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Uli · @nerdoolicious

22nd Aug 2014 from TwitLonger

(Edited) Just another piece in Lionsgate's marketing Games?


With the first ever teaser trailer released back in August of 2011 that introduced the Hunger Games-book-turned-to-movie-franchise into our worlds and brought our hero Katniss Everdeen from page to screen, it seems we - as a fandom - have come a long way. In terms of days, months and even years passing and how we have grown within that time, it surely rings true. However, looking at once aspect that is and always has been an undeniable part of this fandom and franchise, it appears that all the hard work and effort put into building it up has been thrown out the window. Plummeted to the ground. Thrown at a wall and shattered into an innumerable amount of pieces that we'll have a hard time putting back together.
Given the headline of this post, you might already have guessed what I am referring to. Yes, Lionsgate. And their marketing. It's almost too surreal to believe it's actually true. Sadly though, it is. It has become a swampland that you better not step on or it'll swallow you whole and drown you into chaotic randomness.
Now, I may not be an expert on marketing and how to put together a campaign, but if I - as a person on the receiving end of a campaign - sit in front of my computer screen, feeling dumbfounded and confused looking at whatever bits have been released now, I can and with absolute certainty say that this particular campaign has failed. Failed even before the movie hits theaters in 80+ days - enough time for Lionsgate to turn things around hopefully. But frankly, the amount of hope I have isn't sizzling, there's no need for it to be contained, no one is in danger of bursting into flames if they get too close to me. It's cold. I-just-did-the-ALS-ice-bucket-challenge-twice-kinda-cold. That's not to say that I have lost my interest in the movie or the franchise in its entirety. At this point however, I am merely remembering every other day that there's this date in November I am waiting for. I am not counting down. I am not feeling like a kid unable to fall asleep because Christmas morning is upon us the next day. I am actually wishing myself back to the days of Catching Fire promos that, mind you, I wasn't a big fan of back in the day either. (http://victorsvillage.com/2013/11/19/from-sparks-to-catching-wild-fire/) That's how bad of a state I am in. Maybe it's my own fault for not keeping up to date with all things Mockingjay... but wait, I remember being excited when the cast was just an hour and a half away from my hometown, shooting the final scenes for the last two movies in this franchise. I was even excited to find out that the recently (almost a month ago now) released teaser trailer featured segments that where shot in that same area. And yes, I was excited seeing the first two teasers made to look like Capitol propos. But the excitement I felt then, hoping that we might possibly would and eventually did get a rebel hack of those propos, didn't last. And to what do I owe that? Simple: Lionsgate.

Whoever penned out the marketing campaign was off to a good start - maybe not an overwhelming one, but releasing the posters of "Capitol Heroes", throwing out these propos featuring President Snow with first only Peeta and then Johanna (next to a bunch of Peacekeepers) was solid. After a long period of nothingness, it finally felt like we were back being sucked into this world and becoming a part of it, even if it only meant to stand by and swallow whatever lies our beloved President Snow was feeding us. But we were a part. And we continued being a part visiting the set that Lionsgate created in collaboration with Samsung at San Diego Comic Con. (Granted, only those actually there could experience it, but it still kept in line with the idea of fans being citizens, most notably Capitol ones.) And then it stopped. It stopped right then and there when the teaser trailer was released. A teaser trailer that I believe Lionsgate could have done so much more with than just releasing it. Yes, it was a good teaser. It got me excited, too. But it was only good in and on itself. In the grand scheme of things - Capitol vs. Rebels, white against black - it had no place. It seemed as if Lionsgate had been trying to paint a canvas with colours transitioning into one another and suddenly there was this blue brushstroke admit a field of red. A tiny portion out of place.
Instead of remedying that mishap, the canvas was being filled with dots of colour in various places, thus creating a painting of coloured chaos. Now maybe that's exactly what Lionsgate intentions are and maybe in their mind, it all works out. However, it doesn't for me. It doesn't for many fans. And it sure as hell doesn't for the general public.
Giving us a new site, solely run by the rebels? Awesome. Making it so that this site can only be accessed whenever I am both on my computer and phone at the same time? Fail.
Spending time and effort into creating an app and tons of pictures to promote it? I can see the good intentions there. And while I haven't and won't download that app, I can admit it's a nice gadget. BUT... creating a number of pictures that show places from all around the world indicates that this app will be available all around the world. Except, on the day of its release, it wasn't. And I do believe that, creating one or two pictures less and focusing instead on assuring all issues with app stores around the globe are solved would have given this app a less rocky start. I don't even want to bring up all the privacy issues with this app because it has been covered enough on Twitter. But I do wonder why Lionsgate didn't decide to allow selected Tributes access prior to its launch to gather some ideas and feedback much like it was done with the Hunger Games Adventures back in the day when people would receive codes and had a chance to email with those who created the game.
Overall, Lionsgate seems to be less and less considerate of how to excite the fans but more so with ways to earn more money from the franchise and us. There isn't anything wrong with wanting to earn money, but maybe Lionsgate needs to remember that, after all, us, the fans are the ones bringing in most of the money for that franchise. And if they continue to disregard the fans in that same manner they have, it will backfire.

We aren't just a piece in your game of money making, Lionsgate. We are the ones who could change the game. We are the ones who could rebel against you. Most of us still are hungry for news, pictures, teasers, TV spots, merchandise, but if you continue to treat the fanbase as poorly as you have, rest assured we will find a way past your fence of apps and other poorly made marketing choices. We don't need all of it. At the end of the day, we still have the books. And if not them, then the ideas and thoughts reading those books sparked within us. And they will stay much longer than an app or a picture or a teaser trailer ever can.

PS: Personally, I am sad. Sad because when the first marketing bit hit the web back in 2011 right after the teaser trailer, I was excited. I was pumped. In fact, I was so crazy about everything, that my excitement got me promoted to the Recruiter of District 9 and I very likely annoyed tons of my followers back in the day. And while they may have cut these roles (along with the Mayors and journalists) for Catching Fire, I still did that job even though there was no reason for me to. Why? Because I was still excited. And the truly sad thing is that now, I am drained. I've transitioned from one of the most excited fans into one that is the exact opposite of "most excited".

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