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DESPICABLE ME 2 Entertainment Marketing Plan

Trang Phan

Table of Contents

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Executive Summary Historical Info Background Directors/Writers Talent Competition Target Audience Issues/Opportunities Positioning Communications Points Objective Approach Strategy Publicity Media Digital Synergy Partnerships Communications Overview Budget

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Executive Summary

This six-month entertainment marketing plan is for the theatrical release of “Despicable Me 2.” The film is a sequel to the successful “Despicable Me” that was released in 2010 starring the vocal talent of comedic actor Steve Carell. “Despicable Me 2” will be released on July 3, 2013. The focal point of this plan is to use the key visual of the famous yellow minions to leverage the loveable and fun themes expressed in the film. Summer 2013 is a busy season for animated films. In order to stand out from the competition, “Despicable Me 2” will be participating in an engaging and integrated campaign that will generate buzz among its core audiences of and eventually spread to a global scale. The target audience for this campaign are kids 3-11 years old and families with kids. The film will be tapping into the digital realm, media, and partnerships in order to reach these audiences. We will be utilizing social media as well as NBC Universal TV networks to distribute our message. In order to extend our reach even further, we will be participating in partnerships with Coca-Cola, Habitat for Humanity, Sonic Drive-In, and synergy with NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” for an even more effective campaign. The allocated budget for marketing will be $25 million with most of the money going toward media. In order to measure the success of this campaign we will have to evaluate box office sales, social media mentions, and overall publicity for the film.

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Historical Info

In 2010, the first Despicable Me film was a computer-animated 3D comedy that gained the title as one of the memorable movies of the summer. The film grossed approximately $543 Million worldwide. The storyline follows Gru, a protagonist villain, who adopts three orphans as part of his evil plan but in turn discovers that the girls are apart of a bigger plan of his self-discovery. One of the most recognizable characters from the film that have contributed to the film’s brand image are the twinkie-like minion characters who serve Gru and his children. These characters have been the official face of the film and function as a familiar icon for families.

Despicable Me received positive reviews and was nominated for “Best Animated Feature” at the Golden Globe Awards. The film took home a Kids Choice Award for “Favorite Animated Movie.” The most notable fact about the film is its low budget of only $69 Million, which is only half the budget of bigger films such as “Toy Story 3” and “How to Train Your Dragon.” The studio cut back costs by scouting out new, up-and-coming talent and directors instead of heading straight for the more well-known and expensive names. The movie was very successful because of the directors’ decision to outsource postproduction to lesser-known names in France and cut back on details not central to each scene. They also utilized their resources within NBC Universal to create synergy and advertise exclusively on NBC Universal channels. Shortly after the first film was released, production for the 3D sequel started and soon after, the first teaser was released in March 2012.

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Background

Release Date July 3, 2013  

Rating PG : for rude humor and mild action  

Genre Family, Comedy, Animation  

Film Synopsis The infamous villain Gru is back with a goal to take over the world. This time, he has the support of his three adopted daughters as they combat evil. There is a new villain in town that jeopardizes every other villains’ plans of taking over the world. Gru’s beloved minions are kidnapped! Gru and the gang must find a way to rescue everyone’s favorite creatures before it is too late. The story will feature the same familiar characters as well as some new fresh villains and heroes.

Produced by: Illumination Entertainment

Distributed by: Universal Pictures  

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Directors & Writers The film is crafted from the same directors and writers that brought viewers the first Despicable Me. Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud (shown below) and writers Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio came back to work on the sequel. This quartet of creatives have worked on notable animated films such as Horton Hears a Who, the Lorax, and Hop.

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Talent

Steve Carell --------------

Gru

Al Pacino --------------

TBA

Kristin Wiig -------------- Ms. Hattie

Miranda Cosgrove

-------------- Margo

Russell Brand

-------------- Dr. Nefario

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Competitive Landscape

Lone Ranger 07.03.13

Monsters University 06.21.13

Phineas and Ferb 07.26.13

Smurfs 2 07.31.13

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Target Audience: Kids

Primary: Kids (3-5, Tweens) The primary target audiences for this film are kids from the preschool years to the tween years. These kids have an income that is dependent on their parents and have a high influence on purchasing decisions. When it comes to media consumption, they are one of the biggest consumers of television with an average of two hours of viewing on the weekdays and three hours on the weekends. These kids are in a multitasking generation, which means that they will be more likely to consume multiple media platforms such as gaming, social media, and TV. The kids in this segment are in school for most of the weekday, but occupy their free time by spending time with family, consuming media, or playing sports.   9  

Opportunities for Kids

+ A fun, action-packed, animated comedy that will entertain + Create a topic of discussion among friends + Characters in movie are fun and relatable

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Target Audience: Families with Kids

Secondary: Families with Kids These families are comprised of the traditional “nuclear” family as well as the more modern non-traditional family make up (same sex, single mom or dad, unwed families.) Parent(s) are between the ages of 25-40. They are tech-savvy and familiar with current trends. They value time with their family and education. The parent(s) in this segment are easily influenced by their kids, but are very well aware of the value that they demand from brands. They have a disposable income (avg. $50K) to spend on clothing, entertainment, and travel. The families are not limited to just parents but we also have to consider the grandparents (some live in multi-generational families.) Grandparents fall into the increasing Baby Boomer demographic. They are retired or at the end of their working years so they have a disposable and stable income. They are similar to parents in that they value family first, but the difference is that this older demographic have more leisure time and are more motivated to get out of the house for entertainment.

