1. 2 is the kevin hart brand growing or oversaturated? is josh gad an asset? actor brand health what...
TRANSCRIPT
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Five Key Areas to Address•Is the Kevin Hart brand growing or
oversaturated? •Is Josh Gad an asset?
Actor Brand Health
•What are key interest drivers and holdbacks? •Who is the lead character: Doug or Jimmy? What role should each character take?
Concept Appeal
•What styles of humor will work best? •How far can the raunch be pushed?Tone
•What story is most appealing?•What elements will make this film feel fresh and original?
Positioning the Story
•How can the film broaden beyond African Americans? •How can the film come across as more than just a typical wedding movie?
Messaging Strategy
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MethodologyQuantitative Brand Assessment and
Script-Based Positioning Study
Online interviews among:900 Generals 17-44
400 African Americans 17-44
Research conducted August 2014
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Concept Appeal
Tone Evaluation
Positioning the Story
Messaging Strategy
Actor Brand Health
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Measuring Actor Strength
AwarenessPopularity Fanship
“On the Way Up”Power Definite Interest in a New Movie
Evaluated Kevin Hart, Josh Gad and 16 other comedic actors
Adam Sandler
Ben Stiller Vince Vaughn
Ricky Gervais
Craig Robinson
Jason Sudeikis
Seth MacFarlane
Ice Cube Seth Rogen
Steve Carrell
Will Ferrell Jack Black Jonah Hill Kevin Hart Kevin JamesChris Rock Eddie Murphy
Josh Gad
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Kevin Hart Health Among All
Pow
er
Popularity
Expanding
Niche
Leading
Stagnant
Pow
er
Popularity
Expanding
Niche
Leading
Stagnant
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Hart Health Among Whites
Pow
er
Popularity
Expanding
Niche
Leading
Stagnant
Pow
er
Popularity
8
Hart Health Among AAs
Pow
er
Popularity
ExpandingNiche
LeadingStagnant
Pow
er
Popularity
9
39
5355 56
58 58 58 5962
64 6568 69
71
7780 81
85
Kevin Hart is “On The Way Up”…
*Among those who have some level of familiarity with the actor
Kevin Hart is perceived as on the rise as moviegoers rate him as one of the highest
comedians who is “on the way up.”
Hart ranks 1st among AAs
with over 9 in 10 saying he
is “on the way up.”
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81%
Hart vs. Gad
Awareness
Fanship
On the way up
Definite Interest in a New Movie
Top Attributes
81% (93% AA vs. 78% White)
16% (12% AA vs. 17% White)
41% (71% AA vs. 31% White)
8% (8% AA vs. 6% White)
80% (94% AA vs. 76% White)
62% (65% AA vs. 61% White)
39% (63% AA vs. 30% White)
20% (20% AA vs. 18% White)
Funny (57%), Entertaining (48%), Likeable (42%),
Talented (38%)
Funny (35%), Entertaining (31%), Likeable (29%),
Talented (24%)
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A TOP COMEDIAN AMONG AAS
Hart Brand Assets
COOL
MODERN
OUTRAGEOUS, NOT RAUNCHY
Kevin Hart is what's hot right know so it has to be over the top funny [Male 30+,
AA]
Ranks 3rd overall on “cool,” just behind Ice Cube and Chris
Rock, and 4th on “modern” after Rogen, Hill and
MacFarlane
Ties for 3rd with Sandler as one of the most
“outrageous” comedians, yet ranks 9th on “raunchy”
I think if given a good part Kevin
Hart could make comedy gold
[Male <30, AA]
Ranks #1 among AAs on “entertaining,” “likable,” modern,” “outrageous,” “talented” and “unique”
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Hart Brand Liabilities
Hart Fanship
ONE STYLE OF HUMORNOT ESTABLISHED
AS A LEADLACKS BROAD FANBASE
Ranks13th along with Jason Sudeikis on
“versatile” overall
Ranks 10th overall on “more of a
lead star”
I definitely love Kevin Hart, but I think that he has been
in too many movies playing the same
exaggerated character over and over. [Female 30+]
say they are “big fans”
71% of AAs
31% of
Whites
vs.
