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Running head: Cobblestone Stories: Marketing Initiatives 1
Cobblestone Stories: Marketing Initiatives
Derek Scott
Presented to the Management Department Faculty
of Oregon Institute of Technology
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Management
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Table of Contents
Abstract………….............................................................................................................................3
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................4
Project Overview..................................................................................................................4
Assumptions.........................................................................................................................5
Scope....................................................................................................................................5
Impact...................................................................................................................................5
Project Method .................................................................................................................................5
Timeline & Milestones.........................................................................................................6
Project Success Metrics........................................................................................................6
Organizational Background..............................................................................................................7
Educational Film Industry....................................................................................................7
Stakeholders.........................................................................................................................8
Literature Review.............................................................................................................................8
Significant Aspects..........................................................................................................................11
Webpage Design..............................................................................................................................11
Distribution......................................................................................................................................12
Copyright.........................................................................................................................................14
Advertising......................................................................................................................................15
Email...............................................................................................................................................16
Host….............................................................................................................................................16
Domain............................................................................................................................................17
References.......................................................................................................................................20
Appendix.........................................................................................................................................23
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Abstract
The project of Marketing “Cobblestone Stories” got its start when Dr. Mark Neupert
decided to enter the film in a film festival. Having many changes that still needed to be
addressed the film got rejected. However, Dr. Neupert was determined to make said changes
and get into the film festival, so while he and his team of editors took on the task of tweaking
various aspects of the film, Derek Scott assumed the responsibility of creating a marketing
kit. This meant that he would have to craft both desired social media pages (Facebook and
YouTube), assist in obtaining a copyright, discover an effective and convenient distribution
method, construct a press release, create a website for the film, along with determining all the
unforeseen steps in achieving these milestones.
Keywords: Marketing, Film, Website, Distribution, Social Media
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Introduction
Dr. Neupert is a professor at Oregon Tech and among his many accomplishments stands
his creation of the film “Cobblestone Stories”. Dr. Neupert chose to illustrate his interest in
urban design and city living through this film. His previous travels to the Netherlands inspired
the backdrop for the story. Dr. Neupert took a sabbatical from teaching and along with his
family, moved to Leiden, Netherlands. After the year-long sabbatical was completed, he
returned to Oregon and his everyday life. At that point, Dr. Neupert decided to submit the film
to the New Urban Film Festival in the summer of 2015. Upon entry, Dr. Neupert discovered
certain revisions were required including minor editing issues like transitions and voice overs, as
well as developing key marketing elements such as a website, social media, distribution plans,
and a film poster.
Due to Dr. Neupert’s continued contact with the film festival sponsors, he was informed
of the possibility of a special film premier for “Cobblestone Stories” if the needed changes were
addressed. After committing to making these, Dr. Neupert and his team of editors expedited the
necessary revisions in order to meet the film festival’s deadline. In addition, Dr. Neupert sought
the assistance of a marketing senior from Oregon Tech to create and implement a detailed
marketing kit for “Cobblestone Stories”.
Project Overview
The project involved web based marketing for the film including: webpage design,
distribution execution, a product copyright, social media account creation, and advertising. The
reason for these objectives was the lack of marketing for the film “Cobblestone Stories”. After
meeting each objective, the organization moved a step closer to its strategic plan of making the
film available for purchase.
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Assumptions and Resources
There was one key assumption related to the project; that all needed resources would be
made available. To create a marketing plan, several resources were required such as regular
access to Dr. Neupert, as he was the major decision maker. Also, the time and access to
information as to how to meet each milestone was important. Finally, funding to purchase a
domain, host, email, and apply for a copyright was the last resource needed to complete the
project.
Scope
The project involved web based marketing including: webpage design, distribution
system execution, a product copyright, social media account creation, and advertising. It did not
include the process of making the cover for the DVD box, or the creation of the film’s poster.
Also, the process of setting the price for the product was left out because Dr. Neupert wanted to
do this on his own.
Impact
Marketing the film “Cobblestone Stories” will establish Mark Neupert Films as a
business. In addition, it will give the business an actual product that is ready for sale.
Project Method
Both primary and secondary research were conducted for the project. The primary
research included investigation of competitor’s websites and social media pages, along with
personal interviews. Include citations of what I looked at? The secondary research was
comprised of published research and search engine searches to determine how others have
specifically marketed similar products, pertinent industry information, and website coding.
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Timeline and Milestones
All milestone dates were successfully met by the deadlines noted in the below chart.
Table 1: Timeline
Project Success Metrics
The metrics for successful completion of the project included: when a domain and host
were purchased; a working connection with a third party distributor was in place; the website and
all social media sites were completed, up, and running; finally, the copyright application was
completed and submitted.
Milestone Date
Research purchasing copyrights Oct 7, 2015
Research domains and their differences Oct 14
Research purchasing a host Oct 21
Research purchasing a business email Oct 28
Purchase domain Nov 4
Obtain email Nov 4
Create social media Dec 2
Purchase host Dec 10
Publish website Jan 18, 2016
Apply to third party distributors Feb 3
Form a press release Feb 24
Finish coding website March 9
Apply for copyright March 16
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Organizational and Industry Background
Mark Neupert Films has a vison of creating a finalized film product to sell that is
marketed to an education based niche of customers. The organization was created by Dr.
Neupert, a professor at Oregon Tech. While he has many accomplishments and titles to his name,
Dr. Neupert wanted to add yet another. So in 2010, he, his wife, and two kids moved to Leiden,
Netherlands for a year to create the film “Cobblestone Stories”. When finished and he was back
to his everyday teaching life, Dr. Neupert decided to submit the film to the New Urban Film
Festival. Upon entry though, Dr. Neupert learned that certain changes were still required in the
film along with all aspects of marketing needing to be addressed. Dr. Neupert stayed in touch
with the film festival though and was informed of the possibility of a special film premier for
“Cobblestone Stories” if the needed changes were taken care of. This led to the project of
creating a marketing kit for this specialized film.
As addressed in the assumptions section, sometimes things do not go according to plan
and adjustments have to be made, which was the case in this project. While one of the goals at
the start of the project was to get into the film premier, unfortunately “Cobblestone Stories” was
not selected to participate. Luckily, this was a multifaceted project, therefore this did not create a
huge problem for Mark Neupert Films. The resulting adjustment was to shift the focus from this
secondary short-term goal to the primary long-term goal of being able to sell the film, thus
sharing the educational content as desired.
