Comic-Con preview night is just a day away. If you haven’t already read our comprehensive guide to the big social TV fan gathering in San Diego, catch up here. In addition to HBO’s panels around Girls, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, True Blood, Treme and more, the network has a detailed social TV plan for the big event. Here’s a unique interview with VP of Social Media and Performance Marketing for the network, Sabrina Caluori.
HBO’s Connect platform has continue to grow as an important part of the strategy. They’ve used the platform recently for Game of Thrones, True Blood and more. For Comic-Con Sabrina and her team are going even further to bring all of the fans closer to the Comic-Con action: talent from their shows will act as social media correspondents throughout the event. Here are all the details on how the premium cable channel is going to be using social for the biggest appearance of TV at Comic-Con yet.
Lost Remote: How is your network using social media/social platforms at Comic-Con?
Sabrina Caluori: We’ve created some really cool ways for fans to go behind the scenes at Comic-Con this year through our social TV site, HBO Connect. We wanted to give everyone, even those not attending “the Con,” a way to get in on the HBO activities there and share in the fun.
On Friday, July 13 HBO Connect will kick off our Comic-Con activities with the launch of an exclusive sweepstakes for the chance to win a limited edition Game of Thrones branded Xbox 360, not sold in stores. Fans can visit HBO Connect and follow #sdccgotfan to enter.
We also have celebrity correspondents from Game of Thrones and True Blood walking the floor at Comic-Con, tweeting about their interactions with the fans, taking photos and doing giveaways. For Game of Thrones, Kristian Nairn who plays “Hodor,” will tweet from the floor on Friday, July 13 here. For True Blood, Janina Gavankar who plays “Luna” will tweet from the floor on Saturday here.
HBO will live-tweet throughout the Game of Thrones and True Blood panels at @GameofThrones and @TrueBloodhbo respectively, providing a play by play for fans following on HBO Connect. Also on Saturday, July 14, HBO Connect will give True Blood fans the opportunity to “flock to unlock” the exclusive Comic-Con trailer. If fans tweet #sdcctruebie 150,000 times, HBO will unlock the trailer on HBO Connect.
LR: What events, panels are you having?
Caluori: We are incredibly excited to be bringing Game of Thrones back to Comic-Con for the second year in a row, especially given the passion and enthusiasm we’ve seen surrounding the show this season. This year’s Game of Thrones panel is being held in Hall H, which will give even more super fans an opportunity to view and participate in the panel at Comic-Con. The panel will be moderated for the second year in a row by author George R.R. Martin, and will include: Carolyn Strauss (executive producer), Alfie Allen (“Theon Greyjoy”), EmiliaClarke (“Daenerys Targaryen”), Michelle Fairley (“Catelyn Stark”), Richard Madden (“Robb Stark”) and Rose Leslie (“Ygritte”).
The response to True Blood at Comic-Con has always been phenomenal and we’re psyched to return for our fifth year with a panel that includes Alan Ball (creator and executive producer), Kristin Bauer van Straten (“Pam Swynford de Beaufort”), Nelsan Ellis (“LafayetteReynolds”), Ryan Kwanten (“Jason Stackhouse”), Joe Manganiello (“Alcide Herveaux”), Christopher Meloni (“Roman Zimojic”), StephenMoyer (“Bill Compton”), Anna Paquin (“Sookie Stackhouse”), Alexander Skarsgard (“Eric Northman”), Sam Trammell (“Sam Merlotte”),Rutina Wesley (“Tara Thornton”) and Deborah Ann Woll (“Jessica Hamby”). This year’s True Blood panel will be held in Ballroom 20 andwill once again be moderated by Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly.
LR: Are you launching any new shows/new seasons at Comic-Con?
Caluori: Yes, we’re bringing the Cinemax original series, Strike Back to Comic-Con for the first time this year, just prior to the show’s new season debut in August. The show follows stealth counterterrorism unit Section 20 as they span the globe to stop potential threats. Stars Philip Winchester (“Sgt. Michael Stonebridge”), Sullivan Stapleton (“Sgt. Damien Scott”) and new cast member Rhona Mitra (“Rachel Dalton”) will appear on a panel moderated by HitFix TV critic Alan Sepinwall, which will take place on Friday, July 13 in Convention Center Room 6DE.
We’re also having a special screening of the first two episodes of the new season of Strike Back on Saturday, July 14 at 1:00 -3:00 p.m. at Reading Cinemas Gaslamp Stadium 15, 701 5th Avenue at G Street, San Diego (3 blocks from the Convention Center). The castwill attend this special screening for fans and answer questions afterwards. The screening is open to attendees with 2012 Comic-Conbadges and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.