TV Land Study Shows 40-to-54-Year-Olds to Be a Prime Target for Movie Ads

-- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/13/2012 2:16:59 PM

The perception in some quarters might be that millennials (18-to-24-year-olds) are flocking to movie theaters while adults 40-54 are more inclined to stay home. But a study by Viacom Media Networks' TV Land shows that movie studios will be making a mistake if they don't spend a significant chunk of their marketing dollars aimed at luring in those 40-to-54-year-olds.

Among the findings: While young adults represent a significant portion of the movie-going audience, more adults 40-54 are going to the movies today than 10 years ago. Movie-going is considered "an occasion" and is a large part of the 40-54 group's total out-of-home entertainment; and adults in the 40-to-54-year-old group are especially open to movie advertising on television.

Here is some of the data found in the study:

• Younger moviegoers are more likely to see movies during opening weekend or within a week after it opens, yet 68% of adults 40-54 are also open to seeing a movie on opening weekend.

• The leading influence for seeing a movie on opening weekend is the cast of the movie (67%), followed by commercials and trailers on TV (58%).

• Fortysomething-aged moviegoers are most likely to see movies with their spouse, while younger moviegoers are more likely to go with friends.

• Among 40-to-54-year-olds, 75% go to see movies with their spouse, 49% go with children and 32% go with friends.

• The majority of 18-to-24-year-olds go to see movies with their friends (73%), followed by significant others (54%).

• Moviegoers 40-54 are more than twice as likely as those 18-24 to spend more than $20 at the movies, 64% vs. 28%, respectively.

As far as movie-going attitudes, moviegoers 40-54 look forward to seeing a movie in a theater more than nearly any other out-of-home entertainment option. And a majority of adults 40-54 say going to the movies is an escape from everyday life (54%), with almost 50% saying it's an opportunity to spend time with family.

TV commercials are the most common way that moviegoers 40-54 learn about new movies (71%), while younger viewers use word-of-mouth and in-theater trailers. The 40-54 crowd also expressed an interest in seeing more movie commercials on TV, with 78% of TV Land viewers saying they have such an interest.

The study also showed that 55% of 40-to-54-year-old moviegoers recognize that the majority of movie ads are not targeted toward them, but at younger people. And 83% of 18-to-24-year-old moviegoers agree that most of the movie ads they see look like they are for people their age.

The study says despite the rise in adults 40-54 going to the movies, movie advertising tends to target a younger audience, but that marketers can tap into this group's openness and interest in movie advertising.

The study was based on one-on-one interviews with 42 adults aged 40-54 as well as a national survey of 1,500 adults aged 18-54.