Sample Book Chapters
Chapter 2 - Research (Audiences & Ads)
Chapter extracts in this section of the website amount to 4,000 words distilled from 110,000 words in the print book.
Movies experience a charmed life early in their existence because layers of cheerleaders surround them. The upper-management executives who made the decision to produce a film and creative talent that sold the project feel vested with a sense of ownership. The publicity and distribution departments are presented the film by the top brass—their bosses who approved the film in the first place—and also by the enthusiastic creative talent.
Then, reality sets in.
The task of getting the first opinions from outside this small, adoring circle of admirers falls to the research department. It exposes the film to a small slice of the outside world—the test audiences. Of all the components of the theatrical distribution process, research is the least understood and the most misunderstood. The dichotomy exists because research is the most secretive part of the marketing process, and its impact is supposed to never be seen or heard by the outside world.
“Research serves the straightforward purpose of providing more information,” said Henry Shapiro, vice-president and general manager of entertainment research company MarketCast. “It’s a tool for risk management and resource allocation and a relatively inexpensive source of insurance that introduces accountability and objectivity into the marketing process. But it’s certainly not a replacement for
the gut instincts of creative executives.”
Boiled to its essence, consumer research is the science of polling a small, defined sample of people. Done correctly, consumer research provides information that is representative of a larger population. In Hollywood, the main role of research is to help identify target audiences for films and to determine which advertising and promotions have the most impact on each one, without sending confusing or irrelevant messages. Seven distinct types of research can be done in the movie business. All types elicit responses from groups recruited from the moviegoing public.
A common presentation of findings divides the audience into four big groups, called quads, for quadrants. The grouping structure divides the audience into male and female and then again into ages over twenty-five and ages under twenty-five. This type of data presentation is found in virtually all types of movie research. Film industry executives are particularly attuned to results in the two quads for ages under twenty-five because the youth demographic dominates the cinemagoing audience.
Copyright © 2009, Robert Marich. All rights reserved.
Used here with permission from SIU Press.
EXCERPT:
Fig. 2.2. Sample questionnaire for exit survey
List all ways you have already heard about this movie.
Note: Check as many as apply
o in-theater trailer
o in-theater lobby poster
o television commercials
o television reviews
o television talk shows
o radio reviews
o radio news/talk show
o newspaper ads
o newspaper reviews
o magazine reviews
o magazine articles
o Internet banner ads
o Internet articles/features
o Internet movie listings
o Internet official Web site
o entertainment Web sites
o outdoor billboards
o comments from friends/relatives
o in-store promotion
o official movie contest
Including today, how often did you go to the movies in the past two months?
Note: Pick only one
o 1 time
o 2 times
o 3 times
o 4 times
o 5 times
o 6 times or more
Before coming today, how did you select this theater and showtime?
Note: Check all that apply
o looked at all movies listed in newspaper before deciding
o looked at all movies listed in a magazine before deciding
o looked at all movies on an Internet site before deciding
o looked at other media not listed above before deciding
o used newspaper only to select theater and start time
o used magazine only to select theater and start time
o used Internet only to select theater and start time
o used cell-phone SMS messaging
o others in my party identified theater and start time
After seeing the movie, how would you rate the film?
Note: Pick only one
o excellent
o very good
o good
o fair
o poor
END