Friday, July 12, 2013

Sentiment Analysis: The New Game Changer for Entertainment Industry



Sentiment Analysis is being considered by entertainment industry experts as the new game changer for films and television. 

In December 2012, IBM and USC Annenberg Innovation Lab conducted a Film Forecaster study to assess the public sentiment on social media channels regarding those movies slated for release over the holiday period. The study’s intention was to understand what people thought of and expected from these movies. 




Using IBM’s Social Sentiment Index the study found that just before its release, the film Twilight: Breaking Dawn, spiked a 90% positive sentiment on Twitter. However, soon after its release, the positive sentiment plummeted to 75%. Though it appeared that viewers had been disappointed after the initial excitement, a closer analysis revealed that the negative sentiment was not against the movie but Twilight fans were “sad” that the series was ending.

This proved that Sentiment Analysis can work wonders for the film and television industry. In the Film Forecaster study, researchers gained critical insights about how people’s sentiments surrounding a film before and after its release proves detrimental for the film’s box office success.

Take another example – just before the release of Puss in the Boots last year, Dreamworks found out that the Twitter conversations surrounding the film was negative. Soon, the movie’s marketers created an appealing and interesting TV ad campaign to check the negative sentiments. The strategy worked. Not only did the movie become a hit but it also garnered a lot of positive mentions on Twitter. 

This indicates that using Sentiment Analysis, film producers and movie marketers can:


  • Before release – assess the sentiment building up around the film as the countdown to its release begins.
  • After its release- Know how well a film will do. 
  • Plan their next step towards making that movie a hit, by basing the plan on the sentiment that has gathered momentum prior to the release.
  • Understand accurately what their audience like and hate. This knowledge will then prove vital in crafting custom made message and marketing campaigns aimed for your audience.


Jonathan Taplin, the director of USC Annenberg Lab predicted that Sentiment Analysis will bring in a revolution in the entertainment industry. In other words, social media monitoring tools and Sentiment Analysis allows film and television houses to glean valuable, actionable insights from public sentiment. It allows them to position their film better, market it well and enjoy greater success at the box office.

So, if you are a heading a film production house or leading the marketing campaign of a soon to be released multi starrer, Sentiment Analysis can help your films in turning it into a runaway hit. To know how write to info@shoutananalytics.com

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