Educational Film Industry
The industry of educational films is a vast one, and just as with textbooks, the subject
matter can range widely. But, while this genre covers such a diverse range of topics, it still does
not hold a candle to the revenue generated from other film genres. As of Oct 25, 2015 there had
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been 1315 documentaries ever tracked and they had only grossed a total of $119.2 million. This
compared to the year to date total of $8.853 billion grossed by the leading 146 box office films
tracked for 2015 alone (Box Office Mojo 2015). Another way the educational films differ is that
the price can range anywhere from $35 to $225, possibly even more, while other films average
anywhere from $10 to $25 depending on the release date and popularity.
An obstacle in the educational film industry is to influence people’s opinions so that they
view educational films as worth their price. Bruce Hildebrand, Executive Director of Higher
Education for the Association of American Publishers, indicates that all educational material is
costly. Hildebrand commented, "Textbooks historically have been relatively expensive. They're
specialized and the cost is in the content." (Steinbacher, 2005).
Stakeholders
Current stakeholders include Dr. Neupert (Owner, Director, Camera Man, Assistant
Editor, and Financial Backer); JC Thompson, a student Chief Editor that Dr. Neupert has
employed for the past 6-12 months; Nick Peckover, another Assistant Editor; Dave Gallesich, a
graphic designer who will be the Poster Designer; Derek Scott, the Chief Marketer; and any
potential customers willing to invest in the film.
Dr. Neupert will be the only employee who will be directly affected by the success or
failures of the organization through how well the film sells. The rest of the employees will be
impacted by having a good project on a resume and the satisfaction of helping a friend. The
potential customers will be affected by either choosing to buy or not buy the film.
Literature Review
When creating a new product, every business wants to experience as much success as
possible. In order to enhance the chances of this, a business needs to be actively marketing its
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product. This can include anything from a simple coupon to a coveted Super Bowl ad, or from a
functioning website to the distribution methods used. This paper aims to present a discussion that
attempts to resolve any arguments and/or debates regarding the importance of distribution
practices within the marketing campaign. Existing literatures are reviewed regarding film
distribution and some of the aspects it entails.
Just as in real estate, location is immensely important for all aspects of sales no matter
how they are experienced, either virtually on the internet or physically in a brick and mortar
store. Distribution is essentially the “location” of sales for a product, meaning that how you
distribute your product or make the point of sales whether it be online, in a store, catalog, etc.,
that is your location.
Distributors are, as David Puttnam (current Film Distributors’Association President)
calls them, "unsung heroes". Their job is about connecting films with audiences (Macnab, 2015).
Thirty years ago, when someone wanted an audience to see its side, they often payed Modern
Talking Picture Services Inc., whose motto was "We produce audiences", to gather a crowd
(Albright, 1987). Today though, with the abundant amount of distribution company choices this
can be done in a variety of ways. One example, Criterion Collection, uses newer methods such as
Hulu Plus in an attempt to forge ahead of competitors. Criterion has more than 150 films
available for online streaming (Kuzyk, 2011).
A more traditional and still widely used practice is for film distributors to have catalogs
and other materials promoting their huge libraries of films that are distributed to schools,
colleges, and meeting planners (Albright, 1987). Many film distribution companies like ITN
Distribution also publish their own magazines such as ITN’s Independent Film Quarterly, a
magazine that covers information relating to the independent film community (Lukaszewicz,
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2016). New Day Films, a distributor for over 40 years, also has a catalog of more than 250
educational films, available to libraries and educational institutions on DVD and digitally
through video streams. Their media spans such topics as human rights, aging and gerontology,
health and addiction, and urban studies (Kuzyk, 2011).
The reasons for the need of a film distributor are numerous, especially regarding
documentaries. Tom Bernard, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, was even quoted "The
regular press is reluctant to do much with documentaries, exhibitors are reluctant to play them,
and you need to work overtime to create an awareness for them." (Lyons, 2002). Not only is it a
challenge to create awareness, but figuring out where to maximize exposure can present a
dilemma in itself due to the sheer amounts of festivals to choose from. Variety's annual Film Fest
Guide alone has grown to more than 600 gatherings listed (Saperstein, 2000). Festivals can just
be the start though. If a film were to reach its full potential, overseas markets should be
something to consider. The time it requires to acquire overseas sales in any sort of relevant
numbers is yet another reason that distribution is necessary. This is especially true for people
with other jobs and responsibilities which do not allow them to devote the necessary time
required. For instance, in India the film distribution market is divided into 14 circuits with each
of them having a distributors and or exhibitors association. Producers and distributors are
required to become a member of these associations every time they want to release a film and
follow the prescribed set of rules and regulations laid down by these associations (Tiwari, 2012).
Distribution is a key element of a successful marketing campaign. This is particularly true
when launching a new product in today’s current market. If done properly, distribution can
provide an effective line of communication between the business and customer, which increases
the likelihood that a new product becomes and remains successful.
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Significant Aspects
To achieve the overall marketing kit that Dr. Neupert was interested in, it was necessary
to overcome various barriers. Each of these hurdles directly link to and are crucial to completing
said kit. The research, results, and conclusions of each aspect with a final recommendation for
the project are as follows.
Webpage Design
Research
Previous website building and design skills had been gained from prior classes taken at
Oregon Tech. However, additional research was needed for various coding aspects such as
mobilization (to make compatible for mobile devices like phones and tablets), inserting an image
slider, putting in a text description and keywords for search engine optimization (to make the
website show up easier when you use search engines like Google or Yahoo), using collapsible
text panels, and making a page open up in a new tab.
Results
Utilizing the knowledge gained in conjunction with previous experience, the website was
successfully created with all desired features. The mobilization aspect was successfully met by
not only adding the proper coding, but also though a focus group that Dr. Neupert assisted in
conducting. The focus group occurred in his Globalization class, where he showed the film, and
provided information as to how the site preformed in various platforms such as IPhone, Samsung
phones, IPad, and various other tablets (Globalization, 2016). From this, all necessary
corrections were made, therefore allowing the site to look proper when viewed on a mobile
device (see appendix 1.1). When originally designing the website, upon discovering the number
of pictures that were going to be needed, it was decided that to cut down on scrolling an image
slider would need to be properly inserted. This was also completed after extensive research
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including a consulting session with website designer Thomas Klemz through the usage of
JavaScript (see appendix 1.2) (SlidesJS, 2013) (Klemz, 11/3/15). Initially, upon launching the
website it was discovered that without adding keywords to the site, a user would have to type the
exact website domain name in a search engine to find it. Naturally, it was decided improvement
was needed. In addition, it was determined that adding a short text description describing the
website under the actual link would make the site more professional. Subsequently, through
additional coding a text description and key words were both found not only to be easy additions,
but also very helpful in actually being able to find the website through search engines (see
appendix 1.3) (Felke-Morris, 2014). Just as with the image slider, copious amounts of text were
causing users to have to scroll many times to actually view all the content. To solve this,
collapsible text panels were added to the pages in the website with ample amounts of text (see
appendix 1.4). Finally, figuring out how to make a page open in a new tab while leaving the
original page untouched was again a simple coding addition that made the “In The Classroom”
page activities much simpler to access and use (see appendix 1.5) (W3Schools, 2015).
