What does the core audience look like for this new Resident Evil series?
It leans male (58%) and 30+ (53%), with the most prevalent demo predicted to be men 18-44. The show appeals to a slightly younger viewership than similar gaming adaptations The Witcher, Halo, and the animated Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness (58-66% 30+).

Why is now a good time for a new entry in the Resident Evil franchise?
Because of its topicality. The Resident Evil world–and this new series in particular–touches on several cultural issues currently in the news, including a citizenry whose Life Is in Danger (126) from a pandemic-level virus, a broad conspiracy masking a Hidden Truth (131), and questions around the credibility of medical Science (123). All three are key viewership drivers.

What could get more people talking about the show?
Its unique-for-the-franchise diversity. This series reimagines a key (and traditionally white) gaming villain as Black and follows his heroic daughter across two different timelines; their centralized Black POV (143) is the top motivation for social buzz as well as a crucial ratings driver. Viewers are excited to see the core desires of Physicality (110) and Vengeance (105) through the eyes of an African-American lead.

What role should the zombies play in the series?
A supporting one. While the disturbing, virus-mutated creatures in the show’s post-apocalyptic timeline are essential to its Stylized Action and Violence (120), to optimize ratings, its overall focus should remain on the human characters as they struggle to survive and enact revenge on the evil Umbrella Corporation. This finding lies in contrast to shows like Fear the Walking Dead and Day of the Dead, for which the zombies themselves are an important driver of bingeability.

What’s the importance of the brand name for this series?
It sets background expectations but is not the key draw. The Resident Evil IP Extension (103) will of course attract attention and contribute to social buzz, but it’s actually the brand new story being told that will most attract viewers, even if the liberties taken with gaming canon might ruffle some feathers.

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

How does this show’s audience compare to others in the same genre?
It’s younger. As with similarly spooky reality series Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, the Conjuring Kesha audience leans female (59%), but thanks to the latter’s streaming-only platform and Millennial-aged host, its viewers are considerably younger (44% <30) than its cable-based predecessors (only 12-13% <35).

What’s the most intriguing aspect of Conjuring Kesha?
Its eerie tone. The Scary Situations (160) that envelop Kesha and her friends as they explore one Haunted House (160) after another and experience undeniable signs of the paranormal are top ratings drivers. Viewers are leaning hard into the show’s sense of Terror (114) and Surprise (114) as they witness unexplained and Mysterious Events (121).

Is having Kesha at the helm a draw?
Most definitely. As a Strong Female Character (160), she is a crucial driver of overall viewership as she guides the audience through each scene of terror, and as a world-famous popstar, she helps contribute to the show’s likely longevity thanks to its Celebrity Focus (118).

How do Kesha’s famous guest stars fit in?
They amp up the show’s appeal. As with Kesha herself, her rotating cast of assistant ghost hunters, including comedian Whitney Cummings, bounce rapper Big Freedia, and The Bachelorette‘s Jojo Fletcher, help increase ratings, social buzz, and bingeability. These guests contribute to the show’s intimate feel with their straight-to-camera, Talking Heads (157)-style interviews.

What will get people talking AND extend the life of the series?
The broader themes of exploration. The fact that Kesha and her co-stars are Searching for the Truth (117) about the paranormal by Ghost Hunting (126) at well-known Landmarks (114) across the country (such as the infamous Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia) creates a repeatable premise that both inspires social buzz and helps set up a second season.

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

FX’s newest series made quite the splash with its mid-June debut, emerging as the most-watched cable series premiere since January 2021. Based on the bestselling novel, this dark, gritty spy thriller stars Jeff Bridges as an ex-CIA operative on the run from black-ops assassins and has already been renewed for a second season. Here’s what you need to know about The Old Man:

Who’s the audience for this series?
As the title aptly suggests, older men. The show’s initial cable run skews heavily older (with 81% aged 35+) and leans male (53%); though its next-day Hulu streaming does help bring in some younger viewers. The overall audience falls squarely in the Gen X-to-Boomers range, similar to fellow FX gritty dramas Snowfall and Mayans.

