Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 989 The board secretary is also a secretary

  Twentieth Century Fox was very interested in Ronald's project, and the cooperation plan was placed on Ronald's desk the next day.

   "Why is Fox so interested in me 'to the depths of love'? Don't they like big productions?" Ronald was a little puzzled, so he asked Michelle Cannold, who was in charge of distribution.

"You are now being pursued by Hollywood, but it turns out that CAA is responsible for most of your directing projects, so other interested people can't grab it. This movie was produced by Daydream, and the actors have nothing to do with CAA, so Goldberg, who has long thought about it..."

   "The screenwriters' strike really ruined Hollywood..." Ronald shook his head, now that even Fox doesn't have a finished script, and even this teenage romantic drama is going to grab it.

   "But they also asked us to participate in the marketing plan Daydream, you have to send Michael Gray (Ronald's marketing consultant) to come."

   Unlike Cannold, Gray did not join Daydream, and was responsible for the marketing plan of Ronald's film as an external consultant.

  The marketing of "Die Hard" was a big success. Now many Hollywood producers are eyeing this talented marketing talent, and want to include him under their banner and work only for themselves.

   However, Michael Gray insisted on maintaining an independent operation and remained unmoved. He doesn't want to work for a production company, endure the orders of those ignorant senior managers, maintain independence, cooperate if he is willing to cooperate, and hire someone else if he is not willing to cooperate. This is his principle of doing things.

   There is no other reason, but the film marketing industry is too affected by various factors, and it is easy to become a scapegoat for box office failure. Michael Gray only works with those who respect and appreciate his marketing plan, and his favorite among them is of course Ronald.

   "Michael, Fox has asked you to participate by name, would you like to?" Ronald invited Gray over for an interview the next afternoon.

"I don't care. Anyway, we have a long-term cooperation agreement. Every year, I promise to be a marketing consultant for two of your films. We will discuss the other films individually. Are you willing to spend next year's quota on this film? "

   "Well, forget it." Ronald thought to himself that I still have "Steel Magnolia" here, and the Nora Ephron romantic comedy in preparation.

"In this way, I will still provide you with marketing consulting services, but I will not participate in the specific work." Michael Gray knows that Hollywood is very ruthless to those who fail, and Ronald is a rare insider who does not evaluate marketing strategies based on box office results. Pedestrians, such customers, are anchors in storms when their luck is bad.

  "That's good. The marketing department of Twentieth Century Fox may be more able to accept your proposal." Ronald thanked the other party. Although President Goldberg appreciates his marketing operations in "Die Hard", the people in the marketing department must have nothing good to say about him. This way, everyone can accept it.

   "Okay, but let's first discuss the marketing plan for your second movie 'Working Girl' to be released this year." Michael Gray said as he took out his notebook.

   "Joel (Silver) and I both think that your idea of ​​finding various action stars to support it is very effective. So I thought, can you have a similar marketing plan for 'Working Girl'?"

A more detailed analysis from CinemaScore has been sent. The audience who came to see "Die Hard", the reasons why they chose to watch this movie, in addition to "listening to what friends said" and "seeing movie reviews and program recommendations" In addition, the reason for ranking third is "so many action stars recommend, I love to watch action movies".

   "You may think that this is because many action stars attended the premiere and said good things to reporters?" Michael Gray said to Ronald with a smile.

"I don't know, but 20th Century Fox really thinks so. I don't understand why this method is effective, and this is also the great value you can bring to us." Ronald's words are actually saying I'm paying you because you know something I don't.

   "So why on earth? This marketing plan is so effective."

  “This is a human nature. We all like to talk about a topic. Movie marketing is to find a topic for the movie, so that the target audience can keep talking about it.”

  Michael Gray explained how he did it. In fact, unlike the golden age of movies in the past, many people can't watch movies more than a few times a year. Therefore, the purpose of film marketing is to give audiences a reason to go to the cinema.

  Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman are both newcomers to Hollywood. They cannot use Tom Cruise's star strategy and use their names to attract audiences to the cinema. So Gray figured out a way to classify Bruce Willis as an action star. Use the category of action stars to replace the personal appeal of a certain star.

And the first-line action stars in Hollywood are those few, Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Cruise, etc., and these stars have different fans among action movie fans, so gather them all at the premiere, so that no matter you Whoever you like among the three stars, you will want to see this is a movie recommended by the three stars, what is it about.

   "Great idea, very inspiring...", Ronald was full of praise. This kind of imagination and creativity is a marketing method that he could not think of. Of course, not everyone can use this idea. Only a director like Ronald who is very popular in Hollywood can invite Stallone and Schwarzenegger to appear at the premiere at the same time.

  Since the divorce of Stallone has become a turmoil, his appeal has been declining. Ex-wife Nelson broke a lot of negative news about Stallone, such as arrogance, speaking bad words to restaurant waiters and movie fans, etc. Movie fans are a little tired of Stallone.

   During this period of time, Schwarzenegger shot several comedy action movies in a row, and initially got rid of the stereotype that a bodybuilding champion can't act. When the two meet in public, they exchange a few words, like boxers exchanging insults during a pre-match weigh-in.

   "Then can we have a similar strategy for working girls? Well, for example, for example..."

Ronald thought about it for a long time, but he didn't think of any idea to attract the audience's attention. He looked at Gray, and hoped that this marketing consultant who recruited amazingly in "Moonlight Sultry" and "Die Hard" would be able to Give him another way.

"Isn't it? This 'Working Girl' is hard to sum up in one concept, the reason why the audience must go to the cinema." The value of Michael Gray lies in this. If anyone can come up with an idea, who will pay him a high price? What about the consulting fee?