Conclusions and Recommendations
The website now can be used in its intended purpose of complementing the film to aid in
education as well as marketing the film.
Distribution
Research
Investigation was done regarding how to directly sell from a website including how to
accept credit cards. In addition, third party distributors such as New Day Films, Amazon, and
Bullfrog Films were explored including the services they provided along with their costs. Also,
as Amazon requires video media sold on their site to be shipped within two business days, it was
necessary to determine how to make it convenient for Dr. Neupert.
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Results
Dr. Neupert decided that direct sales from the website was not the desired route as it
required applications and fees along with having to monitor sales requests (PCI, 2015).
Therefore, it was investigated how to not only use Amazon as a distributor, but also make it as
simple as possible for Dr. Neupert. This would be through Fulfillment by Amazon, which is
where Amazon handles all sales of a product, accepts a percentage of each sale (see appendix
2.1), and the product owner only has to keep Amazon stocked with the product when inventory
begins to dwindle (Amazon, 2015). After long consideration, Dr. Neupert decided that
“Cobblestone Stories” would not be getting enough exposure and would require more advertising
effort than desired. Thus, Amazon, while a viable option, was moved to the back-up selection for
Mark Neupert Films.
Other third party distributors were then considered including both Bullfrog Films and
New Day Films. Each company offered product placement on their website in addition to
catalogs sent directly to the target market of educators, submissions to all chosen film festivals,
along with assistance in finding and setting up potential private screenings, possibly at
conventions or expositions. While Bullfrog Films does not reveal their costs until a film is
selected to join their distribution network, New Day Films receives 30 – 40 % of sales profits,
which is much less than the typical 80% (Fictionville, 2016). At the time of the project
completion “Cobblestone Stories” was still being considered by both distributors to be added to
their collections of films being sold.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Only one distributor can be used as they require contracts of exclusivity. After hearing
the pros and cons of the distribution methods, Dr. Neupert’s choice was to utilize a third party.
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The reasoning was that this method provided additional marketing to the educational film niche
market and did not require the certifications and additional website protection that direct online
sales would necessitate. If accepted by both distributors, Bullfrog Films will be used due to its
requirements of not having to do unknown future projects for the company which New Day
Films mandates. If the film is not accepted by either distributor, Amazon will be utilized.
Copyright
Research
Obtaining a copyright was a complete unknown for Mark Neupert Films. Therefore, an
extensive online inquiry was completed regarding requirements and the application process.
Results
Copyright is a form of protection granted by law for original works created by authors,
including books, movies, music, etc. An author’s work is protected immediately upon creation
within a concrete format, such as writing or digital media. Therefore, a copyright does not have
to be registered. Copyright registration is recommended for the author’s protection as it provides
legal proof that the work belongs to the author (United States Copyright Office, 2015).
Following recommendations, the copyright application was completed and submitted along with
the $35 fee according to national standards.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The film is now protected by copyright law for seventy additional years after Dr.
Neupert’s death under United States regulations (United States Copyright Office, 2015). Also,
according to United States regulations “Cobblestone Stories” is even protected while being
considered for the copyright.
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Advertising and Social Media
Research
Various methods of advertising were inspected including how to advertise on Google,
and how to advertise on YouTube, along with the costs associated with each. It was also
investigated as to what kind of advertising was offered by both Bullfrog Films and New Day
Films if one were to be used as a distributor.
Results
Social media sites were created on Facebook and YouTube for the film due to social
media’s huge impression on society over the previous decade. Also, a press release was
constructed due to requirements for both Bullfrog and New Day Films, as well as for Dr. Neupert
to use in the future in case of desired local exposure (see appendix 3.1). However, neither
Google advertising or YouTube advertising were put into place for the film due to costs and a
distributor not being in place yet. The reasoning behind this decision was that Dr. Neupert was
advised by one of his peers not to excessively advertise so the film’s chances of getting accepted
by a distributor were not harmed in any way.
Conclusions and Recommendations
When Dr. Neupert was presented with the ideas of advertising on Google and YouTube it
was determined that Google advertising was not cost effective for “Cobblestone Stories”. In
addition, Dr. Neupert decided that even though there was a way to advertise for free on
YouTube, until a distributor was finalized the organization should hold off on using any addition
forms of advertising other than social media sites. This was so the film’s chances of signing with
a distributor were not hurt by overstepping any boundaries and having the film tied to a brand
that a distributor might not want to be associated with.
The advertising offered by each distributor included: product placement in catalogs sent
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directly to the target market of educators, product placement on the distributor’s website, film
festival submissions, and potential private screenings along with expositions.
Email
Research
The need for an email address was apparent. Therefore, examination of a variety of email
providers such as Godaddy, iPage, and Microsoft Office including associated costs was
completed.
Results
Gmail was the chosen provider, with the email address
filmcobblestonestories@gmail.com.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Although the original plan was to purchase a professional email name
(@cobblestonestories.org), after learning the following prices for various providers, Dr. Neupert
decided that it was not financially worthwhile, so the free Gmail account was created.
 Godaddy - $4.99/month
 iPage - $4.99/month
 Microsoft Office - $4.00/month
 Gmail - $0.00
Note: Information retrieved from (Godaddy, 2015), (IPage, 2015), (Microsoft Office, 2015), and
(Google, 2015).
Host
Research
A host has to be used to actually have a website on the internet. Essentially, a host is a
giant website where you upload your website files in order to make it visible to internet users.
Several options were investigated regarding their cost and ease of use including Getforge,
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Godaddy, and Bitballoon.
Results
Originally, Getforge was decided upon due to it being advertised as free and was easier to
update the website than Godaddy. Getforge only required drag and drop instead of the extensive
file placement mandated by Godaddy. Upon further investigation it was determined Getforge
was only free if you do not use a custom domain ending (.com, .org, etc.). The free option
requires the use of a .forge domain ending. Therefore, as a custom domain was desired due to its
professionalism, BitBalloon was the host chosen for cobblestonestories.org as its price was
cheaper than Getforge and performed in all the same ways.
