Practically everything in our lives today has been affected in one way or another by market research, from the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the types of cars we drive. Believe it or not, it's now also found its way into the movies we pay to see at the box office.

Meet Ed Canapary and Jim McCullough, principals of the San Francisco firm Corey, Canapary & McCullough, two zealous entertainment market researchers who have helped movie producers and studios understand the things that can make a movie a winner or a loser.

Since early 1979, they've put their two cents worth in a wide range of major motion flicks such as "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Alien," "Breaking Away," "The Blues Brothers," "The Killing Fields," "Risky Business," "Body Heat" and "Chariots of Fire."

It was their research, for instance, that helped influence the decision to change the title of the George Lucas film, "Revenge of the Jedi," to "Return of the Jedi."

"Our studies showed that women over 30 and mothers of small children just didn't like the word "revenge," says McCullough. Based on the initial ads for "Breaking Away," Canapary and McCullough learned that consumers thought the film would be a kind of "Animal House." Subsequently the ads were redone, stressing the sports angle and thus giving potential movie-goers a more precise idea of its format.

Color was a big factor in consumers' initial impression of the film "Alien." When the film's original poster was created in red, consumers thought its story line was about an "occult." That's when the poster was changed to green, which appropriately conveyed Alien's message of "suspense."

Growing film industry

In 1979, Jim McCullough started the entertainment division of Corey, Canapary & Galanis, a firm which conducts product and consumer research, political polling for candidates and polls for governmental agencies and the media. Corey, Canapary & McCullough became a partnership in 1981 and broke into entertainment market research partly in response to the needs of the growing film industry in northern California. McCullough says film producers have since begun to learn of the value of market research because, "when you get into an investment that's millions of dollars, it's a kind of insurance to do your homework. The movie may be great, but the posters may be wrong, the tag line can stink. If the public perceives those things the wrong way, it can kill a film."

While entertainment market research may be the specialty for which CCM has gotten a lot of media attention, McCullough is quick to point out that it is only a part of what the firm is really all about. What it does is what McCullough describes as "niche" marketing research.

"We are targeting the 15-45 year-old age group," explains McCullough. "These are the people who have the discretionary income to go to the movies but they are also the ones buying the brand name jeans and other premium quality products."

For this reason, CCM has developed a clientele that goes beyond such entertainment greats as Lucasfilm, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Brothers. It also includes companies like The Gap clothing stores, Levi Strauss, La Petite Boulangerie and Visa Card. Through research projects for these clients, CCM has developed an expertise and thorough understanding of its target market.

Thoroughly understanding this market comes also from utilizing a variety of qualitative and quantitative research techniques. For entertainment studies, the pair conducts focus groups, national telephone interviews, personal interviews with those waiting in line for a movie with follow-up calls later on, recruited audiences and sneak previews.

Careful scrutiny

No element associated with a movie is left unexamined. Advertising, posters, concepts, story boards, titles and sneak previews are carefully scrutinized to ensure all communications are on target and that potential viewers aren't misled about a film's content.

For consumers who saw preliminary ads for the original film "Alien," for example, the impression was that it was a comedy or a Satanic occult film, says McCullough. Revisions produced "a much more horrifying ad" and studies uncovered the power of the tag line: "In space, no one can hear you scream."

Sometimes, however, the company's advice can come all too late. One major celebrity commissioned CCM to test consumer reaction to his TV special. The general consensus among focus group participants was less than favorable but at that point it was too late to re-edit. The program went on the air nonetheless and unfortunately, bombed with other viewers, too.

In the case of a potentially "disastrous" movie, CCM might recommend that it open in select theaters on a small scale, rather than in numerous theaters all over the country.

No matching creatives

Canapary and McCullough admit that while research can be extremely beneficial in pointing out any weaknesses or problems tied up with a film and the way it's marketed, it can't match the work of the film's artistic staff.

"It's not the silver bullet," warns Canapary. "It's not a replacement for the creatives or the writers. It's just meant to fine-tune things."

It can, however, help isolate those elements, the "hot button," describes McCullough, that capture an image, an image that entices people to go see a movie or go out and buy a certain brand of jeans or any other product.

Jim McCullough is principal of Corey, Canapary, McCullough Entertainment Market Research and vice president of Corey, Canapary & Galanis Market Research Co. His background includes a wide range of experience in both the entertainment and marketing industries. McCullough is past president of Doodle Products Corp. He is a member of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society and the American Advertising Federation and vice president of the Rock and Roll Museum, San Francisco.

Ed Canapary, principal of Corey, Canapary, McCullough Enter-tainment Market Research, has been involved in the industry for 25 years. He is president of Corey, Canapary, Galanis Research and was past research director of Erwin Wasey, Inc. Advertising of Los Angeles. Canapary also has extensive research background with organizations such as Facts Consolidated, Field Research Co., and Market Research Corporation of America. He is past president of the American Marketing Association, San Francisco chapter.

Corey, Canapary, McCullough Research, San Francisco, specializes in entertainment, consumer and "niche" marketing re-search aimed at the 15-45 year-old demographic segment of the population.

CCM was established in 1981 as an outgrowth of Corey, Canapary & Galanis, the oldest market research company in California. CCM, a partnership venture between Ed Canapary and Jim McCullough, has employed a wide variety of research techniques to assist the marketing strategy for dozens of major motion pictures for Lucasfilm, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers, The Ladd Co., and Universal, working with research departments, independent producers and directors. In the consumer area, CCM has been instrumental in casual and sports fashion design, product refinement, promotion, advertising, store exterior and interior design, signage and packaging for companies like The Gap stores, Levi Strauss, and La Petite Boulangerie.

In television, CCM has experience in evaluating programming, advertising themes and needs assessment for clients such as Viacom, Showtime and municipal and county cable franchise departments.

In radio, CCM has worked on themes, promotions, format assessment and advertising. In addition, other primary areas of investigation include: electronic technology, telecommunications, gambling, health clubs/spas, recreation/off highway vehicles, education and major wholesale furniture marts/centers and rock concert audience surveys.