fi el d guide - gathr films · fi el d guide. understanding gathr ... marketing capabilities you...

®

Gathr is an online service that allows you tobring the movies you want to a venue near you.

It’s what we like to call TOD™ (Theatrical on Demand®.)

f I e l DGuIDe

Understanding gathr

Gathr’s mission is to democratize theatrical distribution by giving content owners the tools to directly market and distribute their films, and by enabling movie-goers to pull screenings of films to venues near them.

We call it TheatricalOnDemand®.

Welcome to the Gathr Revolution.

We’re growing the largest independent film community of movie-goers in the world.

The Audience Has Spoken.

Understanding gathr with FaQClick here For FaQ

Promotion strategyoUtreaCh inventory

imPlementing gathr toolsonline Promotions

oFFline Promotions

Promotion strategy:CaPtains vs ConsUmers

Captains vs Consumers

Assessing outreach capabilities begins with qualifying the individuals interested in your film. There are two types of awareness we want to create in order to most effectively use Gathr’s Theatrical On Demand platform.

Gathr classifies these groups as Captains and Consumers

Captains:

Captains are the highly influential users who are willing to take the challenge to campaign for the film and help champion film screenings. Recruiting these dedicated leaders is vital to building a successful program and we want to help you identify existing Captains as well as give you the instruments necessary to grow this component of outreach.

2the democratization of Film

Promotion strategy

Consumers:

Consumers are more passive users who will eventually result in ticket purchases for the screenings. As we grow the consumer awareness for the film we can funnel these groups into the screening events hosted by our Captains. Gathr has created tools that allow us to capture and geo target Consumer interest around the country while simultaneously growing our influential Captain base.

Captain Recruitment:

Captains are vital to the success of your release. Requesting a screening is simply not enough. Identifying and growing these influencers is key to setting up a good foundation to build your campaign around. You may have already built a core group of Captains, we need to begin to nurture these relationships.

Start with friends, family and any early key supporters of the film. Reach out with a email pitch and begin growing a community of followers who will dedicate the time necessary to get the word out about your film.

• Engage any fans or early supporters of the film with the idea of championing a screening.

• Regularly update this community with and news, press clippings, trailers and extra features. Keep them informed and engaged!

• Make a pitch to any organizations that share in your films cause, large or small, these groups can provide excellent outreach across the country and recruit Captains nationally.

• Share your search for Captains with media outlets.

• Be sure to explain the Gathr model, understanding our platform allows Captains to communicate and spread your message.

• Captains are often the best recruiters of other Captains, the more they know about our platform the better.


oUtreaCh inventory

Outreach Inventory:

The next step in growing your films awareness is to assess the marketing capabilities you have in place.

Evaluating strengths and weakness of available outreach will help you address your campaigns needs as well as identifying existing opportunities that you may have overlooked.

Start with friends, family and any early key supporters of the film.

Reach out with a email pitch and begin growing a community of followers who will dedicate the time necessary to get the word out about your film.


oUtreaCh inventory

Your Team

One of the great aspects about the Gathr platform is the ability for the filmmakers to take the lead in marketing. Gathr provides a model for success that can seamlessly be integrated with your marketing vision. Your staff is essential to the outreach process.

• Establish your teams release schedule and assign specific tasks when implementing Gathr practices.

• Do you currently have interns or staff focusing solely on Gathr?

• Are there staff capabilities for both online and offline outreach? PR? Social Media? Grassroots efforts? Running incentive programs?

• Growing your Captain awareness is key, be sure you have staff allocated to building partnerships and locating new avenues for influencer outreach.

• Bigger is better, don’t hesitate to reach out to supporters of the film for part time outreach help.

8

Social Media

Social Media presence is the key to recruitment, communication and galvanizing both Captains and Consumers alike. Numbers matter, so be sure to take a close look at all of the web abilities you have at your disposal. Having an account of all the actionable devices available will allow for an effective outreach calendar to be built.

Additionally, Gathr has developed marketing resources that will take your outreach statistics and provide you with projected screening analytics.

• Is there an email list to blast to?

• Does the film have a website? If so, how many users?

• Is the film on Facebook? If so, how many likes and friends?

• Does the film and/or cast have active Twitter accounts, Facebook pages and websites? How many followers can we reach with each outlet?

• How often can these social media tools be utilized?

