Is this taking social media marketing too far?

I’m a fan of filmmaker Joe Carnahan. He’s made some good films (NARC), over-the-top movies (Smoking Aces) and big Hollywood movies (The A-Team.) His newest movie, The Grey, comes out in a few weeks and looks interesting. Here’s a quick synopsis from IMDB:

In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders.

I was watching a trailer for the film, and was surprised to see the end credits for the trailer:

and this:

I can’t decide if this kind of social media marketing is genius or dumb.

What is the marketing gain for this movie if I tweet something with the hashtag #MickeyLiddell? Will that influence my social circle to go see this film?

4 thoughts on “Is this taking social media marketing too far?”

  1. One thing Twitter research has shown us–people like to “feel connected” to stars. That’s one of the strengths of Twitter. By using Twitter handles in the credits, it immediately gives people who use social media an inside track. It’s like having a star’s address. It makes the stars seem more personal, and isn’t that what movie-goers want? I think it’s a great idea and is something that can translate to us. How can we use this in higher ed? This is a good use of personal branding, I think. Love it. But then, I’ve got a marketing mind when it comes to this stuff. Won’t appeal to all.

  2. For the time we are living right now, I think it’s a good idea. For higher ed marketing. I think it will absolutely work.

    If students know my name on campus and know I am the person they need to contact: they would have to find a way to associate my name with a twitter handle or url, but the twitter handle is simpler.

    I think this is a foreshadowing of how social media can increase the value of an individual to an employer. We all have the potential to be a star in our own universe, and employers can reap the benefits.

  3. You’re assuming this is a gimmick to drum up business for the movie itself; although about 90% (or more) of the media is made to sell something, there’s still that 10% that isn’t, and for the profit-motivated things there’s still the question of WHAT they’re trying to sell. In this case, perhaps they’re selling the credited people themselves; the average person who sees regular name-only credits might say “Oh, that guy,” or “Eh, never heard of him” and then forget about it. But if there’s immediately an easy way to learn more about that person via their twitter profile or via a hashtag, then they’re more likely to go look the person up, follow them, and be in a better position to learn about and consume other media by them. Then, in terms of overall success over multiple endeavors, everyone wins. Theoretically.

  4. I think it’s brilliant. It’s a great way to connect with people on many levels. It helps brand the stars, the movie, and also the struggling movie industry as being able to stay up with the ever-changing social media landscape.

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