The Hunger Games: Catching Fire film Presented by

A Public Relations Proposal 5/16/2013 Presented for: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire film Presented by: Outta the Box PR Alexis Long (000) 000-0000 Maria Garner (000) 000-0000 Yvanna Hernandez (000) 000-0000

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire film PR Campaign 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 3 Who We Are ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3

Client Background ............................................................................................................................... 3 The Story .................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 The Cast .................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

SITUATION ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................................... 5 PEST Analysis ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 SWOT Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

ANALYSIS OF KEY PUBLICS ............................................................................................................... 6 The Research .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Target Public .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Sample Personas ................................................................................................................................................................... 6

PR CAMPAIGN PLAN ............................................................................................................................ 7 Overall Goal ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Strategies & Tactics ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Loglines .................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

TIMELINE .............................................................................................................................................. 10 EVALUATION ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Anticipated Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 10 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................ 11 APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..12


INTRODUCTION Who We Are Outta the Box PR is a boutique PR firm that specializes in representing major studios and the domestic releases of their films. Based out of Hollywood, CA, the heart of the entertainment industry, we are in the know when it comes to getting our clientele’s names and their projects to the masses. Our industry contacts and innovative ideas allow us at Outta the Box PR to represent our clients from coast to coast in the most effective and exciting way possible.

Client Background The Story The Hunger Games film series is based on the trilogy novels written by Suzanne Collins. As a young adult series, the books consist of three volumes: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The trilogy has topped multiple best sellers lists, including the New York Times best seller, and U.S. best seller. Like the novels, the films occur some time in the future with a totalitarian government called The Capitol that governs twelve districts. The twelve districts, some with wealth but others in poverty, are made to compete in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are made as a punishment for previous rebellion against the Capitol. Every year, one boy and girl ranging from ages twelve and eighteen are selected by lottery from every district to compete to the death. The winner will be rewarded with food and supplies for their district the year of their victory. The first film adaptation has had much success, grossing over $690 million worldwide. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second film of the series.


The Cast Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne

Sam Clafin as Finnick Odair

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy

Jena Malone as Johanna Mason

Donald Sutherland as President Snow

Willow Shields as Primerose Everdeen

Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

Philip Seymour as Plutarch Heavensbee

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna


SITUATION ANALYSIS PEST Analysis Political • The 2% cut to the payroll tax expired this year. The payroll tax rate is back to 6.2%, and with 40% of workers living paycheck to paycheck, they’ll have a direct hit to their household budget. Economic • Retail sales are up 4.2% statewide (2012 statistic compared to 2011) and continue to increase. • The MPAA reports that the US/Canada box office increased by 6% last year. • Admissions went up 1.36 billion despite ticket prices remaining the same. • In terms of foreign sales: o 15% box office increase in Asia Pacific, 1% decrease in Europe/Mid East/Africa, and 6% increase in Latin America. Social • The “Hunger Games” book series are part of the reading curriculum in certain middle schools. o E.g. Evansville & Wallingford - parents protested as a concern for it being too graphic. • The movie is being related to Christianity. • Ages 40-49 demographic of moviegoers increased last year and there is a broader ethnic group. • Last year 48% of moviegoers watched at least 1 3D movie. • Studies show that the average person’s attention span dropped to 8 seconds in 2012. Technology • Technology and entertainment companies are now pushing 4D theaters. o CJ Group, operating Asia’s largest chain of theaters, had set up a lab near the Grauman’s theater last year to showcase its 4DX system. They already wowed South Korea, Thailand, and Mexico last year. Japan will be introducing 4D in theaters with Iron Man 3.

SWOT Analysis Strengths: • An early start promoting the Hunger Games: Catching Fire campaign was beneficial. Also, due to the film being based on a best selling book series, a large following is already guaranteed. Weaknesses: • Films based on book series generate assumptions that storylines will be geared toward tweens and young adults. Opportunities • A focus on traditional media, such as magazine features, radio, and television appearances would help significantly. Threats • Other largely followed films based on book series, such as City of Bones and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters will be premier during the summer. Both films will target the same audience. This could potentially create clutter.


Problem Statement Due to external factors e.g. people’s low attention span rate and payroll tax rate increase, and competitive competition, maintaining at least the same amount of audiences from the first movie may prove to be difficult, affecting the second film’s box office weekend gross.

ANALYSIS OF KEY PUBLICS The Research Looking at the first film, the audience was 61% female, 56% were ages 25 and up, and 44% were under the age of 25. Younger Fans gave an “A” rating for the film and the older audience wasn’t as fanatic. There was also a large appeal to male audiences and it had a national appeal. In terms of psychographics, majority of the audiences are intelligent people who read and have an interest in American pop culture.

