only a couple of times since Brokeback started making waves, and each time it looks a little different. But in general I concluded this is just your usual fan forum: A place where you can complain and flame, where absolute concensus is nonexistant, where people can do a little anonymous dance and say pretty much whatever the hell you wanted because no one's ever met anyone face-to-face. In other words, the purest form of anarchy we can get.

And then I heard the news.

In 48 hrs, a fury of discussion coalensces around an anonymous post from a enraged fan calling for action, an international financial account is created and begins pumping $16 000 U.S, advertising venues are researched, a campaign committee organizes spontaneously, lay-out and design of a full-page newspaper ad materializes out of no where, media are contacted, interviews conducted, legal advice sought... and national attention is realized. 48 hrs.

And now, a little more than a week later, a second ad is launched...

Ok, guys.

I just have one question.

WHAT THE HELL DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Oh, I know. It means that there are people who really believe in the Brokeback cause, an inspirational story, crazy fans, yada yada yada... You could tell me all that.

But I'm more concerned with the bigger questions: Like, is it just me or has the Internet completely revolutionized the way information flows and action is taken? Is it just me or has the speed of response and the spontaneous organization of grassroot movements reached a new level? Is this evidence of a volatile and subversive energy within society? Has this happened before, or is this all unprecedented? Is there something darkly disturbing about the spontaeous flow and concentration of money and information...Or a hopeful sign about our capacity to react and adapt to change?

[peteinportland]

Frankly, I like to think our actions herald a new level of grassroots activism. However, I tend to look more brightly on an important factor: the power of the Internet to build a true and proactive community among people around the world. This Internet gathering of people acted in true community fashion to champion a cause. I've seen Internet communities start because of activism. I am not sure I know of very many Internet communities who as a community involved themselves in a cause in the real world separate from the reason for them coming together. I think we prove that community is not dead. It is being redefined.

Oh, and BTW, ours is not a community of anarchy because we have the best moderating team on the planet and some of the most thoughtful and wonderful community members on the Internet. To use the modern vernacular, WE ROCK! 

[NWWaguy]

Yesss!!

I'm impressed (once again).  Bless all of you (and us).

As has been mentioned elsewhere ... I believe a 'click here' of some sort would let everyone know it's not just a statement, but a pathway to enlightenment and enrichment ....

Let us know if more money would help.  I can ooch out a bit more and will be happy to do that.

[Viking]

Well Pete, if you want to run an Internet campaign, then I would suggest two things:

1. Clearly define your target market because the Web is superspecific. You'll need to understand this before you can lay down your cash; and,

2. Consider getting a Flash banner instead of a static .gif or .jpg. It is 2006, not 1997.

Let me suggest once again that the banner needs to say "Brokeback Mountain" somewhere:

e.g., banner comes up -- it says "Brokeback Mountain" -- with the dozy embrace image on the right, then "Brokeback Mountain" fades and "Best Picture" comes into focus. Know what I mean? A little clarity and a little pizazz.

Banner ads are pretty smallish, you need to catch people's attention so a "little" dazzle goes a long way. Try to make the banner as beautiful and professional as the ad in Variety.

By the way I should congratulate you on being flexible and adaptable. Like many I didn't want us to undermine the classy gesture of the Variety ad by repeating the idea. Let it stand as a testament of our respect and devotion to the BBM gang. And I think a Web campaign has merit and is doable.

[nkburlington]

To be honest, people who don't want to see this movie are not going to see this movie; no matter what we do.

However, we have to get to those who might[i/] see the movie.  Those that are more comfortable viewing this movie in the privacy of their own homes.  I'm very anxious to see how the DVD sells/ rents compared to CRASH or Capote, or any of the others. 

I know those of us that loved the movie will be buying it so we have to concentrate on those who are sitting on the fence.

A homophobe is a homophobe and he / she is not all of a sudden going to go out and rent / buy this movie no matter how convincing we are. 

TARGET THOSE WHO WILL BUY THE MOVIE.

[Marge_Innavera]

However, we have to get to those who might[i/] see the movie.  Those that are more comfortable viewing this movie in the privacy of their own homes.  I'm very anxious to see how the DVD sells/ rents compared to CRASH or Capote, or any of the others.  . . . TARGET THOSE WHO WILL BUY THE MOVIE.

[/i]The second ad appears to be a done deal; but I'm strongly in favor of using it to promote the upcoming DVD rather than trying to get more people to see it in theatres.  Home video might certainly open more possibilities, including getting the interest of people who just don't go to theatres very often for any number of reasons. It would be far more directly relevant at this point and possibly do more for BBM in the long run.

[whiplash]

Sounds great!  It would be nice if the ad could easily link people to sources for purchasing the DVD - get it in their hands while they are thinking about the movie. 

[alma]

But I'm more concerned with the bigger questions: Like, is it just me or has the Internet completely revolutionized the way information flows and action is taken? Is it just me or has the speed of response and the spontaneous organization of grassroot movements reached a new level? Is this evidence of a volatile and subversive energy within society? Has this happened before, or is this all unprecedented? Is there something darkly disturbing about the spontaeous flow and concentration of money and information...Or a hopeful sign about our capacity to react and adapt to change?

Consider this your invitation to worship God. The Internet is the global brain, Brahman, the Christ, Kali... and all who contribute to her ad campaigns receive enlightenment (oh, and really cool conversations about movies and stuff too).

Selah.

[jack]

okay, here i am again.  every time i think i have put down my last word on the subject (speak your piece and move on) y'all up the ante, and i'm back to typing again.

great idea, and other than wondering if someone has checked the cost of google's ad placement program, i leave the what and where for y'all to hash out.

i do have a concern about the forum itself.  we have had, as pete has noted a blissfully troll free environment, under the care and tutelage of our dedicated moderators and our good hearted members.  i supect those days will be gone forever if we get the attention of the horde of "freepers" and trolls that inhabit the WWW.  before we begin this web campaign, we had better alert our members to this possibility, create a directive on how to effectively ignore attacks by the evil-doers, and provide back up for our moderating team.

i am sure there are additional preparations and precautions to be discussed, but it would be folly not to be ready.

jack   

[Zuraffo]

Why do we need to (dis)qualify our potential target before we even try? In sales lesson one thing we learn is never to (dis)qualify our customers.

I think the primary message of our internet AD should be about how the movie have changed people, and shared our testimonies. Whether people will pick it up, well, that's not for us to judge, nor can we manipulate that.

The bottom line is, an honest voice is louder than the crowd. We shared the honest truth about how Brokeback Transform lifes, and I have no doubt it will be heard.

[alma]

Well Pete, if you want to run an Internet campaign, then I would suggest two things:

1. Clearly define your target market because the Web is superspecific. You'll need to understand this before you can lay down your cash; and,

2. Consider getting a Flash banner instead of a static .gif or .jpg. It is 2006, not 1997.

Let me suggest once again that the banner needs to say "Brokeback Mountain" somewhere:

e.g., banner comes up -- it says "Brokeback Mountain" -- with the dozy embrace image on the right, then "Brokeback Mountain" fades and "Best Picture" comes into focus. Know what I mean? A little clarity and a little pizazz.

Banner ads are pretty smallish, you need to catch people's attention so a "little" dazzle goes a long way. Try to make the banner as beautiful and professional as the ad in Variety.

By the way I should congratulate you on being flexible and adaptable. Like many I didn't want us to undermine the classy gesture of the Variety ad by repeating the idea. Let it stand as a testament of our respect and devotion to the BBM gang. And I think a Web campaign has merit and is doable.

Web campaign, great idea! Has anyone thought of taking out a google ad too for targeted words? Not expensive and a great way to bring people to this discussion board and the movie.

[Randman10]

The unspoken is unspeakably shattering.

Something that comes to mind as we search for the text of the second ad is that we are targeting people who have not seen it (most probably) for negative reasons... ie. they don't like the "subject matter" - too much hype - too issue-oriented - it's a "love story" - whatever.  While I personally love many of the suggestions made so far because they capture my feelings about the film, I've been trying to "think like a non-BBMer" and came up with:

Be brave enough to see it...
And be surprised by what it makes you feel.

(And, of course, it's my little dig towards the CRASH campaign's "Remember how it made you feel"!  "I do remember, and I won't be seeing CRASH ever again!")

 

[Zuraffo]

Amen

Consider this your invitation to worship God. The Internet is the global brain, Brahman, the Christ, Kali... and all who contribute to her ad campaigns receive enlightenment (oh, and really cool conversations about movies and stuff too).

Selah.