Table 2: Host Choices
Godaddy Getforge BitBalloon
Drag and Drop  
Price $6.99/month $10.00/month $5.00/month
Note: Information retrieved from (Godaddy, 2015), (Forge, n.d.), and (Bitballoon, n.d.).
Conclusions and Recommendations
The selection of BitBalloon was due to the fact that it met Dr. Neupert’s ease of use
requirement (drag and drop your files to upload) and it also happened to be the least expensive
option at only $60 per year.
Domain
Research
A domain is the internet address that when typed into the URL takes you to a website.
This was also an unknown for Mark Neupert Films, which led to research being conducted on a
number of domain options including Godaddy, Namecheap, Domain.com, and Register.com to
compare all provided features as well as costs.
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Results
It was Dr. Neupert’s preference to own the domain for as long as possible. Upon further
investigation though, it was discovered that the maximum number of years you can purchase a
domain for is ten years, at which point renewal is required to keep the domain. Since Godaddy
was consistently recommended by web designers both personally and through web forums, and
was priced comparably as competitors, it was the provider selected. The domain purchased was
cobblestonestories.com for $149.90 for the entirety of the ten years. Later though, Dr. Neupert
changed his mind and decided he wanted to use a .org domain ending. By purchasing this
domain extension through Godaddy as well, a discount was obtained which resulted in the cost
of the ten-year purchase to be $74.90.
Table 3: Domain Choices
Godaddy Namecheap Domain.com Register.com
Price $14.69/year $10.69/year $9.99/year Only promotional
offer known
Max time until
renewal
10 years 10 years 5 years Have to set up
account to find out
Privacy Options  
Recommended 
Note: Information retrieved from (Godaddy, 2015), (Namecheap, 2015), (Domain, 2015), and
(Register, 2015).
Conclusions and Recommendations
Upon comparing the potential domain providers, Dr. Neupert decided to use Godaddy, as
it was recommended by website designer Thomas Klemz, offered ten year purchases as well as
information privacy, and was priced similarly as many other providers. If the project were to be
done again though, it would be recommended to know which domain extension is desired before
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initial purchase. This would save the organization both precious meeting time and money (see
appendix 4.1).
Summary
Creation of a marketing plan for the film “Cobblestone Stories” was a unique experience
that allowed development of the Chief Marketer’s learning skills and enhanced knowledge
regarding website design, obtaining a copyright, advertising, social media development, and
distribution methods. Many suggestions were incorporated throughout the design process and the
final product was well received by all reviewers. Mark Neupert films now has a comprehensive
marketing kit that can be utilized to promote “Cobblestone Stories”.
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NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Thomas Klemz. Personal Interview. 11/3/15
Thomas Klemz. Personal Interview. 11/18/15
Jeff Dickson. Personal Interview. 12/2/15
Globalization Focus Group. 2/24/16
COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 23
Business Management Department
Appendix
1.1
Home Page Before Home Page After
Links Page Before Pt. 1 Links Page Before Pt.2 Links Page After
COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 24
Business Management Department
1.2
1.3
1.4
COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 25
Business Management Department
1.5
Resulting Pop-up Window
2.1
Amazon Individual Selling Plan: (Amazon, 2014)
Item price
+ Shipping charges paid by the buyer
- Referral fee
- Variable closing fee for media items
- $0.99 per item fee
- $1.56 per item Fulfillment by Amazon fee
-------------------------------------
= Total deposited to seller account
* Closing fee would be $1.35 for “Cobblestone Stories”
** Have to pay 15% per item for a referral fee or $1, whichever is more
In the Classroom Page
Clickable Activity
COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 26
Business Management Department
3.1
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Local Filmmaker Releases “Cobblestone Stories”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mark Neupert
(insert date)
On (date) from (time) Mark Neupert Films will be showcasing, “Cobblestone Stories,” a
documentary depicting what life is like in a city built for people rather than cars. The screening will
take place (location).
Dr. Mark Neupert will introduce viewers to Leiden, the Netherlands, where he lived and
experienced the relationship between the people of Leiden and their old urban environment.
Through powerful cinematography, Neupert depicts what it’s like to live a totally modern life in a
very old place. Viewers will see how the old pattern of city building shapes the lives of people, how
it supports a sense of community and encourages physical activity. Following the film, there will be
an engaging question and answer session with Neupert. The film will also be available for purchase
in the lobby.
For more information, contact Mark Neupert at filmcobblestonestories@gmail.com.
END
COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 27
Business Management Department
4.1
Copyright
11%
Host
19%
Domain .com
47%
Domain .org
23%
Marketing Project Costs
$35.00 $35.00
$60.00 $60.00
$74.90
$149.90$149.90
$0.00
$319.80
$244.90
Current One Domain
Current Costs vs. One Domain Costs
Copyright Host Domain .org Domain .com Total

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Marketing Cobblestone Stories film

  • 1. Running head: Cobblestone Stories: Marketing Initiatives 1 Cobblestone Stories: Marketing Initiatives Derek Scott Presented to the Management Department Faculty of Oregon Institute of Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Management
  • 2. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 2 Business Management Department Table of Contents Abstract………….............................................................................................................................3 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................4 Project Overview..................................................................................................................4 Assumptions.........................................................................................................................5 Scope....................................................................................................................................5 Impact...................................................................................................................................5 Project Method .................................................................................................................................5 Timeline & Milestones.........................................................................................................6 Project Success Metrics........................................................................................................6 Organizational Background..............................................................................................................7 Educational Film Industry....................................................................................................7 Stakeholders.........................................................................................................................8 Literature Review.............................................................................................................................8 Significant Aspects..........................................................................................................................11 Webpage Design..............................................................................................................................11 Distribution......................................................................................................................................12 Copyright.........................................................................................................................................14 Advertising......................................................................................................................................15 Email...............................................................................................................................................16 Host….............................................................................................................................................16 Domain............................................................................................................................................17 References.......................................................................................................................................20 Appendix.........................................................................................................................................23
  • 3. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 3 Business Management Department Abstract The project of Marketing “Cobblestone Stories” got its start when Dr. Mark Neupert decided to enter the film in a film festival. Having many changes that still needed to be addressed the film got rejected. However, Dr. Neupert was determined to make said changes and get into the film festival, so while he and his team of editors took on the task of tweaking various aspects of the film, Derek Scott assumed the responsibility of creating a marketing kit. This meant that he would have to craft both desired social media pages (Facebook and YouTube), assist in obtaining a copyright, discover an effective and convenient distribution method, construct a press release, create a website for the film, along with determining all the unforeseen steps in achieving these milestones. Keywords: Marketing, Film, Website, Distribution, Social Media
  • 4. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 4 Business Management Department Introduction Dr. Neupert is a professor at Oregon Tech and among his many accomplishments stands his creation of the film “Cobblestone Stories”. Dr. Neupert chose to illustrate his interest in urban design and city living through this film. His previous travels to the Netherlands inspired the backdrop for the story. Dr. Neupert took a sabbatical from teaching and along with his family, moved to Leiden, Netherlands. After the year-long sabbatical was completed, he returned to Oregon and his everyday life. At that point, Dr. Neupert decided to submit the film to the New Urban Film Festival in the summer of 2015. Upon entry, Dr. Neupert discovered certain revisions were required including minor editing issues like transitions and voice overs, as well as developing key marketing elements such as a website, social media, distribution plans, and a film poster. Due to Dr. Neupert’s continued contact with the film festival sponsors, he was informed of the possibility of a special film premier for “Cobblestone Stories” if the needed changes were addressed. After committing to making these, Dr. Neupert and his team of editors expedited the necessary revisions in order to meet the film festival’s deadline. In addition, Dr. Neupert sought the assistance of a marketing senior from Oregon Tech to create and implement a detailed marketing kit for “Cobblestone Stories”. Project Overview The project involved web based marketing for the film including: webpage design, distribution execution, a product copyright, social media account creation, and advertising. The reason for these objectives was the lack of marketing for the film “Cobblestone Stories”. After meeting each objective, the organization moved a step closer to its strategic plan of making the film available for purchase.