Target Public The targeted publics are segmented into three categories. A large focus will be placed on females with some focus on males as well. An appeal to females under and over the age of 25 will be placed.

Sample Personas Young Women Under 25 Brenda Jones is 18 years old and is a recent high school graduate, making the transition into college. She will be attending the Illinois Institute of Art in the fall. Brenda is also working part time at her local Michael’s craft store. Brenda and her friends enjoy reading fiction novels during their spare time; they are followers of popular book series. She eventually hopes to combine her love of books and art by becoming a book illustrator after college. PR Objective: Social Media, Ben and Jerry’s Older Women Over 25 Virginia Harris is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California. At the age of 30, Harris received her Master’s degree in journalism. With an interest in entertainment TV, Harris always planned on pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. She recently acquired a position with NBC Universal’s Style Network. Harris hopes to transfer over to Bravo, another NBC Universal cable channel. Harris and her friends enjoy keeping up with celebrity news and frequently read magazines. PR Objective: Socialite, Cosmopolitan


Men in general Jason Moore is a 37-year-old high school biology teacher. He is an avid reader and likes to keep up with pop culture as a way to relate to his students. When he isn’t teaching or grading homework assignments, he likes to try out new recipes with his wife. They both enjoy going to the movies, often times with other couples particularly to see adaptations of books that they’ve read. Moore and his wife eventually hope to retire and travel the world. PR Objectives: Sports Illustrated, Game App

PR CAMPAIGN PLAN Overall Goal To increase U.S. box office opening weekend ticket sales to $170 million. This will bump rankings from the number 6 to number 3 spot for the largest grossing box office opening weekend sales. Increasing efforts in enticing audience interest will do this.

Strategies & Tactics Strategy: Social Media 1. Tactic: Facebook We intend on using Facebook, in conjunction with other social media, like Instagram and Twitter, to reach our target markets. By linking our Instagram and Twitter sites with our Facebook, followers who are not aware of these new accounts will become aware of them, and hopefully be inclined to follow. Furthermore, this medium will allow fans of the series to interact with fellow fans, and voice their opinions and comments. This is also a perfect forum to raise awareness and promote our other PR tactics. 2. Tactic: Instagram (photo) As the presence of young adults grows larger on Instagram, it is an extremely effective social media outlet. An official Hunger Games Instagram would be created to post pictures of the cast, crew, and anything related to the production of the second installment in the movie series. Users will be able to interact and follow the production of the movie with the convenience of their cell phone. Tapping into a medium where a mass audience is frequently accessible would make supplying content inexpensive and powerful. Specific hash tags will be used to produce SEO results. 3. Tactic: Twitter By communicating with our target markets through Twitter, we will be able to not only announce events linked to the release of the film, but we can track what fans are most excited about by using hash tags, replying to users, and re-tweeting. Contests will be held to prompt fans to generate content and qualify to win premier night tickets.


Strategy: AR/QR 1. Tactic: Game App An app where gamers can play to unlock exclusive, hidden photos of the cast will be implemented. Users will be appointed a character from the cast based on a personality quiz at the start. Then, if wanted, users may switch characters as they pass levels. The app will be based on both the previous film and the film not yet released. Strategy: Print Media 1. Tactic: Sports Illustrated and Cosmopolitan (magazines) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will reach each target market through both Sports Illustrated and Cosmopolitan. Sports Illustrated will feature a spread consisting of Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Sam Clafin. It will focus on how they got in shape for each of their respective roles, photographs of the actors, and a brief article. This will entice the mostly male readers of Sports Illustrated. Cosmopolitan will feature a story on Jennifer Lawrence, with an interview about her chemistry with her co-stars. In addition, the spread will feature a segment on how fans can achieve Katniss’s look in the second film. This magazine will target mostly female readers. Strategy: Television 1. Tactic: The Chelsea Handler Show Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Sam Clafin will all appear on a late night television show. For a more light-hearted feel, the Chelsea Handler show would be appropriate. The show airs at 11:00 p.m. on E! network. As Handler is notorious for joking with guests on the show, this would allow for a more personal interaction between the audience and the cast. A small teaser is also to be released for viewers of the show and fans. 2. Tactic: The Ellen Degeneres Show Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Sam Clafin will all appear on The Ellen Degeneres Show. The show airs at 4:00 p.m. on NBC, and would be a fantastic opportunity for each of our target markets to see the cast interact with one another. Ellen Degeneres is known for engaging her celebrity guests in fun, light-hearted games, and Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Sam Clafin would be perfect additions to the roster of previous celebrity guests. The audience will be sent home with a copy of The Hunger Games on DVD/Blu-Ray so that they are prepared to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire when it is released to theatres. Strategy: Radio 1. Tactic: 102.7 KIIS FM Ryan Seacrest on 102.7 KIIS FM will interview lead actors Lawrence and Hutcherson during his show. While the audience is listening in, both cast members will answer fun, trivia questions, and speak about life during filming of the second film.


