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July 14, 2009
Could Twitter Impact On "Bruno" Box Office Numbers Create More Work For Social Media Companies?
Seems the movie industry has seen the impact of the trust Twitter users have in others comments. As Time magazine suggests "Brüno could be the first movie defeated by the Twitter effect. "
Bruno opened Friday with good numbers - $14.4 million - and was predicted to break $50 million, but then came Twitter. Seems the 140 character reviews took a bigger toll on attendance numbers than anyone could have thought. The weekend number was just over $30 million - a $20 million dollar swing is huge. And now shows the type of money that can be lost and what can be saved by a good social media effort.
Will this have the movie studios running to social media agencies to help with other film launches? Hey we already have reputation management, why not audience attendance management.
If I was a studio head I would be looking for a good social media company to help spin the buzz about a movie during opening weekend to the positive. If that happens will be worth watching for.
Posted by Frank Watson on July 14, 2009 8:12 PM
Comments
Aussiewebmaster July 14, 2009 10:04 PM
It's just a shame it wasn't Twittered sooner how terrible Bruno is. I haven't seen it, but let's just say my friend got wind of how bad it was before we went to see it so we switched to The Hangover. Best decision he could've made!
Anonymous July 16, 2009 7:23 PM
I've seen Bruno and HP6. Bruno was the funniest thing I've seen in ages. Harry Potter was boring and had terrible dialogue. Go see the movie for yourself- don't let a bunch of twitterers make all your decisions for you.
Anonymous July 16, 2009 11:32 PM
Thank God those twitters saved me, after my friends went to see Bruno, they literally wanted their money back.
Anonymous July 21, 2009 2:04 AM
"Seems the 140 character reviews took a bigger toll on attendance numbers than anyone could have thought"
Reads like baseless promotion of twitter to me. You have no evidence to back your view up.
I know the few gullible souls who use use twitter want to imagine that their every move is earth changing, but sadly for them, I'm afraid they aren't.
Harry September 4, 2009 3:16 AM
Harry,
There is evidence that the movie did about $15 million the first day and movie industry people use the first night numbers to extrapolate how a film will do for the rest of the weekend. The previews from print had already come out so how do you think the numbers were so adversely impacted?
I do not think that every tweet has earth shattering impact - just that in this case the very essence of social media - the viral nature both good or bad was shown here.
This does not make Twitter some godlike entity - just a case where public relations and awareness of the impact of bad reviews came to light.
I am a fan of Twitter and social media in general but this was not baseless promotion.
Like everything else there is good and bad to it. I am sick of the endless spam and it has only just got started. Twitter is going to go through the same problems email spam did in its early days. But you have to appreciate the things that the application can accomplish.
Used for emergency alerts and other such efforts it has great reach and potential. Used to try and sell me some thing I really don't want and it shows its down side.
Attack the problems of Twitter not this specific instance - as there is evidence - and you would have my support.
Aussiewebmaster September 4, 2009 4:57 AM
With Harry Potter coming out in a couple of hours on the East Coast will be interesting to see what is twitted about that one.