Oscar Buzz and the Influence of Word of Mouth on Movie Success

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Owen Eagan

   Pages 1-7

3. The Enduring Appeal of Movies

   • Owen Eagan

   Pages 9-15

4. Risks & Rewards

   • Owen Eagan

   Pages 17-24

5. Film Festivals

   • Owen Eagan

   Pages 25-39

6. The Influence of Film Critics

   • Owen Eagan

   Pages 41-51

7. Movie Buzz & Information Cascades

   • Owen Eagan

   Pages 53-65

8. The Influence of Word of Mouth

   • Owen Eagan

   Pages 67-85

9. Oscar Campaigns

   • Owen Eagan

   Pages 87-98

10. Insights from the Experts

    • Owen Eagan

    Pages 99-122

11. Closing Thoughts

    • Owen Eagan

    Pages 123-126

12. Back Matter

    Pages 127-132

    PDF

This book explores why word of mouth is the most important determinant of a movie’s success. Beginning with a discussion of the enduring appeal of movies, and why the box office has survived the disruption of television and will likely survive the disruption of streaming services, Owen Eagan goes on to discuss the unpredictable nature of movies and ways to mitigate their risk. His astute analysis sheds light on the role of film festivals, film critics, Oscar campaigns, and word of mouth in influencing a film's success. Eagan concludes with a summary of why word of mouth is the most influential among all the variables that affect a film’s outcome.  Expertly synthesizing quantitative analyses of box office data with illuminating insights from industry experts, this concise and engaging book presents findings with important implications for scholars, industry insiders and marketing professionals alike. 

• word of mouth
• word-of-mouth marketing
• Oscar Buzz
• film success
• film marketing
• predictive analytics
• Hollywood

“The book, in my view, may become not only one of the most widely used academic texts but may also prove to achieve mini-Bible status in communication studies and research methodology for scholarly analyses in the media and film industry.” (Eiki Satake, Full Professor of Statistics and Mathematical Sciences, Emerson College, USA)

“Written by a recognized leader in the field of communication studies, this book provides invaluable insights on the influence of word of mouth on movie success for both practitioners and academics alike.” (Dr. J. Gregory Payne, Chair, Department of Communication Studies, Emerson College; Doctor Honoris Causa, Universitat de Ramon Llull)

 

• Department of Communication Studies, Emerson College, Boston, USA

  Owen Eagan

Owen Eagan is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies at Emerson College. He specializes in measuring and assessing strategic communications in business and political environments. He also serves as a Senior Vice President for Consensus Strategies, a management consulting firm specializing in strategic advocacy services.