Understanding the movie trailer in generating word-of-mouth and improving box-office performance

This PhD aims to investigate how consumers form pre-release perceptions through trailer advertising campaigns and how movie trailers generate pre-release buzz which consequently drives audiences to the cinema on the opening weekend. This thesis is built on three studies: 1) Study 1 uses a survey to explore the relationship between understanding the movie trailer, liking, word-of-mouth intent and purchase intent. Findings from statistical analysis show that understanding what the movie is about, coupled with liking the movie trailer drives consumers to spread positive WOM online and to consider paying to see the movie. 2) Study 2 looks further into the antecedents and outcomes of understanding the movie trailer. A series of experiments assess elements of the trailer's content on consumers' objective and subjective understanding, and their effect on ad (trailer) and product (movie) liking. Findings show that the amount and order of information significantly influence consumers' understanding of what the movie is about. In addition, comparisons between objective and subjective understanding reveal that consumers are over-confident in the amount of information they feel they have understood, but it is the latter that drives ad and product liking. 3) Study 3 further tests these relationships through the collection and analysis of behavioural data. Trailers are categorised on the amount and order of information. YouTube comments collected on the respective trailers are analysed to extract different components of pre-release buzz. Confirming the findings of Study 2, results show that the amount and order of information do influence trailer liking, but relationships are further driven by movie-related parameters (e.g. genre). Analysis of pre-release buzz components demonstrate that commenting and liking are distinct activities. Among pre-release buzz components and movie-related parameters, the number of video views is the strongest predictor of opening weekend box office performance.