On hiatus...

As Never Heard About... has been on a lengthy hiatus, I have finally accepted it is time to post a formal announcement.

Due to a schedule of working on entertainment digital marketing campaigns (it's true - social media never sleeps!), I haven't had time to blog and analyze campaigns up to the standards I would like if I continued this project.

Never Heard About may return in the future, but until then thank you for reading!

If you would like to contact me, I can be reached via LinkedIn.

P.S. I still offer my two cents on social media marketing on Twitter, so feel free to tweet with me here!

Trendspotting: Choose Your Own Adventure video storytelling

Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books? Putting it in video form storytelling to market Cody Simpson's forthcoming debut album Paradise is near genius.

The Warner Sound's series "Finding Cody," about two fans trying whatever it takes to get into Cody's sold-out concert, has 31 interactive videos with 15 possible outcomes. It's seamless, empowers his young female fans and includes his music in a way that is logical to the story!

(Paradise out October 2, 2012 on Atlantic Records (Photo source: Cody Simpson's Facebook)

Moreover, the story is fun, age-appropriate wish-fulfillment, and the production values are high. The videos are all relatively short (ranging from 30 seconds to 8 minutes each), so they don't ask for a large commitment, and the multiple endings give the series strong replay value.

Check it out! Very cool and creative. We'll likely be seeing these truly interactive series pop up in many places soon.

'Total Recall' (2012) viral sites, digital marketing campaign: Easy to forget

Columbia Pictures’ Total Recall, out August 3, is a remake of the 1990 sci-fi hit movie of the same title that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone and was directed by Paul Verhoeven.

(Movie poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

Over two decades later, the new take on the 1966 Philip K. Dick short story about a future where Rekall Corporation can implant artificial memories to make fantasies come true stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel.

(Screencap from Total Recall Facebook)

Other than a set visit featured on Collider, exclusive motion poster unveiled on JoBlo, and the premiere of the trailer, Total Recall’s main engagement consisted of two viral, alternate-reality websites featured heavily on a series of posters: WelcomeToRekall.com and NoRekall.org.

Anti-Rekall Corporation banner (Photo source: IMP Awards)

Though the sites play into the movie’s Rekall Corporation, neither allows the user to be an active participant besides entering contests for real-life “dream experiences.” With a month before its release date, the campaign may want to change its lackluster approach and make this a movie worth remembering to go see; Total Recall’s wish fulfillment premise is ripe for engagement.

Taking a bite out of 'Snow White and the Huntsman' apps

Universal Pictures’ Snow White and the Huntsman (SWATH) perched on top of the box office throne on its June 1 opening weekend, crowning itself with a majestic $56.1 million.

The 2D Kristen Stewart/Charlize Theron/Chris Hemsworth-led action-fantasy reimagining of the classic fairytale cracked The Avengers’ five-week domination that poisoned summer tentpoles MIB 3, Battleship, The Dictator and Dark Shadows’ expected big openings.

(Movie poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

Of the two high profile Snow White projects this year, SWATH benefited from its darker tone that appealed to an older 18-34 audience and both females and males; the ax-wielding Huntsman’s (Hemsworth, white-hot off The Avengers) title billing kept this fairy tale from being perceived as "just for girls." The other Snow White, Relativity Media’s comedic Mirror Mirror starring Julia Roberts and Lily Collins in March courted families with colorful costumes and died a quick death after receiving middling reviews and box office receipts.

(Photo source: Mirror Mirror official Facebook)

SWATH’s digital marketing campaign effectively touched many bases from Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook (that included an app for fans to collect badges). Two iOS game apps were also released, Escape The Dark Forest and Snow White and the Huntsman – Storybook, and both are rich visual and interactive tools to engage.

Were these two downloadable apps the fairest and most effective of them all? Let’s take a bite and find out:

TV: PART 2 'The Client List' - Recommendations to be appointment television

RECOMMENDATIONS

Hot off the press today comes news The Client List has been renewed for a second season with an increased episodes-order to boot. It's no surprise, given the series is pulling in consistently strong ratings and finished last week as the "No. 1 drama on basic cable among adults 18-49."

(Poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

Client List's digital marketing campaign is straightforward and effective, but aside from character-microblogging on Twitter, light on emotional engagement.

Igniting heated discussions and offering advice benefiting its target audience will remind fans The Client List is the can't-miss appointment they wait all week for.

Below are three recommendations to spice things up:

TV: PART 1 'The Client List' - Offering to rub viewers in all the right places

(Poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

Lifetime’s The Client List takes the 2010 television film of the same name, which garnered star Jennifer Love Hewitt a Golden Globe nomination, and turns the premise into a weekly TV series.

