Hunger Games Marketing Communication Campaign

An essay on the marketing communications campaign
of the Hunger Games

Introduction
A marketing communication campaign is a collection of acts and practices designed to support a
certain brand, company, or service by distributing a particular message via various channels such
as television, media, and the internet. An organization will build a multi-pronged marketing
approach that reaches a broader audience if they are informed of integrated marketing
communications. In the business, marketing communication plays a critical role in brand
creation. Communication has transformed today's world (Bansal and Rai, 2020). This method
has been made possible due to technological innovation. Today's world is one of open
competition and technology. As a result, every organization must try to place itself in such a way
that it is most able to interpret and answer the imperatives of strategic advantage. To gain those
strategic advantages, businesses must concentrate their efforts on improving and developing
marketing campaigns (Parente and Strausbaugh-Hutchinson, 2014). Marketing communication
campaigns are relevant not just for businesses that sell goods and services, but also for industries
that make successful movies or films to attract large audiences. Film marketing is the process of
attempting to pique people's interest in a film to the point that they would pay money to watch it.
As a result, the main objective of this paper is on gaining a better understanding of the
development of marketing communications theory. This paper will discuss how the film "Hunger
Games" conducted its marketing campaign and how it used multiple channels and marketing
communication principles to gain success. In addition to this, it will also discuss the role of
marketing communications, as well as the analysis of communication issues in a comprehensive
and strategic way.
Analysis
The development of marketing communications theories and its relevance
Marketing communications is a strategic mechanism that allows a company to communicate with
its different customers. Companies aim to create and present messages for their established
stakeholder groups by first identifying their engagement landscape, then analyzing and acting on
the responses. Marketing communication is the most important aspect of any company's
marketing strategy; it encompasses both advertising and the media used to engage with
customers. Marketing coordination is accomplished by the use of a variety of techniques and

marketing platforms (Varey, 2002). Personal selling, advertisement, direct marketing,
communication, public relations, and promotions are just a few of the marketing communication
choices available. In recent years, a variety of communication theories have been proposed to
describe marketing communication. The two major marketing communication theories are
discussed below (West, Turner and Zhao, 2010).
Hierarchy of effect model
A model of how advertisement affects a customer's decision to buy or not buy a product or a
service is the hierarchy of effects model. As a product of advertisement, the hierarchy shows the
evolution of customer knowledge and decision-making activities. The six phases of the hierarchy
effects theory are awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction, and purchase (Wijaya,
2015). As per the hierarchy of effects theory, marketers are instructed to create their
advertisements in such a manner that they obey the six steps that it specifies. The hierarchy of
effects theory, as per Lavidge and Steiner, is an applied promotional technique that addresses the
selling of goods through well-developed, compelling advertising messages that are intended to
create popularity over time. Advertisers' main goal is to lead a prospective buyer across the six
levels of the hierarchy (ur Rehman et al., 2014).
This model's six steps characterize consumer purchasing behaviour. The first two stages are
cognitive: awareness and knowledge, the next two are effective: linking and preference and the
final two are behavioural: conviction and purchase. This can be further understood by using the
following diagram.

Fig: Hierarchy of effects model
AIDA model of marketing communication
Even though the advertising industry has become more dynamic, the ad copy concept has
remained constant. American advertisement and sales leader Elias St. Elmo Lewis invented the
term AIDA in marketing communication in the late 1800s. The concept describes the various
stages that a customer goes through before making a purchase. This model is used by marketers
to persuade consumers to buy something. In today's commercials, this paradigm is often used
(Hassan, Nadzim and Shiratuddin, 2015)
The AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. When a customer views or
experiences advertising, they go through these four steps. The role of advertising, according to
Lewis, is to draw consumers first and utmost. Once an advertisement has captured the attention
of the audience, it must sate the buyers' interest in the commodity (Ullal and Hawaldar, 2018).
After generating interest, the ad should stimulate a desire in the customer to use the product, and
the consumer must then take positive action against the product by buying it.
Fig: AIDA model in marketing communication
Principles of marketing communication in achieving business success
Marketing communication allows the movement of goods, services, and innovations from
suppliers to target consumers, as well as the development and maintenance of partnerships with
consumers, prospects, and other key stakeholders. Advertising and product promotion will

