Sometimes, a movie can be made or broken in marketing. You're either getting people excited to see the film and online fervor, or you're seeing the conversation line die, and therefore your box office with it.
But one love in the last five years actually saw their marketing break the film, and went back and fixed it to achieve massive success.
That movie was Sonic, and it's since spawned a massive trilogy that rakes in money with movies that I have found to be so much fun to watch.
So, how did they do it?
Let's dive in.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
The Conversation Online
If you step into the wayback machine and go to like 2019, there was a lot of online chatter about the release of Sonic. When Paramount released the first trailer for the character, people lost their minds.
And all of Twitter was swept up in negative reactions to the character design.
The problem? He looked nothing like the character in the video games, because his eyeballs were oddly small.
The entire internet seemed to form this rallying cry that freaked Paramount out. At the time, they had two choices: either ignore the feedback and see if people showed up to their blockbuster family film....or make an expensive change.
Lucky for them, they spent the money. And they made a change that would change the course of that movie and all the movies in the franchise that followed.
Sonic before and after the change. Credit: Paramount
The Power of Audience Engagement
Changing Sonic's look back to that of the original cartoon character came at a high price, but it was an adjustment that ingratiated the movie to the fans and got positive word of mouth before the film came out.
Paramount not only salvaged the film’s reputation but also reignited public interest in a franchise that was no longer at the forefront of popular culture.
They were able to spin the story into a win for the fans and then a win for them.
This accidental genius move proved to be incredibly profitable for everyone. Interest renewed in the games, toys sold, and the movie franchise launched with great reviews and an even better box office.
A Masterclass in Marketing
Look, it is so important to understand that you will not get things right the first time. That doesn't mean you stubbornly plow ahead.
It means sometimes, you need to get humbled and to change.
The success of the Sonic movie serves as a valuable lesson for marketing companies and filmmakers. It highlights the importance of being responsive to audience feedback and the potential for a catastrophic mistake to be turned into a winning opportunity.
Being wrong is human, changing is divine.
The way Paramount handled the situation demonstrates how a brand can build trust and loyalty by showing that it truly cares about its audience.
And also win back the money spent to change something.
Summing It All Up
The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is sort of the epitome of accidental genius of modern marketing. You fail, you adjust, and then you capitalize.
The takeaway is simple: listen to your audience, be willing to admit when you’ve made a mistake, and never underestimate the power of a passionate community.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
