On the eve of Crazy Rich Asiansโ nationwide U.S. release last week, we partnered up with Warner Bros. Pictures and IW Group to host a private screening in New York that brought together media professionals and Asian American leaders. The event celebrated a historic milestone for diversity and representation and sparked dialogue about the future of Hollywood in an increasingly multicultural consumer landscape.
As the first major American film starring an all-Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club in 1993, Crazy Rich Asians is more than just a movie for the Asian American communityโitโs a cinematic turning point. The Jon M. Chu-directed romantic comedy represents a newfound visibility on the silver screen that has been a long time coming.
"Orang Asia-Amerika melihat dan mengenali satu sama lain, berkumpul dan bersatu untuk dilihat dan didengar tidak seperti sebelumnya," kata Mariko Carpenter, Wakil Presiden Aliansi Komunitas Strategis Nielsen. "Sebagai segmen konsumen dengan daya beli yang paling cepat berkembang dan kehadiran digital yang kuat, segmen ini mewakili peluang yang luar biasa dan suara yang berpengaruh."
Acara Nielsen, yang diadakan di AMC 34th Street Theater, menarik perwakilan dari perusahaan-perusahaan seperti New York Times, Forbes, dan Buzzfeed, serta organisasi nirlaba termasuk Chinese-American Planning Council, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, dan Korean American Family Services Center.
Nielsen Chief Diversity Officer Angela Talton kicked off the evening by welcoming attendees and highlighting some key findings featured in our newly-published consumer report, Asian Americans: Digital Lives and Growing Influence. The report offers key insights into Asian American consumer habits across various industries. In addition to showing that Asian Americans are the fastest-growing and most affluent U.S. segmentโwith a buying power quickly approaching $1 trillion dollarsโthe report also noted that Asian Americans are avid and devoted moviegoers. For example, when compared to Non-Hispanic Whites, Asian Americans over index by 75% for buying movie tickets online and 23% for having attended a movie at a theater once in the last 30 days.
"Dalam hal tingkat kunjungan ke bioskop, orang Asia-Amerika melebihi indeks dalam segala hal," kata Angela. "Di saat jumlah orang yang pergi ke bioskop lebih sedikit, studio tidak bisa mengabaikan penonton Asia-Amerika."
Following the screening, viewers were treated to a private reception where they enjoyed dim sum and specialty โmocktailsโ catered by popular Chinatown eatery Nom Wah Tea Parlor. Conversations turned to why it took Hollywood a quarter of a century to produce another contemporary film with an Asian leading cast and the movieโs opening weekend prospects.
โTo say that a film like Crazy Rich Asians doesnโt come around very often would be a gross understatement,โ said Nita Song, President & Chief Momentum Officer of IW Group, a multicultural marketing agency that oversaw the Asian American outreach efforts for the Warner Bros. film. โIt also presents the ultimate litmus test in terms of proving that Asian Americans are a commercially viable audience segment.โ
The movie has inspired similar conversations across news outlets. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, an entrepreneur and blogger for Forbes who attended the screening, documented her reaction in a recent article on Forbes.comโfinding key career lessons in both the movie and the consumer insights presented beforehand. In addition, Mariko recently sat down with Bloomberg TVโs Daybreak Asia to discuss the opportunity in the current media landscape for more authentic Asian American content in the wake of the movieโs success.
Foto di atas: Angela Talton (ketiga dari kanan) bersama para peserta acara pemutaran film Crazy Rich Asians di Nielsen.
