African Americans and Mobile Entertainment.

The Mobile Consumer: African Americans, Movies & Mobile

A New Report by MocoSpace and Briabe Mobile

More than any other ethnic demographic, African Americans use mobile phones to make movie plans

African Americans are not only an important demographic of the US movie going population, but they are at the forefront of a new trend of using mobile phones to guide movie selection.

African Americans attend movies more frequently than other ethnic demographics, including Hispanics and Caucasians. Now, research from a new study is showing that African Americans are more active than other demographics in using their mobile devices to find theaters, movie times and reviews. This insight comes from a survey of more than 1100 Americans who participated in research for a new report titled The Mobile Consumer: African Americans, Movies & Mobile. The study was conducted on MocoSpace’s diverse network of users, in partnership with multicultural mobile agency Briabe Mobile.

Based on the results from a June 2011 survey, the study revealed that 66% of African Americans go to the movie theater at least once a month, and 19% see movies three times a month - and they are relying on their mobile phone in the movie selection process. The vast majority - seventy percent - of African Americans surveyed used their phone to help choose a movie within 8 hours of actually attending the movie.

Another key finding of the survey is that African Americans use their phones for almost every part of the film-discovery process. Sixty-eight percent use their mobile devices for overall movie planning. Of those:

o 69% use their mobile devices to find show times and locations;

o 35% use it to view trailers;

o 34% use it to get reviews; and

o 28% use it to discover movies.

The study also revealed that mobile ads are extremely effective with this demographic. African American consumers are more likely to take action as a result of mobile advertising than any other ethnic group. Survey participants were asked: ‘When using your mobile device what influences you to see a movie?’ and 41% of African Americans reported that that mobile ads influence their decision. Comparatively, 40% of Hispanics claimed that mobile ads influenced them, while only 31% of the general market said the same.

Of the mobile ad types, mobile search ads saw the greatest response; 45% of African Americans said mobile search ads influenced their decision, with mobile banner ads coming in second at 39% and 28% saying SMS ads made them want to see a film.

As movie studios look to boost their box office, this data illustrates that African Americans are a driving force for ticket sales. The mobile device and mobile media is a huge opportunity for advertisers and marketers to engage this audience and drive them to theaters.

About Briabe Mobile
Briabe Mobile, Inc., is an award-winning full-service, multicultural mobile marketing agency. Since 2005, Briabe Mobile has been the leader in innovative, targeted mobile marketing and advertising campaigns that help brands capture and engage their diverse consumer audiences – including Hispanic, Asian and African American ethnic groups – using mobile devices. Briabe Mobile helps brands leverage mobile platforms to connect with their target customers via unique solutions and campaigns that complement their existing marketing efforts.

About MocoSpace
MocoSpace is the largest HTML5 mobile gaming community in North America, with twenty-five million registered users. Every day, users spend more than one million hours on MocoSpace, and one million games are played. For a young, multicultural, on-the go generation, MocoSpace is the mobile community of choice for playing games, making friends, having fun and staying connected. MocoSpace is free and available on any Web-enabled mobile phone in the world. Launched in 2005, MocoSpace is based in Boston, Mass., and is backed by General Catalyst and Softbank Capital.

Contacts:

MocoSpace:

Rachael Himsel Nunez
415.677.9125 x 257

Briabe Mobile

Meeta Chawla
310.694.3283

If You Are A Black Actress and Want An Oscar, Play A Maid

Hattie McDaniel

Prior to Sunday's Academy Awards, only 13 black actors had won in the Oscars’ 84-year history. Only Halle Berry had been chosen best actress, for playing a wounded soul who finds solace in the arms of a white man in “Monster’s Ball.”  The best supporting actress victory of Octavia Spencer, who played another maid in “The Help,” shows that maid roles are responsible for two of the six Oscars won by black actresses.

In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Oscar, for a supporting role as a maid called Mammy in the Dixie-glorifying “Gone With the Wind.” Since then, a high percentage of black Oscar nominees and winners have played characters such as slaves, African despots, welfare recipients, dysfunctional mothers, drug-addicted musicians or drug-dealing cops.

Of the 5,765 people who vote on the Oscars, nearly 94 percent are white and 77 percent are male, according to a new Los Angeles Times study. The median voter age is 62.  (Associated Press, Black News, 2/28/2012)

Urban Internet News

Urban Internet News (UINews) is dedicated to daily, national news that pertains to people of color. As the nation’s only daily, audio newscast, UINews.net is the premier online programming source to offer access to daily Black national news. With easy access from almost anywhere–and now with technology, even your mobile phone,Urban Internet News covers every aspect of news for people of color. 

UINews.net hopefully fills the void of black news in an age where other networks have arguably fallen by the wayside.  UINews.net serves an ever expanding audience that utilizes the Internet as a primary news source. UINews.net offers the latest news and information as it occurs and is updated on a regular basis.

UINews.net offers both full newscasts and briefs on a daily basis, Monday through Friday.  UINews.net reports the top stories and events including business, politics, technology, entertainment and sports, all specific to the black community.  UINews.net also features segments covering Caribbean and African news.

UINews.net will offer listener’s unmatched access to highly produced news programming, helping to keep their finger on the pulse of the news and information that is relevant.

DJ Benjamin Jones will be on the music side (Spirit & Soul) from 7pm til midnite on Saturday nights.  It is their desire to lift  spirits higher with inspirational Gospel, R&B, Jazz and inspiring words and scripture. Call or email them with  encouraging words: 1(877)522-6285 spiritandsoulonline@gmail.com

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