“Bruno” vs. “The Hangover”

Whether it’s the Iranian elections or Michael Jackson’s death, we’ve seen over and over again that social media is having a vast and profound effect on the way the way that people interact, how they gather their news, where they spend their money, and what entertainment they consume.

On the entertainment front, so much of what people decide to watch, read, play is based on the recommendations of friends and family, so it makes sense that the most recent example of social media at work can be seen in two of the summer’s most anticipated comedies: “Bruno” and “The Hangover.”

“Bruno” debuted last Friday night with a promising $14.4 million at the box office, but in just one day dropped a staggering 39 percent to $8.8 million. Since then, and only the second weekend into its run, the film has lost 73% of its first weekend take. On the other hand is “The Hangover,” which has been out for seven weeks, is still going strong and has brought in more than $235 million to become the highest grossing R-rated comedy ever.

So what happened? Yes, you could chalk it up to one movie simply being better than the other, but it’s astounding that “Bruno” has fallen so far so fast (39 percent in ONE day?!) while “Hangover” is having a record run. But another possibility (and I think a likely one) could have to do with the fact that today between Twitter, Facebook and other instantaneous social media platforms, a snap judgment of one person can be passed on to hundreds, if not thousands, of potential moviegoer friends before they’ve even left the theater. This kind of one-to-many engagement was essentially impossible just a few years ago—or if anything, much, much more difficult—and is having a real impact on the bottom line of new releases—for better or for worse. For any multitude of reasons, people are talking up “Hangover” and talking down “Bruno” across social media channels, and it’s spreading fast.

For movie marketers, and marketers in general, this just means that more than ever you have to be aware of these new channels and monitor what people are saying, and for producers (movie and otherwise), you have to make a good product. Massive marketing spend alone may not cut it anymore.  The masses are watching, they’re paying attention, and they’re telling their friends.

So what effect does this have in the micro-case study that is my own life? I loved The Hangover (and posted just that on Facebook). Bruno? Haven’t seen it, because, frankly, I heard it wasn’t that good. Now excuse me while I do a Twitter search to see what’s being said about “500 Days of Summer” vs. “Ice Age.” I have a weekend to plan…