Where does The Old Man fall on the genre scale?
Into Action-Thriller territory. However, while the show’s gripping Action & Violence (142) place it next to other male-driven thrillers like Shooter, Mosquito Coast, The Terminal List, and Condor, The Old Man also boasts a near-Western (130) flavor thanks to the cowboy-like Tough Guy persona of Bridges’ rugged CIA vet.

What’s driving the show’s noteworthy ratings?
Its pervasive sense of danger. Protagonist Dan Chase is Under Threat (160) not only from pursuing assassins but also a mysterious and potentially deadly figure from his past; these perils, combined with his on-the-run status (Being Hunted (127)), create what is far and away the show’s most compelling story hook.

Has the show’s social buzz kept up with its viewership?
Yes. The Old Man saw a huge jump in online activity (to our max of 160) upon its premiere and has been hovering north of 120 ever since, a good sign for sustained word-of-mouth. As with its ratings, the show’s buzz is being driven primarily by the thrills, action, and suspense around Chase’s off-the-grid, fugitive status.

What makes Chase’s character more dynamic than the flat ‘action hero’ stereotype?
His love of dogs. Beyond being a regulation tough guy, the grizzled Chase also demonstrates compassion and depth through his commitment to Rottweilers Dave and Carol (Animal Companionship (116)), beloved partners who accompany him everywhere. This richness makes Chase a character worth rooting for across multiple seasons.

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

To honor the last week of Pride Month, and with the recent success of shows like Heartstopper, Euphoria, Queer Eye, and Love, Victor across both TV and streaming, Vault AI wanted to dig deeper into current trends for series with prominent LGBTQIA+ themes. Here’s what Vault uncovered:

What demographic tends to be the most attracted to series with compelling LGBTQIA+ hooks?
Women. Of all the series in StoryGuide that motivate viewership via their LGBTQIA+ Themes and Protagonists, the vast majority skew female, with an average audience make-up of 61%.

What’s the trend for LGBTQIA+-related shows in recent years?
Rising in number and popularity. As a viewership driver, LGBTQIA+ Themes has become increasingly prevalent since roughly 2016, helping to boost ratings, binge, and longevity for the shows that offer it. So far peaking in 2021 with 19 occurrences, this driver—defined as “topics connected to members of the LGBTQIA+ community”—has an “outstanding”-level impact nearly every time it appears.

How are LGBTQIA+ leads being represented on-screen today?
With more nuance than ever. Over the last few years, shows as varied as Euphoria and Joe vs. Carole, and have found success in fully dimensionalizing their main characters, building them out to where their sexuality is one of many key traits rather than the only one. LGBTQIA+ Protagonists explore storylines ranging from Adultery and Dysfunctional Relationships to Teen Life and Rivalry–just like any non-LGBTQIA+ role.

What’s the impact of featuring an LGBTQIA+ protagonist?
Strong and positive. Queer leads are increasingly becoming more of a draw for audiences eager for unique and authentic characters and storylines that center historically maginalized voices. In only the first six months of 2022, LGBTQIA+ Protagonists have already become more prevalent and more impactful than in both 2020 and 2021, particularly in terms of encouraging binge-watching.

Which story drivers work best alongside LGBTQIA+ Themes?
Love and family dynamics. Queer themes are often most effectively explored within the context of close personal relationships, creating tension and emotion that become compelling reasons to watch. Indeed, LGBTQIA+ narratives that highlight Romantic and Family Relationships in particular tend to drive ratings and bingeability.

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

Netflix’s most expensive original film to date releases in late July and is intended to jumpstart a brand new action franchise for the streamer. Directed by the Russo brothers (of Marvel fame) and starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans as opposing CIA assassins, the film serves as an homage to high-octane 70s-style thrillers. Here’s what you need to know about The Gray Man:

Which audience will drive viewership for the title?
Older men. Males 35+ show the greatest demand (‘Promising’ at 114), very much in line with other recent Netflix male-led actioners like Extraction and 6 Underground and in keeping with the typical fanbase of the spy thriller genre. However, The Gray Man is unlikely to find the same success with women seen in the streamer’s breakthrough hit Red Notice (96 vs 116), which may have drawn a broader audience thanks to co-star Gal Gadot and its promising Buddy Comedy (110) driver.