Strategy: Event Marketing 1. Tactic: Premiere for charity The Hunger Games will partner with Feeding America in their Chicago, Illinois location to produce a film premiere/Hunger Games kick off party. Audience’s "entrance fee" can be a food donation, which Feeding America can distribute. Stars of The Hunger Games series can do a Q&A with attendees, and attendees can join a raffle for the good cause. Possible prizes would include being a star's honored guest at the premiere in LA/NY/London. Strategy: Cross Brand Tie-in 2. Tactic: Limited Edition Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream will release a limited edition Nightlock Berries flavor (based on the nightlock berries featured in the first film) on behalf of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, beginning in July. The tagline will be “May the odds be ever in your flavor,” a mock-up of a quote from the film. Sold everywhere Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream is sold, a portion of the proceeds will go to Feeding America and their efforts to halt hunger in America. Strategy: Guerilla Marketing 3. Tactic: “Flash Mob” At noon, two weeks before the film's release, the Hollywood and Highland Center can be infiltrated by one hundred people dressed as Capitol citizens. They will act normal as one of them announces that The Hunger Games is finally here. It can be organized through social media, as a flash mob of sorts. All the participants are voluntary. Another possible location for this could be the subway system in New York. Strategy: Additional Element 4. Tactic: YouTube (videos) and Surprise Cast Visit YouTube is the perfect forum for reaching both fans, and those who may not yet consider themselves fans, of the popular Hunger Games franchise. We want to take this opportunity to show audiences a more relaxed version of their favorite actors. We will give each of the three lead characters a flip camera, which they can use to record short videos of behind-the-scenes footage of them doing special events/press for the upcoming film. By allowing the audience to see the chemistry between their favorite actors, they will be able to form a personal connection to the film. The videos will provide clues as to which theater the cast shall visit as a surprise.


Loglines • • • •

The website will include the Twitter feed on the side showing tweets of promotions, news, and previews of the film. The website will include the game app tab where a forum is held for players to talk among themselves and share their experiences or strategies. The website will include the video tab, which will include the Youtube videos posted each day or week, which will attract the visitor to the actual Youtube account. The website will include a banner on the home page showcasing something new in relation to the event e.g. the limited edition Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream, cast on 102.7 KIIS FM with Ryan Seacrest, Feeding America partnership with the film.

TIMELINE May • Social Media strategy (ongoing) • Pitch to print media June • Pitch to TV shows • July • Youtube video launch • Ben & Jerry’s Ice-Cream launch August • Promotion of Feeding America partnership • Promotion of charity Premiere September • Promotion of Hunger Games game app October • Pitch to radio stations November • Guerilla Marketing strategy • Charity Premiere

EVALUATION We will evaluate our success by looking directly at opening weekend box office numbers. Should The Hunger Games: Catching Fire gross $170 million or more during its opening weekend, we will see our marketing campaign as being a success. Conversely, should we find that the box office numbers for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire are below $170 million on opening weekend, we will know we have failed to meet our overall goal.

Anticipated Results We expect that there will be a larger, stronger fan base, a Facebook like increase by 3,000, Twitter follower increase by 1,000, Instragram follower base at 3,000, and compared to the first film, there will be a domestic opening weekend box office gross increase by over $17,500,000 million.


REFERENCES Attention span statistics. (2013, April 28). Retrieved from http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-spanstatistics/ Fehn, M. C. (2013, February 14). Evansville parents protest "hunger games" assignment at daughter's school. Retrieved from http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=586562 Italie, L. (2012, March 28). 'Hunger Games' becomes part of school curriculum as students go on movie field trip. The Huffington Post, Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/luckystudents-get-field-_0_n_1384962.html Lionsgate publicity: The hunger games. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.lionsgatepublicity.com/epk/thehungergames/ McBride, B. (2013, May 13). Retail sales increase 0.1% in april. Retrieved from http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2013/05/retail-sales-increase-01-in-april.html McKay, T. (2013, January 15). 2013 tax increases: How much your paycheck will shrink this year. Retrieved from http://www.policymic.com/articles/22815/2013-tax-increases-how-much-yourpaycheck-will-shrink-this-year Rosenthal, B. M. (2012, March 22). Schools debate educational value of 'the hunger games'. The Seattle Times. Retrieved from http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2017800832_hungergames21m.html The hunger games: Catching fire. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951264/ Theatrical market statistics 2012. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.mpaa.org/Resources/3037b7a458a2-4109-8012-58fca3abdf1b.pdf Verrier, R. (2012, July 7). 4-d movies: Next big thing for u.s. theaters?. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/07/entertainment/la-et-ct-4d-cinema-20120707
