Revealing consumer hearts − the impact of emotional appeals in movie marketing: evidence from marketer-generated content on Weibo

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of emotional appeals in driving user engagement with marketer-generated content (MGC), specifically analyzing variations across the pre- and post-release phases of a movie. The study analyzed 23,998 marketing messages from Sina Weibo related to 356 movies released in China. The findings show that emotional appeals in MGC significantly enhance user engagement, with a stronger impact before a movie’s release, especially when audiences lack prior knowledge about the movie. This study contributes to the marketing and film literature by empirically demonstrating the strategic importance of emotional appeals in MGC strategies, particularly during the pre-release period, in effectively capturing audience attention and fostering engagement.