  • 5. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 5 Business Management Department Assumptions and Resources There was one key assumption related to the project; that all needed resources would be made available. To create a marketing plan, several resources were required such as regular access to Dr. Neupert, as he was the major decision maker. Also, the time and access to information as to how to meet each milestone was important. Finally, funding to purchase a domain, host, email, and apply for a copyright was the last resource needed to complete the project. Scope The project involved web based marketing including: webpage design, distribution system execution, a product copyright, social media account creation, and advertising. It did not include the process of making the cover for the DVD box, or the creation of the film’s poster. Also, the process of setting the price for the product was left out because Dr. Neupert wanted to do this on his own. Impact Marketing the film “Cobblestone Stories” will establish Mark Neupert Films as a business. In addition, it will give the business an actual product that is ready for sale. Project Method Both primary and secondary research were conducted for the project. The primary research included investigation of competitor’s websites and social media pages, along with personal interviews. Include citations of what I looked at? The secondary research was comprised of published research and search engine searches to determine how others have specifically marketed similar products, pertinent industry information, and website coding.
  • 6. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 6 Business Management Department Timeline and Milestones All milestone dates were successfully met by the deadlines noted in the below chart. Table 1: Timeline Project Success Metrics The metrics for successful completion of the project included: when a domain and host were purchased; a working connection with a third party distributor was in place; the website and all social media sites were completed, up, and running; finally, the copyright application was completed and submitted. Milestone Date Research purchasing copyrights Oct 7, 2015 Research domains and their differences Oct 14 Research purchasing a host Oct 21 Research purchasing a business email Oct 28 Purchase domain Nov 4 Obtain email Nov 4 Create social media Dec 2 Purchase host Dec 10 Publish website Jan 18, 2016 Apply to third party distributors Feb 3 Form a press release Feb 24 Finish coding website March 9 Apply for copyright March 16
  • 7. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 7 Business Management Department Organizational and Industry Background Mark Neupert Films has a vison of creating a finalized film product to sell that is marketed to an education based niche of customers. The organization was created by Dr. Neupert, a professor at Oregon Tech. While he has many accomplishments and titles to his name, Dr. Neupert wanted to add yet another. So in 2010, he, his wife, and two kids moved to Leiden, Netherlands for a year to create the film “Cobblestone Stories”. When finished and he was back to his everyday teaching life, Dr. Neupert decided to submit the film to the New Urban Film Festival. Upon entry though, Dr. Neupert learned that certain changes were still required in the film along with all aspects of marketing needing to be addressed. Dr. Neupert stayed in touch with the film festival though and was informed of the possibility of a special film premier for “Cobblestone Stories” if the needed changes were taken care of. This led to the project of creating a marketing kit for this specialized film. As addressed in the assumptions section, sometimes things do not go according to plan and adjustments have to be made, which was the case in this project. While one of the goals at the start of the project was to get into the film premier, unfortunately “Cobblestone Stories” was not selected to participate. Luckily, this was a multifaceted project, therefore this did not create a huge problem for Mark Neupert Films. The resulting adjustment was to shift the focus from this secondary short-term goal to the primary long-term goal of being able to sell the film, thus sharing the educational content as desired. Educational Film Industry The industry of educational films is a vast one, and just as with textbooks, the subject matter can range widely. But, while this genre covers such a diverse range of topics, it still does not hold a candle to the revenue generated from other film genres. As of Oct 25, 2015 there had
  • 8. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 8 Business Management Department been 1315 documentaries ever tracked and they had only grossed a total of $119.2 million. This compared to the year to date total of $8.853 billion grossed by the leading 146 box office films tracked for 2015 alone (Box Office Mojo 2015). Another way the educational films differ is that the price can range anywhere from $35 to $225, possibly even more, while other films average anywhere from $10 to $25 depending on the release date and popularity. An obstacle in the educational film industry is to influence people’s opinions so that they view educational films as worth their price. Bruce Hildebrand, Executive Director of Higher Education for the Association of American Publishers, indicates that all educational material is costly. Hildebrand commented, "Textbooks historically have been relatively expensive. They're specialized and the cost is in the content." (Steinbacher, 2005). Stakeholders Current stakeholders include Dr. Neupert (Owner, Director, Camera Man, Assistant Editor, and Financial Backer); JC Thompson, a student Chief Editor that Dr. Neupert has employed for the past 6-12 months; Nick Peckover, another Assistant Editor; Dave Gallesich, a graphic designer who will be the Poster Designer; Derek Scott, the Chief Marketer; and any potential customers willing to invest in the film. Dr. Neupert will be the only employee who will be directly affected by the success or failures of the organization through how well the film sells. The rest of the employees will be impacted by having a good project on a resume and the satisfaction of helping a friend. The potential customers will be affected by either choosing to buy or not buy the film. Literature Review When creating a new product, every business wants to experience as much success as possible. In order to enhance the chances of this, a business needs to be actively marketing its
  • 9. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 9 Business Management Department product. This can include anything from a simple coupon to a coveted Super Bowl ad, or from a functioning website to the distribution methods used. This paper aims to present a discussion that attempts to resolve any arguments and/or debates regarding the importance of distribution practices within the marketing campaign. Existing literatures are reviewed regarding film distribution and some of the aspects it entails. Just as in real estate, location is immensely important for all aspects of sales no matter how they are experienced, either virtually on the internet or physically in a brick and mortar store. Distribution is essentially the “location” of sales for a product, meaning that how you distribute your product or make the point of sales whether it be online, in a store, catalog, etc., that is your location. Distributors are, as David Puttnam (current Film Distributors’Association President) calls them, "unsung heroes". Their job is about connecting films with audiences (Macnab, 2015). Thirty years ago, when someone wanted an audience to see its side, they often payed Modern Talking Picture Services Inc., whose motto was "We produce audiences", to gather a crowd (Albright, 1987). Today though, with the abundant amount of distribution company choices this can be done in a variety of ways. One example, Criterion Collection, uses newer methods such as Hulu Plus in an attempt to forge ahead of competitors. Criterion has more than 150 films available for online streaming (Kuzyk, 2011). A more traditional and still widely used practice is for film distributors to have catalogs and other materials promoting their huge libraries of films that are distributed to schools, colleges, and meeting planners (Albright, 1987). Many film distribution companies like ITN Distribution also publish their own magazines such as ITN’s Independent Film Quarterly, a magazine that covers information relating to the independent film community (Lukaszewicz,