The extremely watchable, entertaining, and sexy series premiered on April 8 to "solid" numbers and has continued to lure clients back.

Premise: Taken from the synopsis, the show follows a Texas housewife and mother Riley Parks (Hewitt) who, "after being deserted by her husband, ends up working at a day spa that offers more services than she initially believed."

The hook:

(Photo source L-to-R: IMDB and CBS, Client List Facebook, Client List official site)

• Jennifer Love Hewitt starring vehicle. Hewitt's coming off her last series, CBS's Ghost Whisperer, where she cultivated a following for playing empathetic and amicable Melinda Gordon for five seasons.
• Intrigue - how far will a woman go in this economy to provide for her family? Also, an insight into a hush-hush profession many are unfamiliar with but interested in watching.
• It's fantasy fun - handsome men, chisel torsos, and sex - with a conscience.

Target audience: Females 18-34 (Secondary: 35-54)

Though Client List’s premise may seem lascivious on the surface, the series is in line with the network’s brand: it boosts a steamy setting and fun cast, yet hits an emotional core showing a woman struggling to protect her family and stay true to her morals at the same time.

Let's take a look at the digital marketing campaign and review what kind of services Client List is offering to keep viewers panting for a return visit.

TV: PART 2 'Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23' - Recommendations for Rent

(Photo source: Apt 23 Facebook)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Premiering to OK numbers last Wednesday, Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 can hang onto current tenants while attracting new occupants by further connecting to the show’s snappy humor and relatable premise in its digital marketing campaign.

Below are five recommendations:

TV: PART 1 'Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23' - Leasing to viewers and believers

(Poster, Photo source: Apt 23 Facebook)

ABC’s new mid-season sitcom Don’t Trust the B---- in Apt 23 premieres tonight, Wednesday, April 11. Did its digital marketing campaign succeed in finding believers?

Premise: June (Dreama Walker) is "a sweet girl from the heartland" who relocates herself to New York City only to find herself suddenly jobless and broke.

In desperate need of affordable housing, she meets Chloe (Krysten Ritter), the deliciously wicked bad girl in the title, who appears to be the perfect roommate on the surface. After moving in, June soon finds Chloe to be the b---- roommate from hell.

The hook:

(Photo source L-to-R: TresSugar, Chicago Now, Apt 23 Twitter)

• Fun, relatable premise - Who hasn’t had roommate drama?
• Dawson’s Creek’s James Van Der Beek playing and poking fun at himself
• Ritter's abundance of personality and razor sharp tongue

Target audience: Females 18-34 (Secondary: 35-49)

Backed by a strong marketing push, its target audience is aware of Apt 23. Analyzing Apt 23's digital marketing campaign's strategies, let's take a look at what was on target and what were missed opportunities.

TV: 'The Lying Game' – Framing series into audiences' favorite secret to share

(Poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

Hitting its stride last winter season, ABC Family’s The Lying Game emerged as one of cable’s Top 3 scripted series in the coveted Females 12-34 demo.

It’s easy to see how The Lying Game succeeded in retaining viewers and hooking new ones over TV’s other twin-swapping drama; buoyed by a Pandora's box of plot twists, cliffhangers, and interesting supporting characters, the series has fun with its dark premise and never takes itself too seriously.

Sutton (left) and Emma prepare to switch places (Photo source: ABC Family's The Lying Game Facebook)

Based on Pretty Little Liars author Sara Shepard’s book series of the same name, the plot “centers on Emma (Alexandra Chando), a kind-hearted foster kid who finds out she has an identical twin sister, Sutton (also played by Chando) that was adopted by wealthy parents and is seemingly living an ideal life.”

The sisters swap places so Sutton can go on a quest to find their birth mother; as they get closer to discovering the truth and answers to the mystery surface, someone begins to make sure the secrets stay buried at all costs.

Two The Lying Game official sites: ABC Family and Alloy Entertainment

Two website portals support the show, network ABC Family for the TV series and production company Alloy Entertainment for the book/TV series/brand; they each have separate Facebook and Twitter accounts, and recaps, games, quizzes, cast Q&As, heartthrob polls, fashion and trend engagement make up their digital marketing campaign.

Sample engagement of a shared memes on ABC Family's The Lying Game Facebook

With all-but-official news for a season 2 renewal, below are six suggestions to connect new and existing fans deeper to The Lying Game’s tangled web of lies. The more engrossed fans become, they more they will want to pass along the juicy secret that is The Lying Game.

