Viewer Behavior On Social Media: Viral Marketing of A Movie Trailer In Indonesia

Abstract

A trailer is a brief description of a film and provides a 1 to 3 minute cinematic experience that displays images from the film to influence consumer behavior. This research was conducted to propose a conceptual model regarding affective, cognitive, and environmental responses to viral marketing, which are moderated by audience behavior, for the movie trailer of “Spiderman: Far from Home.” The film was released in July 2019 by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This study adopted the wheel of consumer analysis to bridge the research gap. An online survey was forwarded to 200 respondents using structured questionnaires through social media sites, such as Line, WhatsApp, Facebook, and e-mail. The data were then analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that the audience’s affective, cognitive, and environmental responses significantly influenced viral marketing. The results further indicated that the audience’s behavior was not a moderating variable, as the significance level was less than 0.05. The results can contribute to determining social media marketing strategies for promoting film trailers that are beneficial for companies, especially in Indonesia. Therefore, the companies can grow and become more competitive in the film industry. Although this study discusses viral marketing in the film industry, the results can also contribute to other industries, in order to increase the popularity of their products.