OK, so I saw Terminator 4 yesterday.
And while it was a fun movie… it was also a total bummer, too.
Why?
Because T4’s marketing team made a stupid mistake that (I believe) has cost them a TON of sales by making almost sure many of us will NOT see the movie a second time (until it comes out on DVD, at least).
Here’s what happened:
Like millions of Terminator fans… I anxiously wanted see this movie since it was first announced. They had a cool idea, an awesome cast and, despite his having directed the “Charlies Angels” movies (not my cup of tea), the director had always done a good job with the show “Supernatural.”
And so I couldn’t wait to blast my way into theaters to see it.
Especially after watching the movie trailers.
Each trailer was like an advertising masterpiece — with excellent dialogue, action sequences and ideas. Giving just enough away to wet your appetite and make you hot to watch the movie.
And that’s where they shot themselves in the keester.
Because, while most of those cool trailer scenes were in the movie… a few of the REALLY good parts weren’t.
Which makes you feel kinda… cheated.
Or, at the very least, disappointed.
And, I believe, this is “terminating” its ticket sales.
In fact, T4 took a box office “beat down” from “Night At The Museum 2”!
Which is pretty pathetic.
Especially since Terminator has a built-in fanbase of pre-sold customers stretching 25 years long.
And you know what?
I believe this is due (in many ways) to T4 not fulfilling on its advertising promises. After all, if you buy something because of what you read in an ad and feel cheated, what are the chances of you buying anything from that business again?
There are probably more reasons T4 lost to NATM 2.
But I’m pretty sure one of the main reasons John Conner got his ass kicked by Robin Williams and Ben Stiller is because T4’s advertising made too many cool promises it didn’t deliver on.
Anyway, important lesson for when creating your own ads.
Even if you get away with making promises you don’t fully deliver on from a legal standpoint… you probably won’t from a financial standpoint.
Because disappointed customers rarely come back again.
And rarely tell their friends, family, etc to buy from you, either.
Alright, that’s it for today.
Tomorrow… Awl Be Bawk.
Ben Settle
P.S. You can be like the “Terminator” of YOUR market — relentless, bullet proof, immune to pain and destruction — with the 101 easy and ethical sales and marketing tips at:
