Focus on Green

Just in time for Earth Day the team at Focus Features worked hard to reduce their carbon footprint.

The site features a large icon the reads “Green lives here. Green is universal. Make a difference click here.” The link brings the visitor to the Green is Universal site. Visitors can take a quiz to find out their shade of green (I’m forest green by the way). Another icon asks visitors “How will you help the Earth?” and provides a link to tell everyone on Facebook.  

Several different links provides information for visitors to test their knowledge on everything green. Even the application “iBloom” lets users plant a virtual seed and tend to its needs, in order to promote the green theme.

A “Green Auction: A Bid to Save the Earth” is an organization raising awareness and funds to protect the Earth. The Green is Universal has teamed up with this organization and all proceeds will benefit the four leading non-profits Conservation International, The Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana, and The Central Park Conservancy.

Focus Features also provides a link to Gordon Ampel’s Green Blog. He is the Vice President of Global Operations, and according to the site “he works to spread environmental consciousness throughout the company’s offices globally and individually.”

But Focus Features doesn’t stop there. The 2009 movie “Away We Go” is also featured on the site. Although it isn’t exactly new, it’s still relevant to the going green theme, because the entire movie production went green.

A video is featured on the site explaining why and how the movie production went green. The video does run a tad long (6 minutes and 35 seconds to be exact), but Focus Features tries to go over several different topics on the green theme. In addition, more links on related green articles can also be found on the site.

Focus Features uses the impact strategy to grab the attention of visitors to the site. By providing links, games, quizzes and more makes the visitors feel like they are a part of the green movement, this would also qualify under human interest. These are two strategies Focus Features uses quite frequently. Timeliness is another tactic being used to promote Earth Day. Furthermore, personal appearances would also qualify for this public relations tactic, by showing the actors and movie set going green. Gordon Ampel would be considered personal appearance as well because he is an expert in the field.

These public relations tactics were executed perfectly. Focus Features had every detail planned out in order to show fans that they care about the environment. This could potentially help Focus Features receive new fans and earn respect from the many others who contribute to help the environment by going green. 

Using Media to Promote the Due Date of the Film, ‘Babies’

Focus Features’ documentary explores the life of four babies from around the world, chronicling their births up until their first steps, will be released April 16. USATODAY has already published an article about the constant attention for the film.

Susan Wloszcyna, film reporter for USATODAY, even compares the upcoming Babies, to the 2005 Academy Award Best Documentary Feature, March of the Penguins.

“If you were enraptured by just-hatched creatures of March of the Penguins, wait until you see Babies,” according to Wloszcyna.

But, the public relations tactics for Babies doesn’t stop with news articles. In fact, Focus Features "Babies,"  is making every attempt to crawl into the social networking sites such as Facebook, and Twitter.

Tweets from the official Focus Features site are filled with all things Babies.

“Create a custom slideshow of your baby with music from #BABIES! Grab the widget on the official BABIES site & share,” according to the site.

Focus Features and Babies are taking charge of this opportunity to promote the film, just in time for Mother’s Day. A sweepstakes event is featured on Facebook. It is sponsored by Kodak  and is encouraging people to enter the contest. The site has more than 14,000 fans.

“In celebration we invite you to enter for a chance to have your baby featured on the DVD,” according to the site.

Focus Features has also teamed up with another successful business, Apple.

The site’s tweet reads,“Download the free #BABIES Day In A Life #iPhone App to capture pics/vids in our photo journal & share w fam &friends!”

Tweeting the announcement was timely in addition to adding a human interest element. This is a fantastic way to get parents, as well as fans of the film involved and excited for the Babies release. Focus Features is using the latest and fastest way to communicate messages to billions of people all at once.