  • 10. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 10 Business Management Department 2016). New Day Films, a distributor for over 40 years, also has a catalog of more than 250 educational films, available to libraries and educational institutions on DVD and digitally through video streams. Their media spans such topics as human rights, aging and gerontology, health and addiction, and urban studies (Kuzyk, 2011). The reasons for the need of a film distributor are numerous, especially regarding documentaries. Tom Bernard, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, was even quoted "The regular press is reluctant to do much with documentaries, exhibitors are reluctant to play them, and you need to work overtime to create an awareness for them." (Lyons, 2002). Not only is it a challenge to create awareness, but figuring out where to maximize exposure can present a dilemma in itself due to the sheer amounts of festivals to choose from. Variety's annual Film Fest Guide alone has grown to more than 600 gatherings listed (Saperstein, 2000). Festivals can just be the start though. If a film were to reach its full potential, overseas markets should be something to consider. The time it requires to acquire overseas sales in any sort of relevant numbers is yet another reason that distribution is necessary. This is especially true for people with other jobs and responsibilities which do not allow them to devote the necessary time required. For instance, in India the film distribution market is divided into 14 circuits with each of them having a distributors and or exhibitors association. Producers and distributors are required to become a member of these associations every time they want to release a film and follow the prescribed set of rules and regulations laid down by these associations (Tiwari, 2012). Distribution is a key element of a successful marketing campaign. This is particularly true when launching a new product in today’s current market. If done properly, distribution can provide an effective line of communication between the business and customer, which increases the likelihood that a new product becomes and remains successful.
  • 11. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 11 Business Management Department Significant Aspects To achieve the overall marketing kit that Dr. Neupert was interested in, it was necessary to overcome various barriers. Each of these hurdles directly link to and are crucial to completing said kit. The research, results, and conclusions of each aspect with a final recommendation for the project are as follows. Webpage Design Research Previous website building and design skills had been gained from prior classes taken at Oregon Tech. However, additional research was needed for various coding aspects such as mobilization (to make compatible for mobile devices like phones and tablets), inserting an image slider, putting in a text description and keywords for search engine optimization (to make the website show up easier when you use search engines like Google or Yahoo), using collapsible text panels, and making a page open up in a new tab. Results Utilizing the knowledge gained in conjunction with previous experience, the website was successfully created with all desired features. The mobilization aspect was successfully met by not only adding the proper coding, but also though a focus group that Dr. Neupert assisted in conducting. The focus group occurred in his Globalization class, where he showed the film, and provided information as to how the site preformed in various platforms such as IPhone, Samsung phones, IPad, and various other tablets (Globalization, 2016). From this, all necessary corrections were made, therefore allowing the site to look proper when viewed on a mobile device (see appendix 1.1). When originally designing the website, upon discovering the number of pictures that were going to be needed, it was decided that to cut down on scrolling an image slider would need to be properly inserted. This was also completed after extensive research
  • 12. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 12 Business Management Department including a consulting session with website designer Thomas Klemz through the usage of JavaScript (see appendix 1.2) (SlidesJS, 2013) (Klemz, 11/3/15). Initially, upon launching the website it was discovered that without adding keywords to the site, a user would have to type the exact website domain name in a search engine to find it. Naturally, it was decided improvement was needed. In addition, it was determined that adding a short text description describing the website under the actual link would make the site more professional. Subsequently, through additional coding a text description and key words were both found not only to be easy additions, but also very helpful in actually being able to find the website through search engines (see appendix 1.3) (Felke-Morris, 2014). Just as with the image slider, copious amounts of text were causing users to have to scroll many times to actually view all the content. To solve this, collapsible text panels were added to the pages in the website with ample amounts of text (see appendix 1.4). Finally, figuring out how to make a page open in a new tab while leaving the original page untouched was again a simple coding addition that made the “In The Classroom” page activities much simpler to access and use (see appendix 1.5) (W3Schools, 2015). Conclusions and Recommendations The website now can be used in its intended purpose of complementing the film to aid in education as well as marketing the film. Distribution Research Investigation was done regarding how to directly sell from a website including how to accept credit cards. In addition, third party distributors such as New Day Films, Amazon, and Bullfrog Films were explored including the services they provided along with their costs. Also, as Amazon requires video media sold on their site to be shipped within two business days, it was necessary to determine how to make it convenient for Dr. Neupert.
  • 13. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 13 Business Management Department Results Dr. Neupert decided that direct sales from the website was not the desired route as it required applications and fees along with having to monitor sales requests (PCI, 2015). Therefore, it was investigated how to not only use Amazon as a distributor, but also make it as simple as possible for Dr. Neupert. This would be through Fulfillment by Amazon, which is where Amazon handles all sales of a product, accepts a percentage of each sale (see appendix 2.1), and the product owner only has to keep Amazon stocked with the product when inventory begins to dwindle (Amazon, 2015). After long consideration, Dr. Neupert decided that “Cobblestone Stories” would not be getting enough exposure and would require more advertising effort than desired. Thus, Amazon, while a viable option, was moved to the back-up selection for Mark Neupert Films. Other third party distributors were then considered including both Bullfrog Films and New Day Films. Each company offered product placement on their website in addition to catalogs sent directly to the target market of educators, submissions to all chosen film festivals, along with assistance in finding and setting up potential private screenings, possibly at conventions or expositions. While Bullfrog Films does not reveal their costs until a film is selected to join their distribution network, New Day Films receives 30 – 40 % of sales profits, which is much less than the typical 80% (Fictionville, 2016). At the time of the project completion “Cobblestone Stories” was still being considered by both distributors to be added to their collections of films being sold. Conclusions and Recommendations Only one distributor can be used as they require contracts of exclusivity. After hearing the pros and cons of the distribution methods, Dr. Neupert’s choice was to utilize a third party.