What could help strengthen the movie’s appeal to women?
Gosling’s team-up with co-star Ana de Armas. While also a top ratings driver overall, the pair’s high-stakes Partnership (138) amidst danger and action as both race to escape the maniacal Evans is a particularly strong draw for women, most notably those <35 (158).

Will the Russo brothers’ propulsive action sequences be important to ratings?
Most definitely. The directors’ edge-of-your-seat Car Chases (121) and Stylized Physical Violence (111) are important drivers for demand, especially with their exhilaratingly chaotic blend of practical and visual effects.

What will make The Gray Man stand out from other action movies?
The mano-a-mano battle between two former CIA colleagues. The Face-Off (118) between Gosling’s on-the-run renegade agent and Evans’ psychopathic assassin in hot pursuit is the top concept driving the film’s freshness. The excitement of watching the pair square off, as well as the surrounding trickery, sprung traps, and themes of loyalty and betrayal will help this film stand out among Netflix’s other releases.

How does the film’s bestselling source material fit into its appeal?
It serves as a strong basis for the story’s Global Adventure (126). The Gray Man novel takes its ‘spy vs. spy’ plotline around the world, and this first movie adaptation filmed set pieces in both France and the Czech Republic as well as stateside—settings that will undoubtedly help bring in an international audience.

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for widely released films are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside historical box office performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive opening weekend success.

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on opening weekend success: 

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About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

Netflix has achieved yet another breakout hit, this time in the form of a heartwarmingly sweet LGBTQ+ British teen rom-com. Released back in April, the series has shown considerable staying power, building on viewers’ positive word-of-mouth and touted in the media as one of the best new shows of 2022. Here’s what you need to know about Heartstopper:

What audience has been driving the show’s popularity?
Younger adult women. Although the show follows two teenage boys, Heartstopper viewers are heavily female (71%), with a full quarter made up of women 18-29. Its audience profile is similar to other recent teen-oriented romantic dramas, including Never Have I Ever, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Gossip Girl, and Love, Victor.

Has all the media buzz been accompanied by increased social chatter?
Most definitely. Heartstopper’s has seen a much more sustained level of online activity than the norm, coasting at our max (160) for the entire first month after launch (potentially receiving an extra boost from Pride Month). The show’s social buzz has outstripped more typically-performing comps like Love, Victor, Gossip Girl, and Never Have I Ever, which all saw drop-offs within a week after their initial release.

What has made this show such a breakout hit for Netflix?
Its sweet, heartfelt depiction of budding Teen Romance (160) and the ups and downs of Teen Life (144). The series delves into common high school rom-com tropes from an LGBTQ+ perspective and tells a universally relatable Coming of Age (124) story about finding first love.

What makes this series different from other teen high school romances?
The all-boys British grammar School Setting (160). This fresher and more unusual (to Americans, at least) version of the educational backdrop has made the setting a more central ratings driver than for other teen series like Euphoria, Pen15, and Love, Victor.

Which emotions has Heartstopper tapped into that are generating such praise?
Love (123) and Acceptance (118). The show’s inherent sweetness and positivity, especially around its central LGBTQ+ romance, are what’s creating such strong word-of-mouth; similarly, the Trust (118) and Anticipation (118) surrounding the budding relationship between teens Nick and Charlie play into its likely longevity.

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

Disney Pixar’s newest animated feature releases this weekend only in theaters and is already receiving the brand’s expected high level of critical acclaim. The film is a prequel of sorts to Toy Story, depicting the adventures of the (fictional) human astronaut, voiced by Chris Evans, that inspired young Andy’s beloved Buzz Lightyear action figure. Here’s what you need to know about Lightyear:

 

In the age of peak content, the media and entertainment industry faces new challenges after years of expansion. The streaming boom is slowly turning into a battle of customer retention while linear TV continues to lose viewers, and audiences are slowly returning to movie theaters in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. In the midst of this change, we are now faced with the reality of inflationary pressures and a potential recession, exacerbating the challenges of competition and subscriber fatigue. In the face of these challenges, the value of “hit” content has never been higher. Given these changes, now is the time for content creators and marketers to gain a competitive edge by making their content and research strategies more nimble, scalable, and reliable via AI-powered Consumer Insights.