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Hart’s Movies Have Yet to Cross Over
51%
38%
38%
14%
7%
14%
11%
7%
AMONG WHITES
AMONG AAS
Q. Which of these movies have you seen in theaters?
Kevin Hart’s Madden commercial received 10M
views on YouTube
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appe
al
Concept Appeal
Tone Evaluation
Positioning the Story
Messaging Strategy
Actor Brand Health
15
33 30 31 3239
28
51
34
56
35
Title/Star Definite I...
Title/Star Interest Skews Female, AA
*Norm is among general moviegoers 13-49
T/S Norm* = 19
Title/Star interest in seeing The Wedding Ringer is above norm across audiences and is especially strong among AAs and Hart fansWith the inclusion of “wedding” in the title, interest is also strong among Females 30+
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Concept Brings in Older MalesPost-concept interest is good but not great, testing above
norm overall Interest is driven by Older Moviegoers, particularly Females over 30Interest heavily skews AA, with White audiences only testing at norm Kevin Hart fans are in, but show no lift from T/S
33 30 31 3239
28
51
34
56
353633
41
28
43
31
50
42
56
38
Title/Star Post Concept
Concept Norm =
32*
*Norm is among general moviegoers 13-49
T/S Norm* = 19
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Moments that PopOUTRAGEOUS MOMENTS
THE BUSINESS
BUDDING BROMANCE
THE QUIRKY TEAM
FITZGIBBONS, tattooed ex-con with a
mullet
LURCH, an overweight plumber
REGGIE a scrawny TSA Agent.
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Top Funny Moments in the ConceptGrandma set on
fireJimmy’s
disguises
Recreating history
Jimmy as a priest
Jimmy/Doug’s dance scores highly with
Females 30+
The bachelor party incident
scores highly with Younger Males
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In addition to Hart himself being a major driver in the film, moviegoers are also drawn to his character, Jimmy.
Kevin Hart Is the Star
Kevin Hart is the #2 interest driver in the film as a whole, #1 among Younger Males and AAs.
I love Kevin Hart, he is really talented and
funny [Female 30+]
Kevin Hart is in it and he is hilarious in any
movie he plays in [Female 30+]
Hart is much more of a draw than his co-stars
28/54
10/826/14
% saying the actor is a top interest driver in the film
White/AA
58%
22%
20%
84% among
AAs
Jimmy Doug Gretchen
Which of the following characters makes you most interested in The Wedding Ringer?
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Jimmy Is a Smooth Operator
Moviegoers most want to see Jimmy as: “The quick-thinking entrepreneur who can always get his clients, or himself, out of tough
situations.”Aspects of Jimmy’s Character that Boost Appeal
He’s Original
He’s Funny
He’s a Pro
He’s Going to
Grow
The idea of hiring
someone to be a best man
adds a unique spin
Each role he takes on as best man is
more outrageous
than the next
He is cool, and confident and takes his job
seriously
He usually has a strictly
professional relationship with clients, but this is about to change
Jimmy's outlook on weddings makes it funny. He takes
them very serious and that
can make for more laughter.
[Female 30+]
Jimmy grows a heart in the end and Doug gains a friend for the first
time in his life [Female <30]
[I want to see] Jimmy trying to be someone he isn't, like being a priest.
[Female <30]
I like the concept of the hired best man and groomsmen.
pretty unique and funny [Female
30+]
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Doug is the Lovable LoserMoviegoers most want to see Doug as:
“The lovable loser who buys a best man, but is really looking for a best friend.”
Serves as a foil to Jimmy’s character which
adds humor
Adds a heartwarming tone to the story
The fact that Kevin Hart's confidence contrasts Gad's
personality, sounds like it'll be funny how different they are and
how they'll get along. [Female <30]
[I like] the story of Doug finally knowing what it feels like to have
friends. [Female <30]
While Doug is primarily seen as “funny” and “nerdy,” focusing too much on his lonely desperation makes him come across as
‘boring” and “sad.”
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Story Seen as Predictable, Unoriginal
Moviegoers say the story:
With a premise that includes needing a best man, hiring professional help, and crazy wedding antics, moviegoers feel
that the story of The Wedding Ringer is predictable and derivative of other movies.
Seems predictable
Seems too similar to other
movies Does not seem
fresh and original
say the familiar storyline makes
them less interested in
seeing the film
1 in 2 #1 holdback overall
Moviegoers say The Wedding
Ringer reminds them of:
It sounds a lot like "I Love You Man",
but with actors that I don't like as much. [Female <30]
It's too similar a plot to Wedding
Crashers. [Male <30]
It's no different than movies like "Hitch." It's the same story line, just re-worked. [Male <30]
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Raunchiness Raises Some Concern
The bachelor party sounds
raunchy. [Female 30+]
I just hope it sticks to the
plot and doesn't focus on
lame penis jokes.
[Female <30]
I don't really like the bachelor scene too
much. [Female <30]
Say the humor is
too silly/stupid
1 in 4
Say the film seems
too raunchy
1 in 5The humor in The
Wedding Ringer is polarizing for some
females.
Doug’s bachelor party scene with the dog specifically gets the most negative
attention
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tone
Concept Appeal
Tone Evaluation
Positioning the Story
Messaging Strategy
Actor Brand Health
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Perceived as a Buddy Comedy
It sounds chock full of adventure, with a wonderful plot and story of
friendship. [Female <30]
It sounds like a roller coaster of
hilarious mishaps but building of
a great friendship.
[Female <30]
42% Buddy Comedy
27% Raunchy
26% Zany/Slapstick
Moviegoers, particularly Females, are most likely to perceive The Wedding Ringer as a buddy comedy….
Outrageous and over-the-top
Relatable and true-to-life
58% 42%
…but want the tone to be more outrageous and over-the-top than relatable
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Utilizing the Edgy Humor
Feel Good Raunchy59% 41%
Moviegoers in general express a preference for Feel-Good comedy over Raunchy comedy
However, there are a number of popular moments that can help edge up the humor without pushing
the scale too far
Grandma is set on fire (but survives)
The wild escape from the cops
Jimmy’s ridiculous disguises
The groomsmen and their party
tricks
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Compared to the films with which Wedding Ringer is most often associated with, the movie’s blend of the Outrageous
and Feel-Good make it feel fresh.
Finding a Unique Identity
Feel Good Raunchy
Rela
table
Outr
ag
eous
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The S
tory
posi
tio
ning
Concept Appeal
Tone Evaluation
Positioning the Story
Actor Brand Health
Messaging Strategy
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Establishing a Point of Difference
A BuddingBromance
Con Artists on
Escapades
The Suave Professional ???
What story element can set The Wedding Ringer apart from other films?
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Positioning Themes
HITCHJimmy Callahan is a professional best man—to him weddings aren’t just fun and games, they are an art and he is the master. With his charismatic personality, perfectly worded toasts, and infallible improvisational skills, Jimmy always gets the job done. Yet when Jimmy meets Doug Harris, a nerdy businessman who has never had a friend in his life, he wonders if he has met his match.
WEDDING CRASHERS
Jimmy and his friends Plunkett, Alzdo, Carew, Lurch, Fitzgibbons, Endo, Kip, Otis, Bronstein and Reggie are professional wedding imposters. Hired by the groom to be his wedding party, all the crew needs to do is memorize their given roles, perfect their party trick distractions, and then they’re in for a night of free food, wild partying, and getting laid.
LOVEABLE LOSER
When Doug Harris proposed to Gretchen, he only had one thing on his mind—how lucky he was to be marrying a girl way out of his league. Yet as the wedding planning begins, Doug realizes he has no one to be his best man. With only 10 days until he says, “I do,” Doug must recruit the ultimate best man to prove he's cool enough for his in-laws"
THE GOLDEN TUX
Working for the Best Man Inc. Jimmy has had to pull off some incredible stunts to make weddings go smoothly, but when he meets Doug, he will have to conquer his biggest feat yet: the Golden Tux. In less than 2 weeks, Jimmy must find seven groomsmen and win over Doug’s future in-laws, all while giving the most convincing performance of his life.
BROMANCEDoug Harris has never had a best friend. Jimmy, a professional best man, always has a best friend although they never last longer than a weekend. When Doug hires Jimmy to be his best man at his wedding, what starts out as a strictly professional relationship soon turns into a friendship they both have been looking for.
GUYS’ WEEKEND
With no close friends, Doug has missed out on a lot of life’s adventures. But after he hires professional “best man” Jimmy Callahan to be his best friend, Doug is in for the ride of his life. From wild bachelor parties, strange sexual encounters, car chases and unexpected trips to the emergency room, Doug is pushed outside his comfort zone in a series of raunchy experiences he won’t soon forget.
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Positioning Themes
BIC MITCHUM Part of working at Best Man Inc. is adopting any persona the groom has requested. Yet when Jimmy meets groom to be Doug Harris, he must take on the most challenging role yet: a military chaplain, Stanford grad named Bic Mitchum. With less than a week to brush up on the Bible, military intelligence and university knowledge, Jimmy wonders if he’ll ever be able to pull this off.
NOTHING AS IT SEEMS
When Doug hires Jimmy to be his best man, what starts as a little white lie soon turns into the scam of the century. From Jimmy posing as military chaplain Bic Mitchum, to Latino gangster Edmundo pretending to be a flamboyant wedding planner to the groomsmen each pretending to be Doug’s friends from childhood, everyone must perfect their roles to create the perfect wedding
INVENTING HISTORY
When Jimmy starts a new best man job, he is very thorough—he wants to know everything there is to know about the groom so he can create in depth backstory for his character and how he became friends with the groom. For Doug’s wedding, Jimmy goes the extra mile and even creates fake memories by staging pictures of him, Doug and the groomsmen doing all the things best friends do together from bowling, partying to going on crazy adventures.
ALLISON
While Gretchen barely questions why she had never met Doug’s alleged best friend Bic Mithchum until just days before the wedding, her sister Allison is very suspicious and seems overly curious in Bic and Doug’s relationship. Though Jimmy is used to acting on his feet to ensure he plays his part without a hitch, when Allison starts hounding him with questions, she threatens to bring down the whole Golden Tux operation.
COMEDY ENSEMBLE
Coming this winter, The Wedding Ringer stars comedians Kevin Hart and Josh Gad as an unlikely duo who become friends when one hires the other to be the best man at his wedding. This hilarious comedy also features Kaley Cuoco as an unsuspecting bride with cameos from Whitney Cummings and Jeffrey Ross.
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Positioning Scores
MOST Interesting
LEAST Interesting
o Message #2 o
o Message #6 o
o Message #3 o
Used Max Diff Technique to evaluate 11 unique storylinesRespondents see multiple randomized storyline sets Results reflect moviegoers’ preference share relative to other storylinesScore of 100 means preference level for this storyline achieved exactly its proportionate share of preference.
ALL M <30
M 30+
F <30
F 30+ White AA Def
INVENTING HISTORY 116 111 117 113 125 116 116 117
HITCH 112 109 109 112 118 112 113 109
GUYS’ WEEKEND 112 105 113 115 115 112 111 113
NOTHING AS IT SEEMS 111 112 104 112 117 112 111 110
BROMANCE 106 101 103 106 113 108 100 102
THE GOLDEN TUX 105 100 98 111 111 105 107 102
BIC MITCHUM 92 93 87 94 94 93 95 90
WEDDING CRASHERS 91 103 96 87 78 89 97 95
LOVEABLE LOSER 90 94 97 87 81 89 85 88
COMEDY ENSEMBLE 84 89 88 83 75 86 82 92
ALLISON 81 85 88 80 73 79 83 83
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The Big Lie Drives the StoryThe Big Lie is a common thread that runs through the three
top positionings: it brings out the most appealing aspects of both characters and provides opportunities to highlight the
unique brand of outrageous humor.
The Big Lie
The loveable loser who is taken for a wild ride when he lies to his fiancée and must hire a
pro to play his best man
The escalation that ensues when Doug,
Jimmy, and the Groomsmen have to
perfect their roles and fake past adventures
The unique set of guidelines Jimmy lays out
for Doug to craft the perfect lie: coordinating
their stories, using “boomerang words,” creating memories
A smooth professional
staring down his biggest con ever: pretending to be a military chaplain and assembling a
team of groomsmen
Doug
Outrageous Humor
Jimmy
Jimmy’s Rules
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Incorporating the GroomsmenJimmy’s ragtag group of “groomsmen” is crucial to making
The Wedding Ringer feel unique, as their presence makes the comedy bigger and more outrageous.
More Outrageou
s
Bigger
So many individuals trying to stay on the
same page and pretend to be the
groom's friends seems pretty funny because
someone is bound to mess it all up. [F30+]
Differentiates it from:
Sounds like a wild
bunch[M30+]
It sounds fun, like a
big heist or scam in a comedy. [F30+]
It seems wild, and
crazy. Seems very
funny.[M30+]
I want to see their wedding
impersonations. I think this will be hilarious[F<30]
Differentiates it from:
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Establishing a Point of Difference
A BuddingBromance
Con Artists on
Escapades
The Suave Professional
The Mission to Pull Off
The Big Lie
Two guys and their ragtag team of fake groomsmen’s outrageous attempt to pull off the big lie sets The Wedding
Ringer apart from other films.
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Concept Appeal
Tone Evaluation
Actor Brand Health
Messaging Strategy
Positioning the Story
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Demographics AA Def/Likelys
Age<30 4530+ 55
GenderMale 52Female 48
Location
City 54Suburb 40Rural 7
More likely to be Single (54% v. 47%)
More likely to be from the South (56% v. 35%), and live in the city (54% v. 43%)
Bigger fans of Action Films (88% v. 81%), Action Comedies (84% v. 70%), and Kevin Hart
(93% v. 81%)
More influenced by TV advertising (36% v. 26%) and movie trailers in theaters (23% v.
17%)
Targeting Segments – AAs
Media Habits
More likely to have seen:
More likely to use:
More likely to watch:
Who are they?
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AVOID
Engaging the AA BaseAfrican American Definites/Likely Probables account for 10% of
all moviegoers.
DO
Keep the focus on Kevin Hart as the cool professional who is in control
Include Jimmy’s hilarious array of
disguises, especially his new role as a military
chaplain
Show Jimmy, Doug, and rest of the
team recreating history to keep the
Big Lie going
Highlight the edgier humor that
ensues from pulling off the scam, with a
touch of raunch
Overly predictable elements
Too much emphasis on
Doug and Gretchen
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DemographicsWhite
Def/Likelys
Age<30 4430+ 56
GenderMale 52Female 48
Location
City 38Suburb 44Rural 17
More likely to be 30-34 years old (21% v. 16%)
More likely to be Frequent Moviegoers (65% v. 55%)
Slightly more likely to live in the Northeast (22% v. 19%) and South (37% v. 35%)
Bigger fans of Heartfelt (41% v. 36%) and Zany/Slapstick (43% v. 36%) Comedies as well
as Family Films (51% v. 44%)
Who are they?
Targeting Segments – Whites
Media Habits
More likely to have seen:
More likely to use:
More likely to watch:
40
AVOID
Reaching Beyond the AA Base
White Definites/Likely Probables account for 26% of all moviegoers
DO
Highlight the outrageous humor that stems from
pulling off the big lie
Incorporate the eccentric group of
groomsmen to support Kevin
Include moments that hint at the
blossoming bromance between
Doug and Jimmy
Keep Kaley Cuoco in the mix, who is
much more popular/well-known
than Josh Gad
Putting the story on Kevin Hart’s
shoulders
Overemphasizing the raunchy
elements
Overly predictable elements
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Campaign GuidelinesPlay up Doug’s unique
dilemma and solution - don’t dwell on the
wedding or the bachelor party to avoid
unfavorable comparisons to similar comedies
The lengths that Doug, Jimmy, and the
groomsmen will go to sell the big lie adds
outrageous, edgy humor that isn’t overly raunchy
Alluding to Doug and Jimmy’s eventual real
friendship communicates that this will be a feel-
good comedy with some heart
Focus on what’s unique
Play up the big scam
Hint at a bromance
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Positioning ArchitectureTarget
AudiencesPrimary: AAs, Kevin Hart FansSecondary: Non-AA Moviegoers Over 30
Movie Genre Buddy Comedy
Key Descriptors Outrageous, Bromantic, Mildly Raunchy
Meta Positioning
Cool and confident Jimmy Callahan is a professional best man who begins the most challenging job of his career when he meets loveable loser Doug Harris. Rather than face the embarrassment of telling his fiancée that he has no friends, Doug has told the biggest lie of his life: that a military chaplain named Bic Mitchum is going to be his best man. To prevent Gretchen from finding out the truth, Jimmy must pull out all the stops: he rehearses his “Bic Mitchum” character, learns everything there is to know about Doug, hires a crew of guys to be the groomsmen, and creates fake memories by staging photographs of Doug and his hired bridal party. As they go through extreme lengths to pull off the lie, the line between what’s real and what’s fake begins to blur as Doug and Jimmy start to become real friends.
