• by Wayne Friedman , October 16, 2014

Movie trailers are still big marketing tools for major theatrical movies. But could they do more?

A new study reports 31% of moviegoers said they would buy a movie ticket after watching a trailer or movie ad online -- per U.K.-based marketing technology company Unruly.

The company also found that 28% of 1,050 Web viewers surveyed said they would rent the film, while 12% claimed they would buy a home entertainment copy. The research analyzed the most-shared movie promos from September 2013 to September 2014.

The study notes that U.S. box office results have suffered over the past two years -- sinking 8.8% in revenue. Although movie trailers can yield the greatest social media activity of any branded video content when it comes to customers sharing, timing can pose a bigger challenge.

Some 42% of movie trailer shares occur within the first 24 hours. It takes other branded video -- music videos and ads -- three days to hit this level.

But the study’s analysis is that movie promos and trailers can be released “too early to generate weekend buzz.” Movie promos are typically released months prior to a release date.

Still, social video success correlates with box office success: Of all the major movie studios, Walt Disney has attracted the most online video shares -- 26% -- over the past 12 months. The study also says Walt Disney had the largest market share -- 23% -- of box office revenue in the U.S. during the same period.

Warner Bros was next in online trailer shares -- 22% -- and second place in box office revenue, a 21% market share.

The study says actual movie promos themselves don’t always kick up box-office revenue.

The top five most-shared movie videos, according to Unruly, were “prankverts, stand-alone micro-movies or music videos.” It adds: “Films that go beyond the trailer are generating cut-through and social buzz in a competitive, trailer-heavy media landscape.”