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Target Audience: Families with Kids

+ A chance to reconnect with their kids in a hyper-connected world + The storyline has a heartwarming and positive moral themes + Steve Carell is the main character, guaranteeing that the film will be enjoyable

and funny for all ages + The new character, played by Al Pacino will appeal to the older parents and

grandparents.

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Issues & Opportunities

Issues + Lack of support for the first film + Viewers are deterred because they believe that they will need to see the first film in order to enjoy this sequel + Various competing films that are in the same genre will be released around the same time. More specifically, animated films from Disney. + Younger kids audience does not have an affinity with the film characters + Competing studios (Dreamworks & Disney) have a more prestigious and popular brand.   Opportunities + Nostalgic factor for the parents and kids who watched the first film + Use film to promote the TV spin-off that will feature Minions character (released Dec. 2014) + Match or beat the first movie’s revenue + The cute-factor of characters will appeal and attract kids and parents

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Positioning

Despicable Me 2 is the animated feature of the summer that provides a nostalgic and new fun experience with the familiar loveable minion

characters for kids and parents alike. Starring the voice talent of Steve Carell and Al Pacino, Despicable Me 2 is an action packed animated

comedy that will have your favorite villains assembling to save the cute yellow minions from evil.

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Communications Points

+ Starring Steve Carrell, the comedic actor will bring his wit and humor to this fun feature.

+ Biggest Animated Movie of the summer that you can’t miss. + The Minions are back and better than ever! + Acting legend Al Pacino stars as a new villain that will stir up trouble.

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Objectives

+ Create engaging buzz-worthy campaign to attract new older audience as well as familiar audience + Build brand recognition and push awareness and affinity for film on a national and global scale Tone + Cute + Funny + Heartwarming

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Approach

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“Despicable Me 2” is premiering during the most competitive film season. The challenge is to find a way to combat the competition from Disney and

Dreamworks so that the film triumphs as the unforgettable animated film of the summer. “Despicable Me 2” is not your average cookie-cutter animated comedy, it is full of positive moral themes, A-list comedic actors as voice talent, and cute yellow minions found nowhere else. By using the film’s quirky unique comedic

spin on animated features, we will be able to stand out from the larger competition.

Strategy

Display characters as loveable and relatable for both audiences in media outlets. The minions and A-List voice talent are a recognizable property for the brand of

Despicable Me. They are essential characters who will be able to embody the film and explain overall message of the film for the audience.

Utilize digital resources to engage with audiences to show brand persona and characters’ personalities. Parents and kids are constant consumers of social media. Reaching out to them via social media and apps will be a key way to get their

attention prior to the release of the film

Participate in partnerships to appeal to wider audience and create value for audience. Create inviting opportunities for audience to experience the world of

Despicable Me in order to bring back brand recognition as well as drive awareness before the release of the film.

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Publicity Tactics

Use talent for appearances on talk shows for publicity and promotion of film  

Publicity tour with the cast of the movie to further engage the audience and drive buzz for film. The cast from the movie will make appearances on the following shows prior to the movie release: The Ellen Degeneres Show, Today Show, Jay Leno, and Jimmy Fallon.

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Media

Advertising on major TV networks  Utilize resources from NBC Universal family by advertising trailers on channels exclusive to the company. The ads will be featured on NBC, Sprouts, Telemundo, MSNBC, and Hulu. The trailers will be shown through ads.

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Digital

Facebook Photo Share Contest  

Six weeks prior to the releases of the film, the official Despicable Me Facebook page will post one still from the film. Users who share the photo to their newsfeed will be randomly selected to receive a free pair of tickets to opening weekend. This contest will go on until the opening weekend of the film. We will give away 15 tickets per day. This tactic will help create social media buzz and the photos are will be a sharable part of each users’ profiles.

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Digital

One week prior to opening weekend, we will be holding a Twitter Live Chat with the cast of the film. Twitter users will be able to log onto their profiles and join a live hang out with the cast while they promote the film. This will be a great opportunity to showcase the cast and their personality as well as promoting the film.

TwitCam Live Chat

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Digital

The Minion App will be targeted towards kids since they are big users of tablets and mobile devices. The app will feature exclusive content for the film such as trailers, photos, and interviews. The fun aspects of the app for kids will be a Minion Maker feature that allows users to make their own personalized minion. Another game featured on the app will be Minion Search, an “I Spy”-like game where players will have to look closely to find and rescue the minion within a crowded mess. This interactive app will cater to kids needs and entertain as well as provide content for the film.

