What are affinity groups, why are they important and why would they want to partner with you?

I realized I'm using this term and people may not know the standard definition or the "filmmakers'" definition.  I had posted the "filmmakers'" definition in an earlier post:




You need to engage "Affinity Groups"…  What are they?  Groups/organizations/etc… that share your point of view.  They possess an affinity with your project.  There are lots of affinity groups that relate to your project…  You need to uncover them. Affinity groups will help you promote your film to a targeted audience of individuals that will by definition of being a part of the group, be interested in the theme of your film.



Can you pay for this audience?  Yes.  Do you have to?  No.



This is part of what I do in my job.  I find like-minded organizations and we help each other by making our audiences aware of what we are each about… What we do…  How we can help people…


According to wikipedia, an affinity group is a group formed around a shared interest or common goal, to which individuals formally or informally belong.  Here's the entire article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_group Affinity groups have their roots in political organizations but today affinity groups encompass far more than just these causes.  


Affinity groups are important because they extend your reach into groups of people who have a targeted interest in the theme of your film.  But here's a good question…  why would an affinity group want to work with you and your film?  Because you bring a dimension to their cause that they probably have not experienced.  Your film will shine a light to a large and new group of people on the one issue that is extremely important to them.

  


Let's continue with another October Baby affinity group example, the Christian Alliance for Orphans (http://www.christianalliancefororphans.org).  From its site:

The Christian Alliance for Orphans unites more than 150 respected Christian organizations and a national network of churches.  Working together, our joint initiatives inspire and equip Christians to “defend the fatherless” (Isaiah 1:17).

As the Alliance helps Christians understand God’s call to care for the orphan and equips them for effective response, the impact reaches far beyond a single program or met need.  Rather, an ever-expanding army of passionate advocates invest time, talent and treasure in a personal and sustained commitment to caring for orphans in the name of Christ.

Leveraged Impact: The Alliance does not require a large overhead budget or infrastructure.  Rather, its impact flows from the coordinated efforts of the extensive expertise, infrastructure and networks possessed by it members.  Contributions to Alliance projects in 2012 were more than doubled by the value of members’ volunteer and in-kind commitments, from office space to graphic design.

The October Baby film promotes their mission.  Let's take a look at the Alliance's goals and characteristics:

•   their initiative is to "defend the fatherless"

•   to help Christians understand God’s call to care for the orphan and equip them for effective response

•   an ever-expanding army of passionate advocates invest time, talent and treasure in a personal and sustained commitment to caring for orphans in the name of Christ

•   its impact flows from the coordinated efforts of the extensive expertise, infrastructure and networks possessed by it members

Prior to the film how would they primarily accomplish their goals?  Probably through personal interaction, sharing on social media, email campaigns, etc…  The October Baby film opened up a huge door in terms of educating people in society to the alliance's values, engaging their present group members and creating awareness for the alliance to potential new members. The film provided a platform for them (and many other groups) to reach far beyond the standard way they previously communicated internally and to the external culture.


Films and visual communication live on...  Segments of your film can be used as short vignettes on affinity groups' websites to tell their story, well after the premiere of your film.  Your film on DVD can be sold on affinity groups' websites to fundraise.  In short, you become a member of the group and your film provides a large-scale "impact that flows from the coordinated efforts of the extensive expertise, infrastructure and networks possessed by it members."

You and your film are valuable to your targeted affinity groups.