I,Daniel Blake (marketing)

Now that you know a lot about the film and the director you need to focus on one aspect that will help you to construct an answer in the exam.

We will focus on the marketing of the film. The film is primarily aimed at an educated, media literate and socially aware audience but tries to broaden this appeal with an innovative marketing campaign which proved to be very successful in the online age of social media.  The film has grossed over $8 million which is much more than previous Ken Loach films.  This is largely ascribed to the marketing strategy.

TASK ONE

Study the trailer for the film. Analyse messages and meanings by conducting a textual analysis of the trailer.

TASK TWO

Now look at the posters used to market the film. Analyse them using your toolkit for analysis. We will complete the analysis together in class to add to our understanding.

• Cropping
• Framing
• Use of mise-en-scene
• Anchorage
• Star
• Awards
• Title
• Body Language
• Facial expression
• Colour
• Font

TASK THREE

Marketing Campaign : Key Facts 
You need to know how this marketing campaign became a model for success in the industry. This is one reason why this text has been chosen and you will be expected to know about it. 

The distribution company for the film was 'eONE' Explore this company by clicking on the link.

A grassroots campaign was led by Alex Hamilton

The Premiere was held in Newcastle rather than London. 

Trinity Mirror also promoted the film through a series of articles in the left leaning 'Daily Mirror'

Disruptive Display Advertising included masthead and front cover takeovers. 

 Marketing stressed the realist element such as filmed on location using real settings such as a food bank. Extras were not actors but local people and were featured in the marketing linking to authenticity. No special effects and no soundtrack.

Projections were used as part of a guerrilla marketing campaign

Dirty graffiti was used where a stencil is sprayed to leave a title. 

A variety of other techniques were employed. We will use an article from Media Magazine to revise these. See if you can find some other techniques employed to market the film. 


TASK FOUR

Study how social media was used to market the film

Twitter https://twitter.com/idanielblake

This article from The Guardian will also help you to gain an understanding of marketing techniques employed. 


Further information;

The following information is form the EDUQAS fact-sheet which you should also be using to revise your knowledge of the film.

0. Consider how media organisations maintain, including through marketing, varieties
   of audiences nationally and globally:
   
• The marketing materials establish the status and reputation of the film – positive critical comments on the poster, reference to the Palme d’Or award in the trailer.
• The genre (British social realist film) and director Ken Loach are important factors in maintaining an audience. 
  Loach has a long history of directing work in the genre (Kes from
  

• There are specific and distinct potential audiences that the film is attempting
to target through its marketing:

•   The trailer references the BBC, BFI and the Palme d’Or. 
  Discuss the extent to which these references suggest an assumed education and level of media literacy in the target audience.
  
•  The trailer explores specific governmental policy which also may suggest audiences will have an awareness of political and social issues in the UK.
  
•  The only specific “star” identfied in the trailer using intertitles is the director
  Ken Loach. 
  Loach’s work whilst having broad appeal sits firmly within the niche of social realism and candidates may discuss the extent to which the fans of his work are pre-sold based on his name alone.
  

Consider the extent to which the trailer is a challenge to ideas set out by Curran and Seaton. »The trailer seems to offer an experience that sits outside the logic of profit and power and may arguably also demonstrate a level of variety and creativity that does not reflect Curran and Seaton’s ideas about the impact of media concentration. »

 Candidates might also consider whether the trailer is able to offer a more adventurous production due to socially diverse patterns of ownership or (as above) Loach’s own pre-sold audience.