Kids Still Hearing the Lo-Fi Message of Movie Marketing

It wasn't that long ago that a box-office slump had certain pundits writing the obituary for the theatrical movie business, saying that kids today were more interested in video games, iPods and computers than watching an antiquated form of entertainment. But not only has this summer's $4 billion record setting box office proven them wrong, a new study is now suggesting that most teens (13-17 year olds) still learn about upcoming movies the old-fashion way, from TV ads and in-theater trailers, according to consumer research firm OTX and teen social networking site eCrush. From the Hollywood Reporter:

According to the study, 27% of teens usually go to a film on opening weekend and an additional 44% go within the first two weeks. About 61% of teens find out about the latest movies from TV ads and 46% from in-theater trailers. Another 15% discover new films from entertainment Web sites, 15% from social networking sites, 13% from video-sharing sites and 8% from movie-ticket sites.

The survey asked teens to list all the ways they find out about new films, which explains why the percentages add up to more than 100%. The "buzz factor" also is key to influencing moviegoing decisions for teens, with 70% saying that people talking about a movie makes them want to see it in the theater.

More comforting news for Luddites: according to the survey of 750 teens nationwide, the majority of kids polled rent or buy DVDs to see movies they missed in the theaters, with only 1%-5% choosing to see them via downloads, depending on the title.