The Oscars: Friends and foes for millennials

This study uses a multi-method approach to formulate a theoretical framework of movie experience evaluation based on Millennials' perceived quality of the Academy Awards and the event's relevancy concerning movie characteristics, social media usage, and eWOM-giving. The paper is based on a conceptual framework that theorizes movies as experiences and on the service quality framework. Using national consumer survey data, we present the results of a qualitative conceptual mapping analysis focused on the themes identified by Millennials as recommendations for the Academy Awards to relate and appeal to moviegoers in their age group. The variables that affect Millennial consumers' perceived quality of the Oscars are examined further utilizing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The qualitative and quantitative analyses expose the complexity of service, experience, and social factors contributing to Millennials' attitudes towards the Academy Awards and the combination of cues consumers use when evaluating movie experiences: objective features and socially related aspects, reference groups, and indirect traits, such as involvement in social causes.