Conditions in prerelease movie trailers for stimulating positive word of mouth

A conceptual model demonstrates the importance of understanding as a factor for engagement

Archer-Brown, Chris ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8774-5707, Kampani, Julia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5070-6763, Marder, Ben, Bal, Anjali and Kietzmann, Jan (2017) Conditions in prerelease movie trailers for stimulating positive word of mouth. Journal of Advertising Research, 57 (2). pp. 159-172. ISSN 0021-8499

Abstract / Summary

Filmmakers increasingly depend on trailers as advertising and to generate word of mouth (WOM). This study investigates the extent to which trailers influence WOM in the prerelease context by testing a conceptual model separately on the three most popular movie genres. When viewers perceive greater understanding of the movie from the trailer, the prospect of liking it is significantly increased. This leads to a substantial increase in viewers’ intent to generate WOM and, ultimately, their willingness to pay to see the movie. These novel findings lead to practical implications for studios hoping to stimulate consumer interest, with wider contributions to advertising theory.

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