Web Series: 5 ways 'Dating Rules' can keep audiences falling deeper in love

(Photo source: Dating Rules Facebook)

With a high concept and starring a recognizable cast, Alloy Entertainment’s branded web series Dating Rules From My Future Self launched in January to great fanfare.

Revolving around twenty-something Lucy (Shiri Appleby) who receives texts from herself 10 years in the future that help her navigate her current love life, the effortlessly charming and addictive nine episodes, each five-to-nine minute long, made up the first season and attracted over 500k to 700k viewers each at press time.

Using Facebook and Twitter, Dating Rules’ digital marketing campaign focused on the relatable trials and tribulations of dating by giving fans advice much like Lucy’s future self.

Dating Rule of The Day (Photo source: Dating Rules Facebook)

The social networks posted a “Dating Rule of the Day” with an accompanying sharable captioned photo; these were humorous yet truthful and applicable. Fans could also email “#futurelucy” for relationship advice.

Dear "#futurelucy" (Photo source: Dating Rules Facebook)

Moreover, Dating Rules' Facebook shared appropriate articles such as “25 First-Date Dos and Don’ts” and “10 Things You Should Never Say To A Guy” from third-party websites. Appleby and cast member Alison Becker also participated in a live Ustream chat and answered questions about love and what it was like working on the show.

Finally, some of the advocates Dating Rules sought were entertainment websites Entertainment Weekly (an exclusive trailer), TheTVAddict, and Collider (Appleby gave interviews), celebrity gossip tabloids The Celebrity Stone and Cupid’s Pulse, and love and relationship advice hub YourTango (Appleby gave an interview and wrote an article about her personal breaking up experience).

Appleby's article on YourTango

Heading into Season 2, Dating Rules' digital marketing campaign can delve even deeper into emotionally connecting with its millennial audience by continuing to explore the commonality of breaking up using other cost-effective social media tools such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Spotify.

Below are five recommendations that will lead 'Dating' audiences to engagement:

'American Reunion' digital marketing campaign: Excited for one last piece?

(Facebook cover, Photo source: American Pie Facebook)

It's been over twelve years since Universal Pictures released American Pie and it became the teen comedy classic that depicted and defined Generation Y. Now the entire gang is back for their high school reunion in American Reunion on April 6.

The box-office hit Pie became a franchise that spawned two sequels, American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003), and four direct-to-video spin-offs.

Reunion's one-sheet pays homage to the original Pie (Photo source: IMP Awards)

With the franchise's rich library of material and built-in fanbase, American Reunion’s remarkably extensive digital marketing campaign aims to engage fans with a slice of nostalgia in different ways while replicating the brand's gross-out humor to entice newcomers.

Did the campaign succeed in getting fans salivating for more Pie? Let’s take a look and see if the strategies made this a Reunion worth waiting for.

TV: 'Ringer' - the ultimate double cross-examination on interactive campaign

Marking the return of cult classic Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar to the small screen, The CW’s drama Ringer was one of the most buzzed about shows heading into the Fall television season last year.

Taken from IMDB, Ringer is about “a young woman on the run from the mob [who] poses as her wealthy twin sister to try and evade them, but soon discovers that her sister has a price on her head as well.”

The highly anticipated series arrived with much fanfare, including the cover of Entertainment Weekly

The series premiere attracted 2.74 million total viewers and 1.2 ratings in the coveted 18-49 demo, which was tepid considering many were expecting Buffy-like numbers. Originally conceived for sister network CBS, Ringer had a more mature tone and cast that looked like it could also broaden CW’s audience outside their core teen females.

Subsequently, the series has had a rocky fall throughout its season with hemorrhaging numbers that never matched its premiere high.

The cast and concept skewed older than the typical CW fare (Photo source: Ringer Facebook)

To build awareness for the premiere, Ringer employed a flashy interactive marketing campaign that connected outdoor advertising with social media while having fun with its identical twins premise.

Could a stronger digital marketing campaign have doubled the premiere’s success? And could anything have kept week-to-week interest in Ringer reverberating? Let’s take a retrospective look at this particular strategy's strengths and weaknesses.

QUICK TAKE - 'Silent House' digital marketing campaign: Are audiences listening?

(Movie poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

Open Road Films / Liddell Entertainment’s horror film Silent House utilized three key elements in its digital marketing campaign: a mysterious official site, an interactive trailer and portal, and a Twitter contest mirroring the film’s real-time continuity.

