• by Wayne Friedman , October 5, 2011

Integrating disparate marketing of entertainment platforms can be difficult -- but progress is being made. Whether it is theatrical film, digital download, video on demand, or video games, there is more marketing coordination, says a panel at Variety's Film Marketing summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday. "It is much more emphasized now than years ago," says Aubrey Freeborn, senior vice president of marketing and product management worldwide & EST for 20th Century Fox.

Moderator Kevin Yoder, managing director of Marketcast, wondered whether entertainment marketing optimization can be good for the consumers. In response, T.J. Moffett, executive vice president of home entertainment marketing for Summit Entertainment, cautioned that "these are different revenue streams" and that the businesses have different goals.

Sometimes, it's entertainment marketing itself that can confuse consumers, says Scott Nocas, entertainment consultant and former marketing/programming executive for Xbox Live.

"People will go watch filmed content of your marketing message, and in this minimal click environment, setting [that] consumer expectation can be a challenge. They might say: 'I can get the marketing; why can't I get the movie?'"

Marketcast's Yoder wondered whether some entertainment would be better served in telling consumers where to get a movie, TV show or a video game. Moffett believes that could hurt business: "If you are spending time telling everyone where to get it, you may not be spending time selling it."

Currently, home entertainment marketers have been able to "draft off the promotion of a theatrical movie," says Freeborn. But marketers are doing much more. She says integrated marketing efforts have indeed helped new businesses -- like video on demand.

"Five years ago, VOD wasn't top of mind. But now it is. That has helped the business hockey stick to a certain point." She says Fox has essentially established another "digital store" for itself.

Social media may also help better integrate entertainment marketing. "Social media is rewiring our brains towards a shorter attention span," says Nocas. "You are constantly engaging consumers -- even when you have nothing to sell them."

While social media has indeed grown, Vince Broady, chief executive officer/co-founder of thismoment, a social-media marketing company, says discovery of entertainment properties remains a challenge for content owners.