The effect of localization and production image on Chinese & Korean consumers’ choice for animation movies

Abstract

Chinese and Korean animation film markets are important markets for U.S. animation filmmakers, and audience in these two markets are considered to show different preference towards marketing factors which are used by film producers and suppliers. This study explores the effects of selected factors affecting Chinese and Korean consumers’ choice for U.S. animation films with a comparative survey method. Two important dimensions of film marketing tools (i.e., localization and production images) are considered as factors which include title translation, poster localization, actor image, director image, and film studio image. Total of 450 responses are collected both from South Korea and China and used for comparative analysis. Chinese and Korean consumers are found to show different preference toward marketing programs which are applied to U.S. animation film products. Findings provide suggestions and implications for marketers and distributors of imported animation film products.