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was spun by public relations and marketing staff from the outset, this second fairy tale developed
over many months as a result of the film’s surprising box office success.
The crucial element to this story was its promotion of the power of “grassroots”
marketing strategies – sales techniques employed to appeal to specific communities on a small-
scale level. In initially launching the film, this was certainly one crucial tactic; marketers did
indeed begin their promotions process by targeting Greek communities in major cities such as
Seattle, New York and Philadelphia and in key regions such as Michigan and New Jersey.
Marketers placed flyers and posters at Greek churches, dances and ethnic festivals. In addition,
Greek community leaders were recruited to attend “advance” screenings.
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However, although
the Greek population was one of the first to be pursued by the film’s marketers, it was by no
means the only group targeted.
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Using “grassroots” marketing techniques to sell media products is not a new practice; in
fact, such sales strategies have been employed by advertisers for several decades.
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During the
‘90s, this practice became an art form in the hands of specialized film companies, with Miramax
leading the way in developing innovative sales strategies. Yet labeling My Big Fat Greek
Wedding an example of the power of grassroots marketing is not only an exaggeration, it is a
misrepresentation. While such strategies were a component of the film’s success, they were by
no means the primary or sole means by which non-Greek audiences became aware of the movie.
After initial audience response to the film proved encouraging, Gold Circle committed a
significant amount of money in advertising. In keeping with Berney’s strategy of making the
film look like a major release from a major studio (rather than an art-house film), Gold Circle
invested in saturation advertising in the areas in which the film was playing for a limited run.
This included print advertisements as well as local cable television spots. As awareness of the
Convention