Cause Marketing
March of Dimes Nets Six-figure Deal From Documentary Distributor
Properties should keep eyes and ears open for potential partners, even from nontraditional sponsorship spenders.
5/3/10: While the marketing budgets for Hollywood blockbusters have included more money lately for sponsorship of properties such as NASCAR teams and large festivals, a new deal highlights a less traditional partnership between a movie studio and a cause organization.
Even more surprising is that the film is a documentary, a genre not known for spending big bucks on marketing, let alone estimated six-figure sponsorship rights fees. However, that is just what the March of Dimes Foundation has secured from Focus Features LLC’s
Babies, which opens May 7.
Demonstrating that properties should keep their eyes open for signs of marketing activity from nontraditional categories, Focus Features—a division of NBC Universal, Inc.—has mounted a marketing campaign for its movie that is akin to those of big-budget action-adventure flicks.
March of Dimes is one of ten promotional partners working to generate buzz for the documentary, which follows four babies from birth to first steps, thus examining childrearing practices in four countries: Mongolia, Namibia, Japan and the U.S.
Local March of Dimes staff in Los Angeles learned about plans for the film through contacts at NBC Universal and initiated the conversation about a potential tie-in. The partnership made sense given March of Dimes’ mission to improve pregnancy and baby health, and its ability to promote the movie to a targeted audience.
While March of Dimes has explored partnerships with movies over the past five years, an association with
Babies was a no-brainer, said Chad Royal-Pascoe, March of Dimes’ managing director, national strategic alliances.
“The movie is point on with our mission: babies. And we can steer a lot of people to opening weekend, which is something that many movies, especially documentaries, live and die by.”
Babies faces stiff competition, opening the same day as
Iron Man 2.
The absence of a narrator also made a partnership with a documentary more appealing and less risky, said Royal-Pascoe, noting that documentary narration can steer viewers toward a particular perspective.
“A narrator would be focused on what you should be thinking or feeling. That can create a problem of whether or not someone agrees with the movie’s point of view.”
In addition to a cash payment, March of Dimes receives exposure through the film’s extensive marketing efforts. For example, the nonprofit receives exposure in a co-branded PSA shown in theaters. The PSA—developed by both organizations—features a donation call to action.
In addition to the cash fee, the March of Dimes also receives fundraising support in the form of a co-branded public-service announcement shown in theaters. The PSA, developed jointly, includes a text donation call to action, Royal-Pascoe said.
In return, March of Dimes has promoted
Babies through the following methods:
March for Babies events. The nonprofit touts
Babies at roughly 900 March for Babies fundraising walks this spring. On top of exposure on banners, marketing collateral and the Web site for its premier event, the nonprofit distributed
Babies movie passes to participants who met certain fundraising goals.
March of Dimes also showed the
Babies trailer at several events, Royal-Pascoe said.
Movie screenings. March of Dimes is hosting a series of
Babies screenings across the country. The screenings feature celebrity mothers such as Melissa Joan Hart, Nancy O’Dell and Kellie Martin.
Social media. The nonprofit also is promoting
Babies on its Facebook page and through mommy bloggers it is affiliate with. The bloggers were given information on the movie prior to the film’s release, Royal-Pascoe said.
Sponsor cross-promotions. March of Dimes provided exposure in OB/GYN offices by facilitating a cross-promotion between the movie studio and Mission Pharmacal Co., a national March for Babies sponsor. “They wanted to promote the movie in OB/GYN offices, but we don’t call on those offices,” Royal-Pascoe said. “So we partnered them with another sponsor that does.”
March of Dimes plans to use that partnership when talking to sponsor prospects as an example of the resources it can put to work on behalf of partners, Royal-Pascoe said.
“We’ll show potential partners the way we have partnered with other companies. It helps them understand that we will dig down to make these connections happen.”
The documentary’s other promo partners include Eastman Kodak Co.; Johnson & Johnson Consumer Cos.’ Johnson’s Baby and The Procter & Gamble Co.’s Pampers brand. March of Dimes has existing relationships with roughly half of the film’s promotional partners, Royal-Pascoe said.
Sources
March of Dimes, Tel: 914/428-7100