BET STUDY SLAMS STUDIOS FOR BLACK MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

Studios attempting to target African-Americans in their ad campaigns are making a mistake by focusing narrowly on films that feature African-Americans or on storylines that might be especially relevant to black moviegoers, according to a study conducted for BET Networks. The study, “REEL FACTS: A Movie Goer Consumption Study,” observes that African-Americans are bigger movie fans than the general population as a whole, averaging 13.4 visits to movie theaters per year vs. 11 for the general moviegoer population. In what might be considered a pitch for ads for all types of films on BET’s cable network, the study concluded, “Contrary to what many studios and marketers think, African Americans are a valuable patron of different genres of film and see the platform of television as an important resource in making a decision in this category.” It noted that 65 percent of black moviegoers decide what films they want to see based on what they have learned about them in TV commercials.