Dwight Caines, President of Domestic Marketing at Universal Pictures on The Business of Storytelling

Dwight Caines is President of Domestic Marketing for Universal Pictures where he is responsible for all areas of the department at Universal, and directly oversees media, digital marketing, multicultural marketing, data analytics and publicity.

Can you give us a snapshot of your career path to becoming the President of Domestic Marketing for Universal Pictures?

I started my career wanting to write for film and TV, and after years of trying to get some traction on my spec scripts without any luck, I took a “steady job” in a customer service business role. This brief detour turned into a six-year career that provided me with a host of transferrable skills that helped me land as Director, Market Research at Sony Pictures. Given that I was an early Internet adopter (a result of managing a PC online banking call center), I was able to launch the studio’s digital marketing efforts and eventually segued into the role of President, Domestic Marketing. I joined Universal Pictures in 2018 where I oversee domestic marketing in partnership with our CMO, Michael Moses.

What’s your favorite part of your job and what’s the most challenging?

I remember when I first became a president of marketing at Sony Pictures, I made the mistake of reading the comments in a trade article that announced this news. I sure don't recommend that to anyone. One of the comments said, “Dwight’s an OK choice but he loves to hear himself talk”. I sure couldn't argue with that, I am a storyteller after all, and this is a business of storytelling.

The marketing gig is a generalist role. It requires that I know just enough about everything in a campaign to ask the right questions. I see the job as one where I move obstacles out of the way to enable and inspire the team to do their best work. I practice something called MBWA or Management by Walking Around. I’m always on the move dropping in on different teams to talk about our movies and how we can create marketplace urgency. My favorite part is coaching teams to do their best work on behalf of the audience.  The hard part is trying to keep up with the rate of change in our industry. 

Can you touch on the importance of representation both on and off the camera?

Look at the success of 'Wicked' — a story about someone who was "othered," finds their power and rises as a hero — told by a diverse filmmaking team.  Each of the artists involved, from the cast to the crew brought a level of palpable personal authenticity to the film. We know it mattered to audiences because they told us that they felt seen.  And the global box office speaks volumes. I think representation added another dimension to the experience and ultimately enabled the over performance of the movie.

What’s your favorite piece of advice and/or saying that you find yourself coming back to in both work and life?

There are two sayings that I am fond of which have a similar theme:

The first is from Maya Angelou, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” It means that people's actions and behaviors often reveal their true character sometimes more than what they say. This is an important consideration in a business where ego plays a large role.

And the second is from Thomas Paine, “Character is much easier kept than recovered.”  I think it’s important to always operate with integrity. The road to rebuilding a tarnished reputation is a difficult one. 

Can you tell us a little bit more about your involvement in Newhouse’s Los Angeles Program?

I’m an adjunct professor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications Dick Clark Los Angeles Program where I teach film marketing. I was a guest lecturer in several classrooms prior to becoming an adjunct. And I always found there wasn't a narrative but rather just a series of guests coming in to speak. So, my version of their curriculum was to create something with a bit of a linear flow to it. After exposing the students to the various disciplines of marketing throughout the semester, they are tasked with creating a campaign brief for a reimagined classic movie.  What if Jordan Peele were to reboot "Misery"? I give them a contemporary cast and filmmakers, and they must craft a hypothetical theatrical campaign that would work in today’s theatrical marketplace.

What are you watching, streaming, and/or listening to right now?  

I listen to Spotify’s AI powered DJ, “X” whose voice is modeled after Spotify’s head of Cultural Partnership, Xavier “X” Jernigan.  It’s a great example of AI as a utility.  

I watch a lot of the Dick Wolf shows, and I just finished "The Day of the Jackal" on Peacock.  I’m watching "Black Doves" on Netflix, and I’ll probably start watching "The Agency" next.  I try to go to the movies at least 3 weekends a month to see new releases. 

And anyone who know me knows I am a diehard New York Knicks fan!