I've had the great fortune of meeting Mike Monello, a person I consider one of the most brilliant marketers on the planet. Why? Because he understands the most critical component of all evangelism: storytelling.
He was a co-producer on The Blair Witch Project -- and equally significant, produced and edited the legendary quasi-documentary Curse of the Blair Witch, which was released on the Sci-Fi Channel 10 years ago. That short film -- and the (mostly) online-fueled word of mouth campaign that followed -- helped make Blair Witch a bona-fide cultural phenomenon.
It was the unconventional, immersive, fiction-meets-reality narrative of Blair Witch and Curse of the Blair Witch that moved viewers, and compelled them to share that story with friends and family. Mike played a critical role in that. With the company he co-founded, Campfire, he's gone on to create and/or supervise transmedia campaigns for True Blood, F.E.A.R. 2, Terminator: Salvation, and other brands.
And now he's here, to tell you what he thought about Personal Effects: Dark Art. We are days away from the book's release in bookstores everywhere. Pre-order the novel, or visit your favorite bookstore on June 9 to purchase a copy.
As always, co-producer/editor Michael Bekemeyer gets a big salute for his editing skills. Find the first eight trailers here.
Word of mouth is the key to Personal Effects: Dark Art's success. Spread the word about this awesome video promotion by embedding the video on your blog. Email this page to friends. Tweet it. Facebook it. If you think this video is worthy of sharing, please do what you can to spread the word.
More videos are coming. Personal Effects: Dark Art. In bookstores everywhere this June. Pre-order now.
--J.C.