Opening on March 9, the R-rated Silent House was inspired by true events and a remake of the Uruguayan Spanish-language film The Silent House (La Casa Muda), which was met with mostly positive reviews. At last year's Sundance Film Festival, this remake was also one of the two films headlined by Elizabeth Olsen; her breakthrough performance in the other film Martha Marcy May Marlene won universal acclaim, was nominated by a barrage of critics associations, and instantly propelled Olsen as a future star to watch.

The Devil Inside and The Woman In Black scared up $33.7 and $20.9 million openings, respectively
(Photo source: IMP Awards)

With two horror films, The Devil Inside and The Woman In Black, opening to large numbers in January and February, respectively, and receiving middling to downright nasty CinemaScores, one wonders if moviegoers are currently suffering from disappointing-horror films fatigue or are only hungrier for scares that deliver.

Is Silent House’s digital marketing campaign loud enough to get audiences screaming for tickets? Let’s take a look.

Game over? 5 ways 'John Carter' can play for bigger audience on Earth

Carrying a hefty budget of over $250 million, it is alarming Walt Disney Studios' John Carter is reportedly tracking soft ahead of its global release date March 9.

Looking at the film's official website and Facebook page, online games are notably used to engage fans.

Upon inspection, the three games are surprisingly elementary, which can be beneficial in targeting families and casual gamers, but have minimal replay value or prolonged engagement.

Three games featured on the official website

The film's digital marketing campaign is targeting audiences across the board, attempting to reach the literary fans with polls and engagement questions about the source material, young males with clips, comics, and articles highlighting the action and sci-fi, and families with its Disney-brand and partnership with Read.gov to promote with reading.

Below are five recommendations how John Carter's digital campaign can use engagement games more effectively and build awareness with each of its target audience without sacrificing their brand image:

5 ways 'This Means War' could have found more love on Valentine's

(Photo source: IMP Awards)

20th Century Fox planned to release the Reese Witherspoon-Chris Pine-Tom Hardy romance/action comedy This Means War today with the date heavily publicized in print ads and TV spots.

In the eleventh hour, Fox delayed War to February 17 and hastily proposed its initial Valentine's Day release as a sneak preview in an attempt to save face.

They had good reason to worry.

Last weekend, no studio pitted a romance or rom-com against Sony/Screen Gems' The Vow for the pre-Valentine's business; Fox was the only maverick then-scheduling War on the actual holiday to vie for that same audience.

With its tearjerker premise, appealing leads, and promise of The Notebook's earnest romance and sentimentality, Vow was a juggernaut to be fear; it had everything going for it to be the ultimate date movie and girls' night out. Tracking for Vow rode high for months, while War failed to pick up; on Facebook, Vow had over 900k fans the day before its release compared to War's current 23k (no, that is not a typo).

Vow opened last weekend on top with a record-breaking $41.2 million, and is predicted to continue raking business today for Valentine's.

Which will be a sign of the future of your relationship?
(Marquee created at says-it.com)

The McG-directed War spy vs. spy romance/action comedy by no means has the stench of a stinker and looks like popcorn-fun similar to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but the timing is off. With love in the air, the distasteful and aggressively-titled picture is not something I picture couples gravitating toward at the marquee when next to the romantic Vow; War would better take advantage of its mix of action and light romance-comedy appealing to both sexes in summer or early fall.

Since Fox did not budge and wave the white flag on War's ill-fated February release, perhaps they could have done more to differentiated their picture.

Here are five suggestions how their digital movie campaign could have recruited moviegoers to fight harder for War:

1. The ANTI-Valentine's

For every PDA-hands-all-over-each-other couple on the street who adores Valentine's Day, there are more singletons and people who view it as a grossly commercial and sappy day. The Vow will take Valentine's Day, but War can put up a brawl for the days and weekend after.

Make opening day an event for people who aren't V-day fans to get excited about and come together on the 14th to watch it together.

A campaign plastering the slogan "THIS MEANS WAR on Valentine's" on RSVP cards and videos all around the web can serve as a dig on the holiday while promoting the movie. Fans can invite friends by sharing the RSVP cards and videos that poke fun at love on their social media networks.

Partner up with sites such as Meetup.com and Eventbrite where people with similar interests can get together, and make opening day at a theater a "THIS MEANS WAR on Valentine's" event party. To encourage people to attend, an opening day exclusive Anti-Valentine's freebie or incentive (example: Restaurant.com voucher so the group can dine out after the movie) can be given with each movie ticket.

For Pine and Hardy wage War over you, the Tweet Cheat-Off, and more: