Media and Entertainment Industry Basics

Honing your basic media and entertainment knowledge lets you build your business platform

The media and entertainment industry is a broad umbrella term for any business or company involved in fields such as live entertainment, broadcasting, filmed entertainment, journalism. Although most of us associate this industry with pure relaxation--seeing a movie after work, for example, or relaxing in front of the television on a weekend-- businesses rely heavily on the media and entertainment industry for their marketing and branding efforts.

If you own your own business, there are many ways the media and entertainment industry can help you with promotion and advertising. If you provide a service or product useful to the media and entertainment industry, you may opt for direct sales. To find PR opportunities that can expand your business and to learn more about media and entertainment basics, consider:

1. Forming advertising trade-out agreements that position your product in movies and television at little cost.

2. Developing media and entertainment contacts to promote your business.

3. Hiring celebrities to testify that your product is great--in front of the press.

 

Create trade-out deals with the entertainment business to have your products showcased

Trade-outs are a way for businesses to provide producers with the items-- books, furniture and other accessories--they need on the set. Producers often get props and needed furnishings for their sets while companies get a great branding and promotion opportunity. Trade-outs are often less expensive than product placement deals, but require signing a contract and providing customized products free of charge.
Try: Media Matchmaker links advertisers or companies with producers of television shows and films. Another option is to contact producers directly, in writing, to let them know that your company products are available. Visit VisualNet for the valuable contact information of many production companies in various areas of the media and entertainment industry. Once you have this vital information in-hand, you can negotiate trade-outs with some of the industry's biggest players.

Develop contacts in the entertainment and the media field to promote your business

The media entertainment industry works largely on contacts, so developing contacts in the field is essential. If you want your business to be mentioned in a local newspaper or news show, for example, it will be much easier to accomplish this if you know people in the local media. An entertainment industry directory or media directory can also help you develop a mailing list if you have products or services you can offer the media and entertainment industry.
Try: TalentBox.com is an online directory that allows you to find entertainment and media professionals in your area. If your business has a product or service that is related to the industry, you can list your company on the website, as well. TheIndustryContacts.com is a national directory of those in the entertainment media industry. It's a good resource for developing contacts and mailing lists. Plunkett's Research's Entertainment and Media Industry guide includes media and entertainment basics, industry statistics and a directory of companies and contacts in the field.

Find celebrities willing to testify about your product or business

Celebrities are always in the public eye, so when they endorse your company, many fans will listen. Celebrity endorsement deals also mean that the entertainment companies celebrities work with will hear about your product. You don't have to contact public figures directly--a number of services will find celebrities willing to ink an endorsement deal with you.
Try: The Prince Marketing Group offers a celebrity product endorsement service. The company will find celebrities to promote your service or product. The Celebrity Endorsement Network has worked with many movie stars, athletes and other public figures. They partner with businesses every step of the way, from initial consultation to negotiating the endorsement contract.

 

• When contacting entertainment or media companies for marketing opportunities or to offer a service or product, realize that professionals in these fields are busy. Practice your pitch until you can explain yourself in a sentence or two.

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