A New Tool for Distribution Strategy - The Mobile Difference

These days, documentary filmmakers face different challenges than their counterparts of the past. Gone are the days of media for consumption; we now live in an era of media for participation.Films are now backed up with online teasers, trailers and other promotional videos; pages on social networking sites; email updates and blogs as well as various other forms of electronic promotion.

One of the key things a filmmaker can do to make multi-platform distribution more effective is to concretely identify his or her intended audiences

A good tool for this identification process is a recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (PIALP).PIALP has published the results of a 2009 survey which examined the trends in Internet and technology usage by people over the age of 18 in the United States. The Project used the data to create nine profiles of technology users. These nine types are separated into two groups – those who are motivated by mobile technology (Digital Collaborators, Ambivalent Networkers, Media Movers, Roving Nodes, Mobile Newbies) and those who prefer legacy media (Desktop Veterans, Drifting Surfers, Info Encumbered and Tech Indifferent)They also categorized people who do not have a web connection or a cell phone as “Off the Net”. The group developed the profiles by analyzing the assets, actions, and attitudes of each survey participant.

Knowledge of this kind enables media makers to strategize more effectively when planning new media outreach for their films. By learning the types of ways and frequency with which the intended audience uses technology a filmmaker can tailor the release and marketing of a film. If he or she knows the intended audience likes participatory media, the filmmaker can develop a multi-platform distribution plan. Conversely, if the target audience is comprised of people who use technology infrequently and are easily overwhelmed by information, the filmmaker may want to be sure to provide explicit instructions on how to access promotional materials, or play it safe and stick to periodic emails.