A well-coordinated communications plan with public relations as a key element can produce miracles. In May, Flow Communications attracted extensive media attention to a niche movie for client Ster-Kinekor at a time when the release of high-profile blockbusters such as X-Men: Apocalypse, Captain America: Civil War and Angry Birds (also promoted by Flow) were major draws.
The Flow PR team used its media relations savvy and contacts to achieve outstanding results in promoting the South African launch of the tearjerker US human drama, Miracles from Heaven.
Some typical Flow magic ensured that there were 31 articles and reviews published about Miracles from Heaven in 24 different publications. The team believes this was a great achievement, considering the movie’s relatively small target market and that fact that it was competing with popular big-budget productions for media attention.
“After watching the trailer and looking at the other movies that were to be released at the same time as Miracles from Heaven, I knew we had to develop strong tactics to get South African media interested in this niche movie,” says Flow account executive Viano Pietersen.
Flow achieved advertising value equivalency (AVE) of R600 000 with the promotion of the movie – in laymen’s terms, this refers to what the editorial coverage would cost if it were advertising space.
Commenting on this great achievement, Pietersen says: “It was a combination of a number of factors. We at Flow are in love with challenges. We used our great media relation skills, mixed with our hunger for results, to get what we wanted.”
Other movies that Flow is currently promoting include Money Monster, starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts and South African actor Makhaola Ndebele, as well as Ghostbusters, starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon.
Before the end of the year, Flow will also promote The Magnificent Seven and Patient Zero, to be released in September. Inferno and Underworld: Blood Wars will both come out in October and, in December, Flow will promote its last movie for 2016, Passengers.