While concerns about film piracy remain, movies are still huge business, with billions of people around the world heading to their local movie theatre every year. But these days, the way you find information about films and book tickets has likely changed significantly - most people are no longer reliant on the newspaper cinema listings and heading to the box office to make a purchase.
The rise of digital media, and social media platforms, has provided a whole new way for cinema marketers to reach potential audiences, and that's lead to a significant shift in habitual filmgoer behavior. And more than that, now, people are turning to social after seeing a film to participate in the broader discussion, opening up a new world of film critique and fandom previously unaccessible.
That shift is important to note for film and cinema marketers, but it also relates to entertainment marketing more broadly. Definitely, movies are a key focus for many, but the shifts in this respect also largely apply to all other forms of entertainment, and how we find relevant information about them online.
To provide more insight into this change, Facebook recently commissioned Accenture to examine the buying habits of entertainment consumers. They've published a new report based on the findings, including specific insights into how consumers use Facebook, Instagram and Messenger for film-related activities.
You can read Facebook's full report here, which includes country-specific breakdowns, but below is an overview of how US consumers, specifically, now research movies and purchase tickets.