Rogue One - Disney

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/why-rogue-one-faces-marketing-challenges-no-other-star-wars-movie-has-174059

Disney faces a new marketing challenge they have never had before: releasing two Star Wars films within a year. The Force Awakens was released the same time a year ago, and we are still recovering form the marketing hangover. The Force Awakens did so well, it is interesting how Disney is approaching the marketing stratagem for Rogue One.

Here are the sales figures—from Wikepedia--for The Force Awakens, just Worldwide:

• Fastest film to gross $1 billion
• Biggest worldwide opening weekend and single weekend gross – $529 million.[3]
• Highest-grossing Star Wars film. It was the second Star Wars film, following The Phantom Menace, to gross $1 billion.[4]
• Biggest December international opening weekend – $281 million.[5]
• Biggest Disney international opening – $281 million.[3]
• Widest worldwide IMAX release – 937 IMAX screens.[6] This includes 391 IMAX screens in the United States and Canada, 270 screens from China and 276 screens in other markets for a worldwide total of 937 IMAX screens.[6][7]
• Biggest IMAX worldwide opening weekend – $48 million.[8]
• Biggest single day IMAX worldwide gross – $17.7 million (on Friday, December 18, 2015).[8]
• Biggest single day IMAX international gross – $4.8 million (on Saturday, December 19, 2015).[8]
• Fastest to $100 million in IMAX sales – 12 days.[2] It grossed a total of $106.4 million in that time.[9]
• Fastest film to $150 million in IMAX ticket sales – 19 days. It earned a total of $152 million in that period, exceeding the previous record held by Avatar, which took 47 days to reach the mark.[10]
• Fastest film to $175 million in IMAX ticket sales – 24 days. It earned a total of $179 million in that period, exceeding the previous record held by Avatar, which took 58 days to reach the mark.[7]
• Biggest IMAX fourth-weekend gross worldwide – $19 million. This broke Avatar's previous record of $12.27 million.[7]
• Highest-grossing IMAX film of 2015 – $179 million.[7]
• Highest-grossing 2015 film – $2.068 billion.[11]
• Highest-grossing Disney release, surpassing The Avengers.[11]
• Most weekends at No. 1 at the international box office for a film released in 2015 – 5 consecutive weekends (tie with Avengers: Age of Ultron).[12]
  

That is a hefty act to follow, and that does not include how well it did in the US, which is equally as abundant. Interestingly enough, Bob Iger, head of Disney, is marketing Rogue One as a side addition to the Star Wars Jedi & Skywalker saga. Instead of advertising it well, he is keeping it minimal with only 3 trailers (we know of), and letting media and word of mouth do the advertising.

Value Proposition: Star Wars fans; more specifically targeting the 40 year old Star Wars fans, as this movie is also advertised as a nostalgia niche, explaining the backstory of how the Death Star plans were acquired. In addition, such side stories as Rogue One do not actually make it to film, they are intended as side additions to nurture and quell the Star Wars addiction. This bold move to expand the Star Wars universe will have positive results, I imagine, as it is 'new', and has not been done yet.

Although the standards are much higher, I think that Disney is incredibly savvy when it comes to marketing, and I think Rogue One will meet their expectations-- which are set low. They are targeting Star Wars fans, not the greater world. This way people will not get sick of Star Wars, I suspect. Although it is suggested by 'Will toys for 'Rogue One' sell as well as other 'Star Wars' films?'

that Disney should state in their trailer where exactly in timeline Rogue One takes place, because most people who are not hardcore fans will be confused and ultimately discouraged to see it's theatrical debut. I disagree, because Disney is doing exactly what they want and approaching it with the results they want. That is clever marketing to me.