   “I’ve thought for a long time that working girls are the Star Wars of women who have been secretaries in the company for years.”

   "Huh?" Ronald felt very interested. It is an urban business war film, and it is also interesting to have a relationship with Star Wars, although the leading actor who finally embraces the beauty is played by Harrison Ford.

"Because those secretaries are often bullied by male bosses. They are asked to make coffee, pick up the children, weed the garden at home, and pick up dry cleaning. When they have credit, the managers will take it. If they fail, they will be the top of the tank. ..."

"Yeah, very good, you have a good grasp of the mentality of the target audience." Ronald nodded frequently. This kind of wanting to see the protagonist in the movie realize what he can only dream of is a sign of a good movie. One of the necessary conditions.

  My "working girl" not only makes the secretaries feel angry, but also has a huge appeal to young women. It is full of curiosity and mystery for them to come out to work and pursue a career. A person like Tess is their moral model, a model worthy of emulation in career and love.

  Look, a girl, even if she never went to college, can still get a night school diploma through her own efforts, and seize the opportunity, with a little courage, and finally get her dream job and a sudden and logical love.

   "So, we can emulate Die Hard and find a group of representative women to promote the movie."

   "This...", Ronald thought for a long time, there are all kinds of female stars in Hollywood, but there are no professional strong women...

  The last blockbuster movie about the lives of working women dates back to Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton's "9 to 5". But what about the three leading actors? Jane Fonda, whether in life or on the screen, is the character who snuggles next to men.

  Dolly Parton is even more so, there are a lot of content in the songs. And every time she finished releasing a new record or filming a new movie, she would go home to live with her unknown husband and be his housewife.

  Among the three, Lily Tomlin is the one who looks the most like a professional woman. In the end of the story, she takes over as the general manager. But she is also the least famous of the three, and she hasn't made any film and television dramas in recent years.

"You can't ask Lily Tomlin to promote working girls?" Ronald asked, and this woman is actually a Tomboy, she lives with a woman, and Hollywood snubs her, which is not without reason. reason.

"No, as you said, Ronald, there are no female stars in Hollywood who mainly play professional women. In recent years, only Helen Slater's 'Secret of Success' has a certain response." Michael Gray added.

   "I can invite her, but..." Ronald implied that Helen is not a big star, and it has no effect on boosting the box office.

  “We have to think out of Hollywood’s conventions. Who said that only stars can drive the box office? Just like the policies of the current president who have received the most comments, we have to think outside the box.”

   "Okay... Tell me about it." Ronald couldn't think of it himself.

"We can find some people who are engaged in secretarial work like Tess in our daily life. During the national tour promotion, premieres and audience meetings in each place, we will find four or five female secretaries to show up and explain this movie. "

"This...?" Ronald was stunned by this brainstorming marketing plan, "No way? The secretary is not a celebrity, and he shared it with the audience at the fan meeting, so it's impossible to have any reports in the media, right?" .”

  Ronald looked at Gray, and then added, "I'm not saying to deny your plan. In fact, the plan is good, but we need more methods...It really doesn't work. It's not impossible for us to use traditional marketing methods."

   "Who said that the secretary has no influence? There are many secretaries in America whose influence is not weaker than that of general company presidents?"

   "Who are you talking about?" Ronald was puzzled.

   "We have many listed companies, all of which have Board Secretary (Board Secretary), Company Secretary (Company Secretary, a position with a high status in British companies), and Secretary of State (Secretary of State), Minister of Finance (Secretary of the Treasury)..."

   "Hahahaha", Ronald laughed, this is some kind of word play. In English, the names of many high-ranking positions start with the secretary. For example, the Secretary of State is actually the government secretary, and the literal translation of the Minister of Finance is the secretary of the Ministry of Finance.

"Of course, we will not forget those real secretaries. We can invite some important people to cooperate with the board secretary and president secretary of some listed companies, and then select some real secretaries in the local area to attend the fan meeting together. Newspapers would be very happy, it's someone they have a hard time interviewing."

   "Well, it's okay, but our country doesn't have a female secretary of state and finance minister, right?" Ronald, like most American people, couldn't even name a few of the ministers, not to mention the names of all the ministers.

   "Yes, our current commander-in-chief happens to be the one who pioneered it." Michael Gray took out his plan.

   "Elizabeth Dole, who served as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1983 to 1987, has just left office and is now out of work, must be very willing to participate in this kind of activity to promote women's equal rights."

"She's not bad, I know", Ronald remembered seeing this in the White House. When the General Secretary promoted the federal minimum drinking age, it was because of Dole's strong refusal to subsidize state highways that did not pass the minimum drinking law. Achieved.

  South Dakota even sued Dole, who is the Secretary of Transportation, for this matter, and finally made it to the Supreme Court and ruled that she won. Cutting federal subsidies without passing minimum drinking laws has become unshakable jurisprudence.

   "And our current Minister of Labor, Ann McLaughlin Cagle." Gray gave another name. The commander-in-chief cares about women's votes, and always balances to ensure that at least one woman serves as a minister.

   "In addition, there are secretaries of some important people in listed companies. I am going to draft a letter in your name and send it to all famous listed companies whose board secretary is a woman. In the end, there will always be some people who are willing.

   But these political figures, I can't do anything. I wrote to them, but in the end they were stamped and returned by the secretary. "Michael Gray said with a smile, who doesn't know that you Ronald and the first couple have a good relationship, and the movie platform that the commander gave you back.

"Okay, when I went to New York, I happened to pay a visit to the Deputy Commander. He is now preparing to accept the nomination of the Elephant Party National Convention and formally run for the Commander-in-Chief. He has a lot of contacts. I will ask if there is any Secretary of State. female."

  (end of this chapter)