Mission possible: Targeting trailers to movie audiences Received: 5th January, 2005 Thomas Kim Hixson is an assistant professor who teaches advertising at the University of Winsconsin-Whitewater. He received his Ph.D in journalism from Southern Illinois University. Prior to his career in academe, he was an advertising copywriter and a television promotion manager. His research interests include entertainment and sport marketing and promotion, uses and gratifications, and advertising effects. Abstract The effectiveness of using genre preference segmentation and behaviour segmentation to target movie trailers is explored. Participants from two samples watched trailers and were surveyed. They reported their movie genre preferences and the expected entertainment value of the advertised movies. The data indicate that moviegoers with similar genre preferences have similar reactions to trailers, making effective preference and behaviour segmenting possible for use as a method to target movie trailers. INTRODUCTION Segments built on genre preference, Advertisers have used various methods of however, do meet Wedel’s requirements. segmenting audiences to designate target Still, putting trailers in cinemas in front audiences. Demographics, psychographics, of the right audience is difficult and has behaviour, attitudes, needs and benefits become a ‘political morass’.4 Studios, received have been used alone or in distributors and exhibitors each want combination as a method of trailers presented to benefit their segmentation.1 Movie marketers have marketing efforts and want no successfully utilised demographics and competitors’ trailers shown before their psychographicsasameansoftargeting film. Aside from these conflicts, audiences for movie ads placed on segmenting moviegoers in cinemas by television, but have been less successful demographics to target trailers has proven targeting audiences with these methods difficult to accomplish effectively, given for movie trailers presentations.2 Wedel the various likes and dislikes of notes that ‘segments should be entertainment fare. Furthermore, some homogeneous, sizable, responsive to movie marketers believe trailers should marketing effort and stable over time.3 be pitched to the widest possible Because of the nature of movie trailers as audience and desire to see their trailers an advertising medium, demographic placed in front of movies attracting large segments are not stable enough from audiences.5 Thomas Kim Hixson movie to movie to use as an effective Can moviegoers be segmented Department of targeting method. For movie marketers effectively for targeting movie trailers to Communication, University of to learn the demographic make-up of the them in cinemas? Some movie marketers Wisconsin-Whitewater, audience that each movie attracts takes have begun to segment audiences by Andersen 2232, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA toomuchtimetoaccomplishandleaves their genre preferences to target trailers Tel: +1 262 472 1906 too little time to place the targeted in cinemas. They are creating multiple 6 E-mail: [email protected] trailer in front of that targeted audience. trailers for multiple audiences. Are these 210 Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing Vol. 14, 3, 210–224 ᭧ Palgrave Macmillan Ltd 1479-1862/06 $30.00 Targeting trailers to movie audiences movie marketers on the right track to advantages over benefit segmentation. improved segmenting? In this study, This market segment identification preference and behaviour segmentation method is ‘logical, straightforward and will be examined as methods used to parsimonious’.15 This study of moviegoer segment. Little research has been done segmentation makes use of both on movie genres in marketing, yet it is preference and behaviour segmentation known that genre preference often because of the nature of the product and guides the viewing behaviour of the advertising medium (trailers) moviegoers.7 Therefore, effective exposure. Preference segmentation in this targeting of movie advertising, study is closely related to particularly movie trailers, seems likely, expected-benefit segmentation. A with this method, but is unproven. moviegoer chooses a particular movie People have various expectations about based on their genre preference because what they will see when they go to they expect that that preference will fulfil cinemas to watch movies. They bring an entertainment desire. Therefore, the with them genre preferences that may moviegoer receives the benefitofhaving have an effect on the movie choice.8 their desire fulfilled. Similarly, in television programme Scholarly research into the marketing choice, programme preference type is and promotion of motion pictures, which seen as one cause of preferring one has never been abundant, has been even programme to another.9,10 Because a more limited since the cessation in 1991 moviegoer must be more active in of the annual publication of Current attending a movie than is a television Research in Film: Audiences, Economics, and viewer in watching a programme, Law.16 Researchers have lamented the however, it may be assumed that lack of published material on movie moviegoers are more demanding in promotion and noted many interesting having their expectations gratified than questions that need to be explored, are television viewers.11 Watching a including: how does movie promotion movie’strailermayplayaroleina affect different audiences? And, is movie moviegoer’s demand for gratification. marketing affected by genre?17 This study Exposure to a movie trailer has been tries to fill some of the void of movie found to produce increased expectations marketing research. of the amount of particular content in a movie.12 A combination of genre preference LITERATURE REVIEW andintendedgratifications would be a useful way of identifying the Previous studies in segmenting affective/emotional component in audiences gratifications sought from a movie.13 Tw o Segmenting audiences to target researchers have suggested that genre advertising messages requires the preference could possibly determine the advertiser to identify audience member level of satisfaction that a moviegoer characteristics that may be used to divide derives from viewing a movie.14 As such, the mass audience into smaller, more it may be extrapolated that genre manageable segments. Segmentation takes preference plays a role in the movie a heterogeneous market and sees it as attendance decision. several smaller homogeneous markets ‘in Identifying market segments through response to differing preferences, the use of preference data has some attributable to the desires of customers ᭧ Palgrave Macmillan Ltd 1479-1862/06 $30.00 Vol. 14, 3, 210–224 Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing 211 Hixson for more precise satisfactions of their on the genre of movie that the varying wants’.18 moviegoer has come to the cinema to Benefit segmentation,19 as mentioned, see. It may be assumed that moviegoers is closely related to preference have a favourable attitude or preference segmentation in this study. Benefit toward the genre of the movie that they segmentation has been considered as the are viewing. When the measures utilised ‘most strategically meaningful’ method of to segment are closely related to actual segmentation,20 although it is not used as buying behaviour (as they are in this often as demographic and geographical study), more successful segmenting may segmentation. Another segmentation take place.27 method, less often used, is behavioural Some marketers use a ‘marketing segmentation. This method is often based engineering’ approach to making strategic on selecting prospects that have exhibited marketing decisions in areas such as media behaviour that the marketer wants.21 decisions, targeting and segmentation.28 Industry-specific methods of Up-to-date, detailed customer data are segmentation have been developed based necessary for this approach, but this on preference or behaviour — for requires consumers to provide detailed example, the tourism industry segments information about their identities and on trip-related variables.22 The hospitality preferences before a personal, profitable industry market can be segmented by a relationship can be built.29 The television combinationoftypeoflodgingpreferred advertising industry can provide its and sought.23 Non-profit organisations advertisers, including movie marketers, can segment based on the contributors’ such data about its medium. Movie motivations for association with the marketers recognise the usefulness of this organisation.24 information and make use of it. In 2003, Television programming segmentation more than $1.6bn was spent on network methods, however, are most closely television advertising as an average of related to segmenting the market for a $8.1mwasspenton194MotionPicture motion picture. In television Association of America (MPAA) released programming, demographic and movies.30 Television provides control over socioeconomic data serve as ‘surrogate the placement of the movie’s advert with indicators of interests and needs’.25 Why specific target audiences found watching use them for segmenting, however, when specific programmes.31 more direct measurements of viewing Movie marketers have great difficulty behaviour are available? Television using this ‘marketing engineering’ viewers can be segmented based on their approach with trailers, as segmenting the programme preferences, as there is a movie audience for advertising success close relationship between preference