Beyond the film: Using the internet to enhance the experience for experiential products

There is little research that has attempted to identify the role of websites in promoting experiential products, such as movies. Whereas traditional advertising methods can only mirror a movie's experience, websites, because of their ability to incorporate a large amount of features, should be able enhance the experience. By introducing a new construct titled Beyond the Film, this study explores how to create a positive consumer experience within a film's website. The influence of a movie's website on consumer attitudes and behaviours related to the website and movie is also examined, as is the effectiveness of websites compared to movie previews. Results suggest that consumer preferences for movie websites are considerably different from those for other media forms and that websites can play a significant role in driving consumers to engage in critical movie-related behaviours. Marketing implications are provided as well as recommendations for future research on this dynamic topic.