BLACK PANTHER: MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

- MARKETING CAMPAIGN - 

Black Panther had a strong marketing campaign which was large and wide reaching, this is why it was such a great success. Disney was distributing the film which meant that they had a large budget and resources to create a detailed marketing campaign. To maximise profit they also released merchandise such as action figures, posters, trailers and social media pages to allow the audience to become more familiar with their film and to maximise audience appeal in order to sell the film. Action figures and toys were a great way of targeting young children and family audiences which helped their marketing campaign. 

The lexus partnership was a way of targeting an adult male audience, interested in technology and status as the partnership with Lexus created 2 Black Panther themed cars. This meant everytime the cars got marketed, the film got marketed too. Disney also produces many trailers which were released in cinemas, on television and online. These trailers were also used to emphasise that the film was part of the Marvel Franchise targeting their pre - sold  fans. It was also broadcasted in the ad breaks of the Superbowl  in America which is one of the most expensive advertising slots which would result in targeting a global mass audience which was a great marketing technique to spread awareness of the film. 

Black Panther was released during Black History Month meaning that the release was marketed as a ‘cultural event’ to celebrate black culture. Some people took this a step further and started crowd funding site online which were set up to raise money to make sure that young black people could go to the cinema and see this film.These crowd funding sites were shared online and in the media which was great for the Black Panther film as it acted as an official marketing campaign.

Disney also did a partnership with New York fashion week and did a show using clothes inspired by the Wakandan clothes in the film. This would’ve attracted a lot of media attention and publicity which helped their marketing strategy hugely and targeting a huge female audience. Another Global marketing technique that was used was the use of Youtube which allowed audiences to share, comment and like the trailer, as YouTube is a global platform it allowed the  Black Panther to receive huge publicity. Social media was also a core part of their marketing campaign as Disney used Twitter to market the film by using hashtags, posts and film teasers. This resulted in the film becoming the most tweeted about film of the year which was a huge success. Twitter was also used to livestream Q & A sessions with the cast and crew, creating anticipation for the film and allowing the fans to get involved. 

The actors took part as guests on chat shows and other tv programmes was a great way of marketing the film to older audiences. The actors and crew appeared at Comicon which is a huge globally recognised event for fans of big franchises in film, gaming and tv. They had a panel at Comicon in which they spoke to fans and answered any questions which was a good way to target ‘super fans’ of a franchise or shared universe, ensuring they spread the word. Later on there was even an exclusive Black Panther Snapchat filter which was a method of targeting a younger audience and spreading the word of the film. 

The use of sequels and prequels helps to reduce risk and maximise profit. This reflects Hesmondhalg’s ideas about companies striving for maximised profits. Black Panther could have been seen as a part of Disney’s strategy to improve its reputation for the way it treats ethnicity/ gender in the film. 

The various use of posters which each one featuring a different character from the film which is also a great way of targeting different audiences.