The box office this past year has been significantly lackluster, with expected blockbusters coming up under expectations. Now it looks like marketing campaigns are getting creative to bring more people into theaters with ease.
Facebook is getting on board by adding new features that contribute to a film’s ad campaign. In addition to seeing ads that promote films, users will also be able to receive reminders for movie premiers and showtimes, according to Variety. These extra features will not come with an additional cost to movie studios.
While it is uncertain now what the long-term results will be for these social media upgrades, Facebook has tested these features on a smaller scale. During the promotion for The Grinch film featuring the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch, Universal’s EVP of digital marketing Doug Neil confirmed that using these features caused a “significant increase” in ticket sales.
These enhancements also require active user engagement, which could further boost movie attendance. When an advertisement for a film appears, users can click a button labeled “interested.” After doing so, the user will receive a notification closer to the film’s release that redirects them to a webpage where they can buy tickets and view showtimes. Due to the increased popularity of streaming platforms, Facebook’s Jen Howard says that it is a future possibility that movie reminders will be added to these channels.
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