Marketing Free Guy: Executive Summary
Overview of marketing strategy and plan
It’s widely known that Marvel’s fan base is second to none. Hardcore fans flock to theaters and, in post-COVID-19 times, are first to buy a new movie on a streaming service.
Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds, will tap into Marvel’s fan base by creating a campaign specifically targeting Marvel and Reynolds’ fans. (Reynolds plays Deadpool, a Marvel superhero).
SMART Goals
Ryan Reynolds will take to social media and dress up as Deadpool and Guy (separately) and start “beef” with each other on Tik Tok vs. Instagram.
Deadpool and Guy will make Tik Tok and Instagram content. Deadpool will primarily be on Tik Tok and Guy primarily on Instagram. These videos will directly play off each other as Guy pokes fun at Deadpool and vice versa. This will be a friendly fire conversation between two characters.
The graphics and videos posted to social media channels will encourage audiences to not only watch Free Guy but to submit reactions or questions to Deadpool or Guy via social media with the hashtag #AskFreeGuy.
Deadpool and Guy will take turns reading and answering the comments and questions through live social media videos simulcasted on Instagram and Tik Tok for one full week, following the first week of the movie release.
The #AskFreeGuy UGC will be reviewed during the first week of the movie release and for one week following. Reynolds will read and react to 10 social media posts per day. These posts will have already been chosen and vetted. Reynolds will engage with these posts as Deadpool or Guy and will alternate between both characters per day.
Social Media Platforms
Tik Tok, Instagram and Twitter will be the primary social media methods, with Tik Tok and Instagram being the most prevalent. These three platforms will be where we will collect the UGC with the hashtag #AskFreeGuy.
Deadpool will announce his upcoming social media read through videos on Tik Tok while at the same time, egging on Guy and poking fun.
Guy will respond back to Deadpool on Instagram while still teasing the upcoming social media read.
Me: Seeing Deadpool for what he really is…a bully!
Tell me I’m pretty or tell me anything.
#AskFreeGuy
Announcements of the social reads along with links to Deadpool’s Tik Tok and Guy’s Instagram exchange.
Tik Tok users generally skew younger. According to recent numbers, 60% are between the ages of 16–24. Instagram is a healthy mix of millennials and Gen Z, but still skews toward the younger side with 75% of users between the ages of 18–24.
Twitter is geared toward older millennials and Gen X individuals who are Marvel/Deadpool fans. The majority of Twitter users are between the ages of 18–29.
This campaign is aimed at Marvel fans, Ryan Reynolds’ fans, Free Guy fans and of course, fans of Deadpool.
Timeline
The “pre-event phase” is from August 6-August 12. This is when Deadpool and Free Guy will begin squaring off on their respective social media channels while encouraging audience members to go see Free Guy and post any questions or comments with the hashtag #AskFreeGuy.
The “during event phase” is from August 13-August 22. This is the phase that audiences should plan to see/watch Free Guy and submit posts on any social channels with the caption #AskFreeGuy.
The “post event phase” is from August 23–27. This is when Reynolds will be reading off comments and questions via an Instagram live that will be simultaneously streamed on Tik Tok.
Measurement & Tools
By looking at Deadpool and Free Guy’s respective social media accounts prior to the launch of the campaign, we will the see the total number of followers and average engagement. We will take note of any increase in followers and engagement during the week Free Guy is released (this is the time period where audience members will be submitting UGC).
Got a question for me or the other GUY? #AskFreeGuy #FreeGuy
In addition to measuring the total number of viewers watching Reynolds’ social media read, will measure and note the total follower and average engagement post read.
In taking note of the frequency of posts related to Deadpool and Free Guy during this three-week time period, we will be able to see how effective a conversation starter this campaign was and how much traffic was driven to Deadpool and Free Guy’s social media channels, respectively. This may also be considered an indicator of how well the movie did at the box office in the week it was released.
Overall, Instagram is going to be the most successful platform in this case because while it overall skews younger, it has a much wider age-range of users than Tik Tok does. Instagram could also be considered a catalyst to pushing users to download and use Tik Tok who otherwise may not have because of the witty and sarcastic conversations between Deadpool and Guy.
I’m LIVE right now answering your questions you sent to #AskFreeGuy
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References
[14, June 2021]. Tik Tok Statistics. Wallaroo Media. Wallaroomedia.com
https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/
Dean, B. [15, July 2021] Instagram Demographic Statistics: How Many People Use Instagram in 2021? Backlinko. Backlinko.com https://backlinko.com/instagram-users
[14, April 2021]. Percentage of U.S. adults who use Twitter as of February 2021, by age group. Statista. Statista.com.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/265647/share-of-us-internet-users-who-use-twitter-by-age-group/