Key Assets
Kevin Hart brand is strong among AAs The promise of outrageous comedy that arises from the con job The story of a business partnership blossoming into a bromance Kevin Hart’s appeal as a smooth-talking, disguise-wearing best man The added comedy from Doug’s crew of eccentric groomsmen
Key Challenges
Positioning Kevin Hart as the man in control, and not the wacky underdog
Differentiating itself from similar genre entries Finding the right balance between feel-good and edgy comedy Extending past a strong AA base
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Hart Fanship Skews AA, Younger
While Hart possesses huge popularity among African Americans, his appeal among Whites and Older Audiences
is still relatively limited.
Demographics
OverallMoviegoe
rs
Kevin Hart Fans
Age<30 50 5530+ 50 45
GenderMale 50 52Female 50 48
Race
White 59 45AA 15 26Hispanic 20 25Asian/Other 6 4
Skew ages 17-20 (22% v. 17% overall)
Are more likely to live in a city (50% v. 43%)
Are much more likely to be fans of Buddy Comedies
(51% v. 42%)
Media Habits
More Likely to Have Seen:
Kevin Hart Fans:
45
Trailer Boosts Interest and Humor
All Males <30
Males 30+
Females <30
Females 30+
White AA Hispanics Hart Fans
33 30 31 3239
28
51
34
56
36 3341
28
43
31
5042
5649 47
5345
5044
63
53
72Title/Star Post Concept Post Trailer
Concept Norm = 32*
T/S Norm = 19
Definite Interest Comparison
% Who say the film seems “Very Funny”
43% 57%Post-Concept Post-Trailer
46
4171
31 50
% Big Fan
Kevin Hart Profile
81 93 78 81
% Aware
80 94 76 84
% On the Way Up*
3963
30 48
% Definite Interest in Seeing a New Movie Starring Kevin Ha...
Awareness and Fanship
Future Growth and Interest
Top 10 DescriptorsFunny (57%)Entertaining
(48%)Likeable (42%)
Talented (38%)
Cool (35%)
Silly (34%)Witty/Clever
(30%)Modern (25%)Outrageous
(25%)Unique (25%)
*Among those who have some level of familiarity with Kevin Hart
47
8 8 6 13
% Big Fan
Josh Gad Profile
16 12 17 15
% Aware
62 65 61 63
% On the Way Up*
20 20 18 29
% Definite Interest in Seeing a New Movie Starring Josh Gad*
Awareness and Fanship
Future Growth and Interest
Top 10 DescriptorsFunny (35%)Entertaining
(31%)Likeable (29%)
Talented (24%)
Cool (19%)
Silly (19%)
Smart (19%)Witty/Clever
(19%)Modern (18%)
Relatable (18%)
*Among those who have some level of familiarity with Josh Gad
48
Kaley Cuoco Profile
All African Americans Caucasian Hispanic
21 1426
15
% Saying Kaley Cuoco is a Top Interest Driver in the Film
Kaley Boosts Interest in the Film among Whites
All African Americans Caucasian Hispanic
5884
51 5822 10 25 2520 6 24 16
Jimmy Doug Gretchen
Moviegoers are Equally Likely to Like Gretchen and Doug
Q. Which of the following characters makes you most interested in seeing The Wedding Ringer?
The Big Bang Theory is the #1
Show Respondents Watch
27 2033
20
% Watch The Big Bang Theory