AI-powered Consumer Insights encompasses respondent-free research techniques that offer media and entertainment executives a faster, more accurate and more secure approach to consumer insights than current survey and focus group methodologies. By using AI to understand consumer behaviors and taste preference, issues related to sample size and data quality are eliminated, global insights are more timely, and research findings can evolve in real-time as the competitive landscape changes and new viewership patterns emerge.

With total content spend reaching over $140bn in 2022 (Variety), top studios and streamers require more thorough and complex research to identify prospective “hits” and optimize creative and marketing strategies. This mass-production of content and proliferation of direct to consumer streaming platforms has led to unprecedented levels of competition in the US, causing many media and entertainment outlets to lean heavily on international markets to sustain growth. Fortunately, Artificial Intelligence is particularly well suited to utilize Big Data to understand the competitive global content landscape, audience tastes, and drivers of viewership. AI empowers the media and entertainment sector with the Consumer Insights needed to thrive in today’s uncertain marketplace.

 

 

To be sure, survey and focus group research continues to play a critical role in helping the media and entertainment sector understand the opinions and thoughts of certain audiences. However, this article articulates the benefits of embracing AI-powered Consumer Insights as part of the research process to optimize ongoing and future content investment and marketing strategies.

The Flaws of Traditional Consumer Research

Aging methodologies underpin much of the status quo for consumer research. These traditional consumer insights rely on respondent-based methodologies like focus groups, panels, and surveys. These traditional methods help identify the decision making and experience behind peoples’ recent behaviors, but are less powerful when predicting future behaviors. The glaring failures of political polling in recent times are evidence of this.

While there have been some technological advancements in traditional research methods, namely fraud response detection and mobile survey samples, these haven’t addressed the fundamental issues of sample size, extrapolation, and reliability.

“Entertainment companies continue to use traditional respondent research despite fundamental issues.”

Sample Bias and Accuracy Issues
Insights based on traditional consumer research are only as good as the respondent data collected. Experts question if surveys and focus groups can consistently collect high-quality data. Studies show that 90% of researchers need to improve panel quality control (i.e., removing bots and problem respondents from their panel). Over 40% of respondents claim familiarity with fake brands, demonstrating the challenges in trusting respondent feedback at face value (Grey Matter Research). Long surveys are another issue impacting data quality. Survey lengths increase to gather more meaningful insight, often taking thirty minutes or more to complete, resulting in respondent fatigue, non-response bias and diminishing data quality.

Small Sample Size
The small sample sizes of traditional methods are often a source of frustration for the entertainment market. Yet, with no clear alternative, and tight budgets to meet, respondent surveys are deployed with samples as small as 300-1,000 respondents. As a result, the risk factor of extrapolating these findings to the broader population in an increasingly complex market is high, diminishing the entertainment industry’s ability to make critical business decisions with a high degree of confidence.

Slow and Labor Intensive Process
Aside from data quality and sample size issues, collecting respondent feedback is inefficient. Positioning studies for entertainment content often take six weeks, not including planning time. More significant global genre and landscape studies often take months. As a result, insights are often weeks old by the time they arrive. In a competitive market with rapid releases, this turnaround is suboptimal.

Static Results
Finally, data collected in respondent studies do not reflect changes in consumer behavior that emerge after the study is completed. To monitor trends over time or dig deeper into nuances discovered during research, the entire survey or focus group process must start again from the beginning — the antithesis of scalability.

Despite these fundamental issues, most entertainment companies continue to use traditional respondent research as their primary methodology. Fortunately, there is another way to make decisions that drive business outcomes.

A New Dawn: AI-powered Consumer Insights

Predictive, data-driven audience research provides decision-makers with insights based on population-level viewership behaviors rather than respondent opinions. As a pioneer in this space, Vault AI’s approach uses a proprietary combination of AI and consumer insights talent to identify the core story themes and character profiles present in the content. Machine learning then identifies the story elements that drive viewership based on actual in-market performance data (e.g. box office, live viewership, number of hours streamed).

“AI-powered insights are based on actual behavioral data, not stated responses from respondents.”

 

This approach was designed to deliver consumer insights in a way that directly addressed the limitations of traditional respondent-based consumer research in the entertainment market.

Eliminating Sample Bias and Small Sample Sizes
AI-powered insights are based on actual behavioral data, not stated responses from respondents, eliminating the issues in sample quality, respondent bias, leading questions, and small sample extrapolation. All of this is made possible by using AI and Big Data to understand the actual viewing behaviors of entire populations, rather than collecting feedback from a small portion of the population to extrapolate to a larger group.

Faster Turnaround Time & Dynamic Results
By eliminating the time needed for respondent recruitment and study administration, AI analysis can deliver actionable consumer insights within 24 hours. Unlocking the ability to deliver insights early enough for implementation and with enough time to support rapid iteration and follow-up studies. As production unfolds and as release approaches, insights can be rapidly updated to reflect the evolving creative and marketing materials and competitive release landscape.

 

Why Now?

The trends of globalization and multimodal distribution in the media sector (e.g., releasing on both linear TV and streaming) coupled with increasing market competition and challenging economics make AI-powered Consumer Insights well suited to the current and future needs of content creators, marketers, distributors, and researchers.

One World, Many Markets
The media and entertainment industry is increasingly international. Global OTT revenue is projected to rise from $135B in 2021 to $224B by 2027 as streaming services produce and distribute content on an increasingly global basis to sustain growth (Digital TV News). However, the traditional respondent-based research techniques used to inform these production, distribution and expansion strategies offer few synergies and limited economies of scale, making them suboptimal for the consumer research needs of today’s competitive global entertainment landscape. Conversely, the speed and reliability of AI-powered Consumer Insights methodologies become an increasingly compelling value-add when applied on a global basis.

A Hit is a Hit in Any Language
The availability of and appetite for foreign language content has increased across the globe. In the US, 2020 Oscars champion Parasite and recent box office breakout Everything Everywhere All at Once are not in English, while streaming hits Squid Game, Money Heist, and Lupin are all imports (CNET).

Globalized content is more than just the US importing and exporting content – Squid Game was at one point the top show in 90 countries (Forbes). AI is language-agnostic and can understand viewership based on population-level engagement data in any country. The advantages of predictive insights, including turnaround time, are particularly game-changing as the number of titles and countries researched increases.

Multimodal Distribution
Another critical trend impacting consumer research in the entertainment industry is the increase in multimodal distribution — namely, releasing content in multiple distribution formats (e.g. linear and digital). Distribution decisions add complexity to content and marketing strategies. AI-powered consumer insights have an advantage over traditional and proprietary 1st party subscriber-specific datasets by representing audience behavior holistically across all modes of distribution.

 

The rise of multimodal distribution has prompted new research questions. Instead of asking: “Will this attract a live audience at home or in theaters?” audience research today strives to answer: “How can this content create the greatest lifetime value across all our modes of distribution?” AI and Big Data-driven analysis provide a methodologically robust view of audience consumption and a means for predicting the value of content in any release format.

AI-powered Insights Yield Impactful Results

Traditional consumer insights methodologies were designed for simpler times. Surveys remain great for understanding why a group of people took specific actions. However, AI is more powerful as a strategic ally for predicting the performance of unreleased content and optimizing release strategies to maximize commercial success and navigate significant market turbulence.

Content, audience and distribution decisions pose complex questions, exasperating the fundamental shortcomings of traditional research. In contrast, Vault AI’s proprietary combination of data, AI and consumer insights experts evaluates consumer viewing patterns holistically across all types of distribution and consumption, providing faster and more accurate insights aligned with the needs of today’s media and entertainment industry.

 

Continue the conversation about what AI-powered consumer insights can do for you: etitelman@vault-ai.com

Or register your interest for our upcoming webinar on this topic

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About Vault AI

Vault AI delivers AI-powered consumer insights for leading streamers, TV networks and film studios. Our proprietary mix of performance datasets, machine learning, and consumer insights professionals brings you powerful insights with the highest accuracy and fastest turnaround time. Without needing a single survey or focus group, we help you make better production, development and marketing decisions for your content at scale.

Unlock the future of your content with us today.

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Analysis and writing by Mark Antal, SVP Corporate Strategy and Business Development, and Joe Kardon, Director of Business Development