On the eve of Crazy Rich Asians’ 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 community—it’s 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.
"Gli asiatici americani si vedono e si riconoscono, si riuniscono e si uniscono per essere visti e ascoltati come mai prima d'ora", ha dichiarato Mariko Carpenter, vicepresidente di Nielsen per le alleanze strategiche con le comunità. "Come segmento di consumatori con il potere d'acquisto in più rapida crescita e una forte presenza digitale, questo segmento rappresenta un'enorme opportunità e una voce influente".
L'evento Nielsen, tenutosi all'AMC 34th Street Theater, ha attirato rappresentanti di aziende come il New York Times, Forbes e Buzzfeed, oltre a organizzazioni no-profit come il Chinese-American Planning Council, il Charles B. Wang Community Health Center e il 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. segment—with a buying power quickly approaching $1 trillion dollars—the 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.
"Quando si parla di tassi di spettatori al cinema, gli asiatici americani superano l'indice in ogni misura possibile", ha dichiarato Angela. "In un momento in cui la gente va al cinema in numero minore, gli studios non possono permettersi di ignorare il pubblico asiatico-americano".
Following the screening, viewers were treated to a private reception where they enjoyed dim sum and specialty “mocktails” 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 movie’s opening weekend prospects.
“To say that a film like Crazy Rich Asians doesn’t come around very often would be a gross understatement,” 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. “It also presents the ultimate litmus test in terms of proving that Asian Americans are a commercially viable audience segment.”
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.com—finding key career lessons in both the movie and the consumer insights presented beforehand. In addition, Mariko recently sat down with Bloomberg TV’s Daybreak Asia to discuss the opportunity in the current media landscape for more authentic Asian American content in the wake of the movie’s success.
Nella foto in alto: Angela Talton (terza da destra) con i partecipanti alla proiezione Nielsen di Crazy Rich Asians.
