Same-day VOD gets marketing push

DIGITAL: November has more day-and-date releases than ever before

By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 11/13/2009

NOV. 13 | DIGITAL: The month of November will see more films debut on video-on-demand the same day as DVD than ever before, and for anyone who has cable or satellite or just happens to catch a DVD commercial, the message will be hard to ignore.

Studios will tag movies in DVD ads of films released day-and-date as available for rent on demand. Comcast will promote the films in ads across cable outlets and anywhere else it can reach subscribers. Time Warner Cable has icons saying buy on DVD or rent on demand.

With VOD rentals growing fast, ad campaigns and budgets for VOD releases are growing and can reach into the multi-million-dollar range for bigger films. Justifiably so given that one of the biggest releases this year—Warner Home Video’s Gran Torino—generated more than $30 million in worldwide cable and satellite VOD spending.

“We’ve seen it time and time again: The more you promote titles, the better they do,” said Michele Edelman, VP of marketing for Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

Warner, which has released more films day-and-date than any other studio, will tie in VOD advertising with its DVD campaign for this month’s day-and-date releases Four Christmases and My Sister’s Keeper, as it has done for other releases. Advertisements are tagged with the dual message of “buy on DVD and Blu-ray or rent on demand.”

“We’re taking a very smart approach in how we are communicating the message for the consumers,” Edelman said.

For Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and The Hangover, two December titles that will debut on VOD a week after disc, the studio will promote VOD with DVD after the disc street date. In the initial DVD/Blu-ray push in the weeks leading up to the disc release, the studio will promote them as available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray. On the day of each film’s release, the studio will add in digital download messaging, basically saying available to buy on DVD, Blu-ray or download. VOD messaging will then be added in any chase campaign after the DVD’s release.

The goal is to reach different consumers, though the overall message is “buy it the way you want it,” Edelman said.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, whose Angels & Demons is the biggest day-and-date film this month, seems to also be incorporating VOD messaging into its DVD campaigns. On the official site for this week’s day-and-date release The Ugly Truth and last week’s The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, the studio promotes each film as available on Blu-ray and DVD and underneath notes they’re also available on demand or on pay-per-view.

Studio execs weren’t available for comment on plans for other releases.

Cable companies, meanwhile, are using more marketing resources to drive VOD rentals and convince studios to release more films day-and-date.

Comcast, which already promotes day-and-date releases more heavily than other VOD releases, will give an even bigger push to November releases, said Diana Kerekes, VP of video content. “It’ll be the same tactics but on steroids,” she said.

Generally, a film that debuts day-and-date on VOD is advertised in commercials across 33 of the top cable channels, including USA Network, BET and Comedy Central, depending on the film’s audience. Films are promoted at the bottom of Comcast’s interactive programming guide, where viewers can click on the movie to rent it. On the main On Demand channel, a video at the top of the screen promotes day-and-date releases. They’re also promoted in mailers, online and in bills sent to customers.

In addition, the cable company has created special movie collections for the biggest films of the holiday season. For Angels & Demons, there is a religious thrillers collection, and for December release Julie & Julia, a “food for thought” collection.

Comcast also is quick to note all films that are available on the same day as DVD in their marketing.

But films that aren’t day-and-date, such as Harry Potter, won’t get the same marketing push.

“Our priorities is that it’s day-and-date that we’re able to give customers what they want and when they want it,” Kerekes said.

Although those day-and-date films also are available on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand and other Internet movie services the same day, digital retailers aren’t giving them as big a push. Amazon includes the titles in its new movie section, without noting which are day-and-date releases.

ITunes, meanwhile, allows customers to pre-order films such as Bruno for download but not to pre-order for rent.