Minion App

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Synergy: NBC – Saturday Night Live

In order to take advantage of the resources under the NBC Universal family, Despicable Me 2 will take over one of the popular watched show on NBC,

“Saturday Night Live.” SNL is known for their fun and relevant guest stars. The film will partner up with SNL to create exclusive content for the show’s famous

Digital Shorts as well as provide a fresh new trailer for the film.

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Synergy: NBC – Saturday Night Live

For this synergy partnership, the show in June will feature Steve Carrell as the guest host. Carrell is a well-known comedic actor that will provide great talent to the show. This appearance will help promote the new film and raise awareness and affinity for his personal brand. In addition to having Carrell guest host the show, the minions will also be featured on a digital short to show a full integration of the show and film. At the end of the show, there will be an exclusive trailer while the end credits are rolling. The show is targeted towards an adult demographic, so this synergy project will help appeal to parents or older siblings of kids in order to bring awareness to the film before its release.

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Partnership: Coke

This partnership with Coke will help the film reach its audience where they are found most: in grocery stores. Coke’s mission is to inspire moments of

refreshing happiness and the film’s goal is to entertain and provide happiness for its audience. Together, both of the brands will work to spread happiness to

families everywhere.

+ =

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Partnership: Coke For a limited time, twelve packs of mini Coke cans will contain one special edition printed Minion design. Consumers who have one Minion Coke can take the code from the can and log onto the Coke Microsite to see if they won a trip to Universal Studios. To enter the code, users must also provide their email address in case they win the trip. This can later be used after the movie is released on DVD to drive awareness back and announce the release of the DVD. The goal of this is to drive viewers to raise awareness about the movie. This tactic will also create more awareness for the film because the Coke packaging can be seen in all grocery stores. It also provides an incentive for shoppers to purchase a pack of Coke in order to receive a chance to win a trip of a lifetime to Universal Studios in Orlando. The package includes airfare, 3 night hotel stay, and tickets for 4 to Universal Studios in Orlando. At the end of trailers for the film, there will be a quick spot to mention this partnership and deal to the public, which will ultimately drive them to see the film.

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Partnership: Habitat for Humanity

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The film’s core message of family and teamwork is perfect for a partnership with one of the biggest non-profits in the US, Habitat for Humanity. We will come

together to hold a nationwide “Be a Minion for a Day” event where volunteers can help build a house at a Despicable Me themed event.

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Partnership: Habitat for Humanity

“Minion for a Day” is a volunteer event that will benefit both the film and Habitat for Humanity by bringing awareness to both parties. Participants who help build houses will receive a voucher for a free movie ticket. The event will feature dressed up Minion characters to help volunteers so they can feel immersed in the Despicable Me world. Having the dressed up characters will bring a lively tone to the event and bring awareness to the film. The event will be catered by Sonic and Coke beverages, which will help boost the awareness of these brands who are also partnering with the film.

This is an event that will provide parents an opportunity to teach kids the importance of giving back to the community. In addition, parents can use this event as an opportunity to spend time with their kids. The IP of the film will help Habitat for Humanity rally volunteers for the event. Our PR team will pitch this event to entertainment news sites for extra coverage and publicity. At the LA location for the event, the cast members will be making an appearance and help participate in building the house with volunteers. The event will help promote the moral theme of family and teamwork, both things are part of the film and the non-profit’s mission for its audiences.

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Partnership: Sonic Drive-In

Sonic Drive-In is America’s popular fast food chain that provides quality service with car hops. The company’s mission statement is to provide quality drive-in service with a fun twist, making them the perfect food partnership for the film.

They are one of the few restaurants that is exclusively a drive-in and a partnership with the film will bring the Drive-In concept to life for Despicable Me

lovers and Sonic patrons alike.

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Partnership: Sonic Drive-In

For a limited time, kids have the opportunity to collect Despicable Me 2 toys that will be included at Sonic via the Kids meal Wacky Packs. Each toy will be a plush collectable of a Minion in the shape of the iconic tator tots found exclusively at Sonic. The toy will have an exclusive code that they can enter into the Minion App. The code will allow each car to stream the first Despicable Me one time through the app. Families who visit Sonic will be able to view the movie from the comfort of there car while enjoying Sonic food.

This partnership will help drive sales for the fast food chain and drive awareness of the movie among families and young children. Fast food locations do not retain their patrons at the location for a long time since they pride themselves on quick service. However, to bring the classic “drive-in” idea to life, this partnership will allow Sonic guests make an event out of their visit. What was once a quick drive thru experience will now be extended to a family-centered movie viewing experience. This event at Sonic will help raise awareness about the new film.

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Communications Overview

January February   March   April   May   June   July  

Pub

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Syn

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Med

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Minion App

FB Photo Share

TwitCam

Talk Shows

Coca-Cola

Habitat for Humanity

Sonic SNL

Advertising

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Media  

Non-­‐Profit  Overlay  

Synergy  

Research    

PromoJons  

Digital  

Budget

$25 Million

57%

8%

6%

2%

19%

9%

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THANK YOU 34