They’re called previews. Not everyone likes them, but when you compare previews at the movies to all other forms of advertising, I bet it’s not even close. Previews are ads that people love; so, what’s the secret? Two of the same secrets present in most successful advertising, just done extremely well: digestability and expectations. Previews are short, snippet summaries of the value a film has to offer, packaged up nicely into an entertaining segment that anyone can consume, interpret, and react to easily. They are also part of a larger movie-going experience, something the 13-dollar ticket-buying audience has already proven they enjoy. People wouldn’t pay to go watch two hours of previews, but when the previews are the opening act to the movie that everyone is excited about seeing, there is added expectation and emotion that is subconsciously invested into the preview. Digestability and expectations drive almost any human experience. And both qualities are ones that previews reach very well, and all marketers should strive to understand and leverage.