  • 14. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 14 Business Management Department The reasoning was that this method provided additional marketing to the educational film niche market and did not require the certifications and additional website protection that direct online sales would necessitate. If accepted by both distributors, Bullfrog Films will be used due to its requirements of not having to do unknown future projects for the company which New Day Films mandates. If the film is not accepted by either distributor, Amazon will be utilized. Copyright Research Obtaining a copyright was a complete unknown for Mark Neupert Films. Therefore, an extensive online inquiry was completed regarding requirements and the application process. Results Copyright is a form of protection granted by law for original works created by authors, including books, movies, music, etc. An author’s work is protected immediately upon creation within a concrete format, such as writing or digital media. Therefore, a copyright does not have to be registered. Copyright registration is recommended for the author’s protection as it provides legal proof that the work belongs to the author (United States Copyright Office, 2015). Following recommendations, the copyright application was completed and submitted along with the $35 fee according to national standards. Conclusions and Recommendations The film is now protected by copyright law for seventy additional years after Dr. Neupert’s death under United States regulations (United States Copyright Office, 2015). Also, according to United States regulations “Cobblestone Stories” is even protected while being considered for the copyright.
  • 15. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 15 Business Management Department Advertising and Social Media Research Various methods of advertising were inspected including how to advertise on Google, and how to advertise on YouTube, along with the costs associated with each. It was also investigated as to what kind of advertising was offered by both Bullfrog Films and New Day Films if one were to be used as a distributor. Results Social media sites were created on Facebook and YouTube for the film due to social media’s huge impression on society over the previous decade. Also, a press release was constructed due to requirements for both Bullfrog and New Day Films, as well as for Dr. Neupert to use in the future in case of desired local exposure (see appendix 3.1). However, neither Google advertising or YouTube advertising were put into place for the film due to costs and a distributor not being in place yet. The reasoning behind this decision was that Dr. Neupert was advised by one of his peers not to excessively advertise so the film’s chances of getting accepted by a distributor were not harmed in any way. Conclusions and Recommendations When Dr. Neupert was presented with the ideas of advertising on Google and YouTube it was determined that Google advertising was not cost effective for “Cobblestone Stories”. In addition, Dr. Neupert decided that even though there was a way to advertise for free on YouTube, until a distributor was finalized the organization should hold off on using any addition forms of advertising other than social media sites. This was so the film’s chances of signing with a distributor were not hurt by overstepping any boundaries and having the film tied to a brand that a distributor might not want to be associated with. The advertising offered by each distributor included: product placement in catalogs sent
  • 16. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 16 Business Management Department directly to the target market of educators, product placement on the distributor’s website, film festival submissions, and potential private screenings along with expositions. Email Research The need for an email address was apparent. Therefore, examination of a variety of email providers such as Godaddy, iPage, and Microsoft Office including associated costs was completed. Results Gmail was the chosen provider, with the email address filmcobblestonestories@gmail.com. Conclusions and Recommendations Although the original plan was to purchase a professional email name (@cobblestonestories.org), after learning the following prices for various providers, Dr. Neupert decided that it was not financially worthwhile, so the free Gmail account was created.  Godaddy - $4.99/month  iPage - $4.99/month  Microsoft Office - $4.00/month  Gmail - $0.00 Note: Information retrieved from (Godaddy, 2015), (IPage, 2015), (Microsoft Office, 2015), and (Google, 2015). Host Research A host has to be used to actually have a website on the internet. Essentially, a host is a giant website where you upload your website files in order to make it visible to internet users. Several options were investigated regarding their cost and ease of use including Getforge,
  • 17. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 17 Business Management Department Godaddy, and Bitballoon. Results Originally, Getforge was decided upon due to it being advertised as free and was easier to update the website than Godaddy. Getforge only required drag and drop instead of the extensive file placement mandated by Godaddy. Upon further investigation it was determined Getforge was only free if you do not use a custom domain ending (.com, .org, etc.). The free option requires the use of a .forge domain ending. Therefore, as a custom domain was desired due to its professionalism, BitBalloon was the host chosen for cobblestonestories.org as its price was cheaper than Getforge and performed in all the same ways. Table 2: Host Choices Godaddy Getforge BitBalloon Drag and Drop   Price $6.99/month $10.00/month $5.00/month Note: Information retrieved from (Godaddy, 2015), (Forge, n.d.), and (Bitballoon, n.d.). Conclusions and Recommendations The selection of BitBalloon was due to the fact that it met Dr. Neupert’s ease of use requirement (drag and drop your files to upload) and it also happened to be the least expensive option at only $60 per year. Domain Research A domain is the internet address that when typed into the URL takes you to a website. This was also an unknown for Mark Neupert Films, which led to research being conducted on a number of domain options including Godaddy, Namecheap, Domain.com, and Register.com to compare all provided features as well as costs.
  • 18. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 18 Business Management Department Results It was Dr. Neupert’s preference to own the domain for as long as possible. Upon further investigation though, it was discovered that the maximum number of years you can purchase a domain for is ten years, at which point renewal is required to keep the domain. Since Godaddy was consistently recommended by web designers both personally and through web forums, and was priced comparably as competitors, it was the provider selected. The domain purchased was cobblestonestories.com for $149.90 for the entirety of the ten years. Later though, Dr. Neupert changed his mind and decided he wanted to use a .org domain ending. By purchasing this domain extension through Godaddy as well, a discount was obtained which resulted in the cost of the ten-year purchase to be $74.90. Table 3: Domain Choices Godaddy Namecheap Domain.com Register.com Price $14.69/year $10.69/year $9.99/year Only promotional offer known Max time until renewal 10 years 10 years 5 years Have to set up account to find out Privacy Options   Recommended  Note: Information retrieved from (Godaddy, 2015), (Namecheap, 2015), (Domain, 2015), and (Register, 2015). Conclusions and Recommendations Upon comparing the potential domain providers, Dr. Neupert decided to use Godaddy, as it was recommended by website designer Thomas Klemz, offered ten year purchases as well as information privacy, and was priced similarly as many other providers. If the project were to be done again though, it would be recommended to know which domain extension is desired before
  • 19. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 19 Business Management Department initial purchase. This would save the organization both precious meeting time and money (see appendix 4.1). Summary Creation of a marketing plan for the film “Cobblestone Stories” was a unique experience that allowed development of the Chief Marketer’s learning skills and enhanced knowledge regarding website design, obtaining a copyright, advertising, social media development, and distribution methods. Many suggestions were incorporated throughout the design process and the final product was well received by all reviewers. Mark Neupert films now has a comprehensive marketing kit that can be utilized to promote “Cobblestone Stories”.
  • 20. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 20 Business Management Department References Microsoft Office. (2015). Get Email for Your Business. Retrieved from https://products.office.com/en-us/small-business-email-free- trial?wt.mc_id=ps_google_o365_professional-email-address_Text- Ad_null&wt.srch=1&ls=ps&ca=o365&lsd=google IPage. (2015). Advanced Email Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.ipage.com/ipage/index.html Google. (2015). Create your Google Account. Retrieved from https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?service=mail&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.go ogle.com%2Fmail%2F<mpl=default United States Copyright Office. (2015). Electronic Copyright Office (eCO). Retrieved from https://eco.copyright.gov/eService_enu/start.swe?SWECmd=Start&SWEHo=eco.copyrig ht.gov Godaddy. (2015). Domain Names | The World's Largest Domain Name Registrar. Retrieved from https://www.godaddy.com/?isc=gofdb286&ci Register.com. (2015). Domain Registration, Website Design and Business Web Hosting. Retrieved from https://www.register.com/promo/domain-to-website- v2.rcmx?trkID=SEM5Drc56W Namecheap.com. (2015). Cheap Domain Name Registration & Web Hosting. Retrieved from https://www.namecheap.com/ Domain.com. (2015). Domain Name Registration and Web Hosting. Retrieved from http://www.domain.com/
  • 21. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 21 Business Management Department PCI Security Standards Council. (2015). Is Your Business PCI Compliant? PCI DSS Merchant Security Levels and Requirements. Retrieved from https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/merchants/index.php Amazon. (2014). How to make money on Amazon. Retrieved from http://services.amazon.com/content/sell-on-amazon.htm/ref=footer_soa?ld=AZFSSOA Amazon. (2015). Boost your sales with Amazon’s world-class fulfillment. Retrieved from http://services.amazon.com/fulfillment-by- amazon/benefits.htm/ref=as_us_fba_snavT2?ld=AZFSSOAAS_soafT2 W3Schools. (2015). HTML Tutorial. Retrieved from http://www.w3schools.com/html/ Box Office Mojo. (2015, November). Box Office Results for Movies by Genre. Retrieved from http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/ Albright, M. (1987, September 6). Leading lender of films gets messages to millions. St. Petersburg Times (Florida). Lukaszewicz, S. (2016). Hoover's Company Records. I T N Distribution Inc. Macnab, G. (2015). THE INVISIBLE ARMY BEHIND OUR MOVIES. The Independent (London). Tiwari, A. K. (2012, March 5). Film makers, distributors find a win-win formula. Diligent Media Corporation (India). Saperstein, P. (2000, August 28). FESTIVALAND MARKET LISTINGS. Variety. Kuzyk, R. (2011, May 15). News Briefs. Library Journal, 136. Lyons, C. (2002, February 25). REALITY BITES ON MAINSTREAM B.O. Variety. Steinbacher, M. (2005, May 10). The cost is in the content. The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois).
  • 22. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 22 Business Management Department SlidesJS. (2013). Overview. Retrieved from slidesjs.com/ Forge. (n.d.). Static hosting made simple. Retrieved from https://getforge.com/ Bitballoon. (n.d.). The fastest, simplest HTML5 hosting platform on the planet. Retrieved from https://www.bitballoon.com/ Fictionville Media. (2016). Making the Deal: What you need to know before you make a deal. Retrieved from http://www.fictionvillemedia.com/film/making-the-deal-what-you-need- to-know-before-you-make-a-deal Felke-Morris, T. (2014). Basics of web design: HTML5 & CSS3 (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Thomas Klemz. Personal Interview. 11/3/15 Thomas Klemz. Personal Interview. 11/18/15 Jeff Dickson. Personal Interview. 12/2/15 Globalization Focus Group. 2/24/16
  • 23. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 23 Business Management Department Appendix 1.1 Home Page Before Home Page After Links Page Before Pt. 1 Links Page Before Pt.2 Links Page After
  • 24. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 24 Business Management Department 1.2 1.3 1.4
  • 25. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 25 Business Management Department 1.5 Resulting Pop-up Window 2.1 Amazon Individual Selling Plan: (Amazon, 2014) Item price + Shipping charges paid by the buyer - Referral fee - Variable closing fee for media items - $0.99 per item fee - $1.56 per item Fulfillment by Amazon fee ------------------------------------- = Total deposited to seller account * Closing fee would be $1.35 for “Cobblestone Stories” ** Have to pay 15% per item for a referral fee or $1, whichever is more In the Classroom Page Clickable Activity
  • 26. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 26 Business Management Department 3.1 P R E S S R E L E A S E Local Filmmaker Releases “Cobblestone Stories” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mark Neupert (insert date) On (date) from (time) Mark Neupert Films will be showcasing, “Cobblestone Stories,” a documentary depicting what life is like in a city built for people rather than cars. The screening will take place (location). Dr. Mark Neupert will introduce viewers to Leiden, the Netherlands, where he lived and experienced the relationship between the people of Leiden and their old urban environment. Through powerful cinematography, Neupert depicts what it’s like to live a totally modern life in a very old place. Viewers will see how the old pattern of city building shapes the lives of people, how it supports a sense of community and encourages physical activity. Following the film, there will be an engaging question and answer session with Neupert. The film will also be available for purchase in the lobby. For more information, contact Mark Neupert at filmcobblestonestories@gmail.com. END
  • 27. COBBLESTONE STORIES: MARKETING INITIATIVES 27 Business Management Department 4.1 Copyright 11% Host 19% Domain .com 47% Domain .org 23% Marketing Project Costs $35.00 $35.00 $60.00 $60.00 $74.90 $149.90$149.90 $0.00 $319.80 $244.90 Current One Domain Current Costs vs. One Domain Costs Copyright Host Domain .org Domain .com Total