remain essential components of the marketing communication mix. The marketing principles are
organized in a logical order. A target market for a specific good or service must be defined.
Understanding who needs a certain product or service is critical for deciding what the customer
needs and how to deliver it. This is critical for businesses operating in the free market since
profitability and company development are dependent on identifying and maintaining buyers.
The marketing mix is one of the most basic marketing principles. The marketing combination is
made up of four distinct elements that companies must learn in order to sell their products and
services effectively. Marketing principles are commonly referred to as the 4ps in the marketing
mix. Product, price, place, and promotion are among the factors to be considered (Armstrong et
al., 2014). The product must try to fill a gap in the market or meet customer demand in any way.
The product must be designed to meet the needs and desires of the customer. Similarly, a
product's price should be one that customers are willing to pay while still encouraging suppliers
to prosper. The mode of delivery for a commodity, or the location where customers will be able
to buy it, is referred to as place. Place factors involve whether a product can be marketed in all
regions or is better suited to a certain region or country, the retailer selection for a specific
product, and so forth. The promotion should present the commodity in its positive manner while
also reaching out to the customer. When creating a promotional campaign, keep in mind that
various target audiences are likely to react to different forms of promotions.
Similarly, integrated marketing communications can help to raise brand awareness, improve
customer desire, and improve consumer perceptions of a product. Due to competition, the cost
competitiveness of mass advertising has driven integrated marketing campaigns to the forefront
of mainstream marketing. Brand alignment, customer alignment, and budget alignment are the
driving principles of any integrated marketing communications strategy (Dragilev, 2021). Brand
alignment refers to ensuring that anything a company does, thinks, and says as a whole is in
alignment, resulting in a powerful, effective, and long-lasting brand. It is a horizontal, company-
wide organizing principle. Similarly, customer Alignment is a form of consumer marketing in
which every company recognizes its consumers' underlying interests and responds to them by
speaking to them in their language of product characteristics, incentives, and comparisons,
resulting in a more cohesive brand experience and increased sales. Budget alignment, on the
other hand, aids an organization in prioritizing or including portfolio solutions for the spending
such that strategic distribution choices are made in line with the company's goals.

Since all of the principles of marketing are specifically related to the customer, integrated
marketing is the area of the industry that is most consumer-oriented. This is critical for
businesses functioning in the free market, as profitability and company development are
dependent on identifying and maintaining buyers. Consumers continued to use news stories,
word-of-mouth, expert reviews, and financial reports as "brand contacts" to know about and
shape views and beliefs about a brand or business, or to make buying decisions (Mihaela, 2015).
Advertisers can target messaging across media that are more likely to hit key audience audiences
during moments when these segments are more likely to be responsive to these messages by
understanding their media preferences and lifestyles. This optimizes the brand communication
strategy.
Marketing Campaign used by The Hunger Games
The 'Hunger Games,' a film series based on Suzanne Collins' books, is among the first to
completely use the influence of social media and demonstrate how to effectively incorporate it
into a marketing campaign. This franchise movie was supported by a hugely profitable multi-
channel, trans-media drive, resulting in some of the highest-grossing movies of all time. It is the
highest grossing film of all time due to successful ad campaigns and the use of various marketing
channels. The Hunger Games series has grossed over a billion dollars worldwide and is
considered a global sensation. Although engaging storytelling, big-budget effects, and a talented
cast are all factors in the film's success, social media awareness is also a key factor. The main
factor contributing to The Hunger Games' popularity is a shifting social paradigm in the external
world, which has seen audiences choose movies to books. The popular Hunger Games series
could be able to thrive solely on the power of its fan base. The movie's digital marketing unit, on
the other hand, tapped into their creative aspects and created more than just a buzz; they created
a fan culture. This innovative content marketing campaign generated shockwaves through the
marketing, media, and entertainment industries. The Hunger Games' creative content marketing
will teach us a couple of things that are necessary for doing business (Ilar, 2014).
When it comes to the Hunger Games marketing campaign, the digital marketing team played a
critical part in its success and making it the highest-grossing film. The team has used a variety of
media campaigns to ensure that the project is a success. Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games
franchise started as a series of young-adult books. Recognizing that the film's target audience

was made up of active social media consumers and that teenagers are early adopters of
technology, the film's advertisers wanted to target them early and regularly. The success of The
Hunger Games in terms of marketing can be attributed to its fans (Simmons, 2014). The
advertisers made the smart decision to highlight their most devoted fans, which only increased
online engagement with the film. For example, they developed the “Fan Fridays” theme to
highlight fan-created content on Facebook. They established an intimate bond with their
followers through their YouTube channel. Fans then posted the videos and organized their
campaigns to promote the film. However, the Hunger Games used a variety of networks,
it cleverly tailored its content to each one. Tumblr became a “Capital Couture” fashion blog,
referencing the world of the film to highlight images and costumes; Twitter fans were enlisted to
“unlock” screenings in their communities and coordinate film-related puzzle pieces by Tweeting;
and its YouTube channel displayed “capitol sanctioned” videos and fan-created content, thus
drawing attention. Every platform was tailored to fit a specific position in the marketing strategy.
Similarly, marketers developed District Identification Passes to immerse film fans in the world of
the film. Users built over 800,000 passes on social media in reference to the film's different
towns. As a result, they were designated as "residents" of one of Panem's 12 districts. Despite the
use and effectiveness of modern modes of marketing such as internet marketing and social media
marketing, the film's developers have not overlooked conventional forms of promotional content,
with a significant attempt made to lift the image of the film via traditional paper-based forms of
advertisement.
Likewise, the Hunger Games marketing campaigns have included exclusive giveaways, exciting
previews, and public appearances and television interviews with many of the film's young stars,
as is typical of movie promotions; however, the marketing team in charge of promoting this
particular film focused mainly on the online social networks and channels frequented by their
younger generations. Similarly, they used a creative approach known as storytelling, which
entails combining social networking strategies through a number of channels such as YouTube,
Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram, as well as putting brand and designer relationships in
the film into deeper focus and generating passionate audience involvement (Zeiser, 2015). A
conventional marketing strategy focuses on ad placement on TV, newspapers, advertisements,
radio, alliances, a dedicated website, YouTube previews, in-person PR, internet PR, and cross-
marketing partnerships, while Lionsgate's marketing strategy used a combination of social media

and networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram. The marketing
strategy for The Hunger Games was unique in that it combined modern and conventional media
storytelling to improve viewer participation across networks. To achieve viral promotion through
spread ability, which is the most important aspect of transmedia storytelling, it was critical to
find loyal fans who were able to share the story's narrative. Persistent, pervasive, participatory,
and personalized transmedia storytelling campaigns are essential. Thus, after reviewing the facts,
there is no question that the biggest recent film series. The Hunger Games was a commercial hit,
with positive campaign activities accounting for a significant part of that success.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, successful marketing campaigns are essential for any company to achieve its
objectives and succeed. It's the ideal way to connect with potential clients, customers, and leads.
Effective marketing campaigns will boost revenues and distributions by generating new demand
in the business. Businesses must focus their attention on optimizing and developing marketing
strategies in order to achieve competitive advantages. We explored the development of
marketing communications theory and its relevance to the industry in this paper. Marketing
communication facilitates the flow of products, services, and technologies from suppliers to
target customers, as well as the formation and maintenance of relationships with customers,
prospects, and other primary stakeholders. The importance of marketing communication
principles in achieving business results was also examined in this article. This is critical for
businesses operating in a free market, as attracting and retaining customers is essential for
profitability and company development. Furthermore, it analyzed the overall marketing
campaign used by The Hunger Games, a film series based on Suzanne Collins' novels, which is
one of the first to fully use the influence of social media and demonstrate how to successfully
integrate it into a marketing campaign. Due to successful advertising campaigns and the use of
different media platforms, it is the highest grossing film of all time, which is thoroughly
discussed in this paper.

Reflection
Throughout the module, I have enjoyed the principles of marketing communication modules. It
has been beneficial to broaden my understanding and interpretation of each of the marketing
communications concepts. I began learning about marketing from the very beginning of my
studies. Initially, I thought that marketing was mainly concerned with advertisements. However,
after reading this module, I realized that marketing is a broad term. I have learned a lot of things
that have greatly aided me in completing this assignment. This module has assisted me in
learning about the marketing process and examining the variety of marketing choices that a
company must take in order to sell its goods and services. The marketing principles are set out
logically. A target market for a particular product or service must be established. Understanding
who needs a certain product or service is critical for deciding what the customer needs and how
to deliver it. This is important for companies operating in a free market, as attracting and
retaining customers is essential for profitability and company development. I've also learned that
effective marketing educates consumers so they can find the things they want, make smarter
decisions on those products, and get the best investment out of them. Similarly, marketing
communication enables the flow of products, services, and technologies from vendors to
potential customers, as well as the creation and maintaining of relationships with customers,
prospects, and other primary stakeholders.
As a business management student, I believe that learning the principles of marketing is critical
because it will provide me with the skills I need to maintain a positive interaction with
consumers in any business relationship. Similarly, learning marketing principles will help me
realize the part marketing plays in the corporate world and how I can use it to my benefit as a
business management professional looking to become a successful businessperson in the future.
In a business setting, I believe that goods and services do not sell themselves, as many
individuals accept, but rather that effective publicity aids in their sale. This is how marketing
informs consumers, either by suggestion or convincing, on how a certain product will help them
meet their needs and desires. In this way, effective social marketing informs individuals and
assists them in making healthy choices about themselves and others. Because of the critical role
marketing plays in promoting corporate change in a business setting, it is critical for me as a
business student to consider all functional aspects of the company. From the above, I feel I have

been willing to discuss some of the benefits and importance I stand to gain from studying
principles and marketing, ranging from assisting me in performing and fitting in well in any
corporate environment I may find myself in later in the future, assisting me in delivering value-
added goods and services to my clients, supporting my society and improving lives by promoting
to trade. As a result, I agree that learning marketing communication principles is not only
important for me as an enthusiastic and business student but also critical to my potential success
in any business setting.

References
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