A Comparative Study on the Strategy and Effect of Public Relations of Korean movies and U.S.-direct- distributing movies

- centering around <Snare> and <Contact> -

WU, JAE-LYOUNG(Dept. of Broadcasting Graduate School of Mass Communication Kung Hee University)

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the presence of difference in public relations(PR) strategies between Korean movies and U.S.-direct-distributing movies and to present ultimately alternatives of desirable PR to Korean film.

Based on this purpose of study, I, first of all, researched and analyzed the PR strategies of Korean movies and US-direct-distributing movies respectively, second, I selected, as a case study, a Korean film, <Snare> and a US-direct-distributing film <Contact> and studied the process of PR strategies. And also I researched on how much influence each PR strategy had on audience who chose that movie and found out the effects of public relations.

As a result of researching factors of PR strategies such as PR via press, film advertisements and promotion together with the case study, Korean movies turned out to be focused on PR via press such as TV and newspapers, while US-direct-distributing movies proved to implement PR strategy via advertisement agencies. As for promotion, Korean movies are promoted via PPL(Product PLacement) cooperation while US-direct-distributing movies are vitalized via joint promotion such as corporation linkage.

Suggestions on PR strategies of Korean movies in the progress of this study are as follows:

First, Korean movies put more emphasis on PR via press centering around TV or newspapers. Most of the Korean movies are unfolded in similar ways and consequently are likely to be fed up. Therefore, in order to make up for this imitation, we had better heighten up the efficiency of PR by linking other media or aim at new effect of PR via press differentiated by creating new ideas.

Second, more time and investment should be devoted in previews. The merit of previews in theater is that it targets audience who come to see movies and in turn are potential customers who will come to see movies again afterwards.

Third, Korean movies should not only concentrate on PPL but attempt various promotion strategies such as joint promotion.

Fourth, continuous exit survey and market research should be practiced. PR of a film tends to depend on sense for the propensity of audience is hard to measure and even if it is measured, it is unreasonable to apply to all movies. However, if systematic and scientific market research is implemented continuously, there is a chance to command more efficient PR strategies.

Fifth, PR strategies to diversify the range of audience in Korean film industry should be attempted.

With this thesis as a momentum, we should study on the methods to develop characteristics of PR of Korean film and implement systematic and elaborate successive research including different variables.