• Are there other existing websites, social media networks and real estate we can establish a presence on?

the democratization of Film

oUtreaCh inventory

Groups and Partners

Another essential outreach avenue is locating like minded groups and organizations who support your film and its message. Whether you have a cause driven documentary centered around a concise vision or you have a narrative with several themes, identifying potential partnerships is an excellent way to extend your reach. • Start with friends, family and early supporters of the film to locate potential Captains.

• What is the message of your film and who does it relate to? Find groups who affiliate with the views and conflicts in your film.

• Are there charities or NGOs currently attached with the film who can help spread the word?

• Did you raise money through crowd funding? Supporters can easily be transitioned to Gathr outreach both online and off.

• Working with groups and partners allows you to multiply your web presence. Make sure to find out what online capabilities groups and community organizations have available.

10

Grassroots

What type of physical campaigns are currently in place and available. Grassroots efforts will play a large role in local and geo targeted outreach.

• Have you initiated a Street Team? If not, can you locate partners, community groups and fans to build one?

• Do you have promotional items printed and ready for distribution? Posters and postcards? T-Shirts and Hats?

• Are there plans to incentivize your Captains and Consumers? Do you have materials ready for promotional contests and giveaways?

• Assess your radio and print advertising capabilities. Is there funding for media buys in any areas?

• Is the cast/crew available for personal appearances and Q&As? Gathr can easily host live or Skyped sessions that add tremendous support to screenings.


oUtreaCh inventory

Sponsorship

Soliciting sponsors is a great way to extend reach and take some of the heavy lifting of your staff. Gathr will work with your staff in order to create unique promotional deals using website real estate as well as grassroots impressions.

• Identify businesses that support your film or may benefit from hosting a screening.

• Reach out locally to engage small business to support the film.

• Recognize advertising opportunities using your films message and content.

12

Capital

Whether you crowd sourced your film or have funds built in for marketing, Gathr can help assess your spending strategy. Gathr is a unique platform and subsequently offers unique ways to stretch your marketing budget.

• Is there funding set aside for marketing and promotion?

• Do you plan on using crowd funding? If so, where are you in that process?

• Let Gathr help you to identify the best spending choices for our platform.

You now have an excellent assessment of the outreach capabilities you have in place as well as some fresh ideas to get you started. Share your inventory with the Gathr staff to consolidate marketing efforts.

Together we can build an outreach calendar and begin to expand on all the marketing opportunities you have identified.


imPlementing gathr tools

Gathr Tools:

Once we’ve identified our resources we want to begin raising awareness and capturing interest across the country.

Gathr has tools that can be implemented as early as pre-production, so you can start immediately.

Ideally, you want to give yourself and your staff as much time as possible to promote and gain traction.

Every films distribution model is different but the earlier you can utilize our tools, the better the results once we begin screening the film.


gathr tools

Notify Me & Heat Map Tools

Gathr has developed a heat map that can instantly track and geo target pockets of interest coming in from across the country. The Gathr Heat Map is easily integrated onto your films website allowing you to have a real time index of where interest lies.

15

These tools are designed to identify and capture audiences well before the release of the film theatrically.

Simply add Gathr’s functions onto the films web real estate and you are able to easily capture and inform users without redirecting anyone away from your own platforms.

The Heat Map gives a virtual blueprint on which to build promotional strategies. We now have specific pockets of interest to target as well as a clear picture of where greater awareness is needed.

Traffic is directed to the heat map via Notify Me buttons that can be placed on websites, social media platforms and easily sent via email and twitter. Consumer traffic is directed to your website as well as any additional participating sites owned by partners and sponsors.


gathr tools

Gathr It!

As your Theatrical On Demand release date approaches we will be implementing the “Gathr It!” button to allow Captains to begin setting up screenings in their local theaters.

Captains can request preferred venue options, select dates and specify what times work best for their group. Once a venue has been selected we are able to give each Captain a screening specific URL that can easily be sent through Online and Offline promotional methods.

17

Consumers who have requested screening notifications are immediately alerted to screenings as they go live in their area.

Both Captains and Consumers now have the ability to promote the event, reserve tickets and work towards “tipping” the screening.


gathr tools

Users now have the ability to locate events in their town, view screening details and seamlessly reserve tickets all without leaving your site.

As we establish screenings across the country we can begin streamlining the users ticketing experience. The Heat Map you’ve already installed can easily be converted to a purchase point tool.

19

Gathr Tools Checklist

NOTIFY ME - This page gives the code and instructions for installing the “Notify Me” button onto a web-page. Click Here For More.

MAP FUNCTION - This page gives the code and instructions for installing the Heat Map (Be sure to program the heat map first, after TOD begins we will then switch to the screenings map).Click Here for More.

FACEBOOK APPLICATION - This is the page for the app that can be loaded onto any facebook page. Click Here for More.

GATHR IT! - This page gives the code and instructions for installing the “Gathr a Screening” button onto a web-page. Click Here for More.

* YOU WILL NEED GATHR TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN ACTIVE SLUG IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE TOOLS


online

Online Promotions - Email:

What’s your film? What’s your message?

Engage the community, organizations and fans through email pitches and updates. Always include an explanation of the Theatrical On Demand process and provide necessary links.

• Make sure you include all of the screening information you can in your initial email outreach.

• Include a synopsis of your film, the trailer and a personal message about what the project means to you.

• Make sure you include information on how to become more involved with project. This is a great initial step in finding your Movie Captains.


Social Media Essentials - Twitter

• Schedule Tweets from Cast and Crew after identifying their reach and availability.

• Drive followers to Notify Me during early stages of campaign.

• Once screenings have gone live on the site, localize your efforts.

• Schedule Tweets wisely, make sure messaging is focused and direct.

• Tweet at people who might have an interest in the films message.

• Use popular and trending hashtags to promote the film.

• Follow relevant groups and high profile individuals.

• Encourage Movie Captains to Tweet about their specific screenings and promotions.

• Once live, Tweet about specific screenings with appropriate Bit.ly

• Integrate Twitter into your contests and giveaways.

• Twitter can be used for Cast/Crew Q&A’s

online

23our simple goal is to unite you, the movie lover, with the films you want to see, right in your neighborhood.

Social Media Essentials - Facebook

• Integrate Gathr tools onto personal Facebook pages as well as the films.

• Identify any fan pages as well as community organizations who can aide in marketing efforts.

• Gathr makes it easy to message and post your screening details, so get the word out to anyone in your area that you feel would have an interest in the film. Branch out!

• Facebook can be an amazing search tool as well, take some time to explore relevant businesses and organizations related to your film, genre or films cause.

• Geo target Facebook posts and shared messaging with Cast, Crew and Movie Captains.

• Create Facebook Events for individual screenings, these event pages allow the cast and crew to start dialogues, gauge interest and create screening specific incentives. (See Facebook Events set up.)

online

23our simple goal is to unite you, the movie lover, with the films you want to see, right in your neighborhood.online

Outside the Box

• Create original pitch videos that can be displayed on YouTube or Vimeo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulR0jjZAVUQ.)

• Create Instagram accounts spreading your films message through photos.

• Use Vine to create short videos and grow awareness through specialized hashtags.

• Search and contact blogs dedicated to your cause or genre.

• Looking for a good way to send mass emails? Try Mail Chimp to outreach to Captains and update your growing community.

oFFline

Grassroots :

Coordinating a presence locally and offline can be the most effective form of marketing. Direct messaging on a local level whether through your staff or motivated Captains helps to eventize your screenings as well as multiply your impressions.

• Establish a Street Team that can coordinate marketing events on the ground. If you are unfamiliar with the town, consider coordinating with the Movie Captain to recruit your team.

• Contests and giveaways are an excellent way to create buzz for an event and incentivize ticket purchases.

• Create unique flyers, posters, postcards and stickers that can easily be distributed to Captains.

• Clothing and accessories can add a creative twist to your marketing strategy.

• Local media outlets print, TV, and radio are always hungry for good local content, and your screening is a unique event to your area.

• Contact local film festivals, commissions and cinefiles with film details.

• Locate community centers and organizations who are consistently scheduling events for their members. Gathr screenings are an excellent way to engage church groups, youth centers, and clubs.


oFFline

Sponsorships

Acquiring partnerships and sponsors for individual events or a series of screenings is a great way to subsidize your efforts.

Gathr can work with you to identify marketing real estate both online and off that can be utilized for promotional tie-ins.

• Approach local businesses who identify with your films message to help support your campaign.

• Find businesses who may benefit from hosting a screening or may provide a venue for a pre or post screening event.

• Gathr has unique advertising space, both online and off, that can be used to cross promote businesses and screening events

31

• Ticket branding, Pre Roll opportunities and online real estate are options that Gathr can explore when developing promotional strategies.

• No idea is too big or small. Think outside the box and let Gathr help guide your interactions potential sponsors.


fi el d guide - gathr films · fi el d guide. understanding gathr ... marketing capabilities you...

Documents