Snakes on a Plane lesson -- don't just listen to the loudest voices

Some interesting stats ...

1) Snakes on a Plane earned $15.3 million its opening weekend, putting it atop the box office chart. But since that total included more than a million dollars in revenue generated from its Thursday night sneak preview, its actual weekend tally was only good for second place, behind Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

2) According to the LA Times, SoaP only slightly outperformed 2004's Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, which earned $12.8 million its first weekend -- minus the Internet buzz or consumer involvement (or interest at all).

3) Of the 62 movies in history that have opened on 3,500 screens or more, 61 grossed more on opening weekend than Snakes on a Plane. The only film beaten by SoaP? Herbie: Fully Loaded. Maybe if Lindsay Lohan had let the fans write her dialog ....

There are a couple of different messages here.

First, despite the hype, you cannot extrapolate strong niche interest into mainstream appeal. The fact that bloggers or Internet junkies care about something doesn't mean everyone feels the same way. In fact, bloggers are ALWAYS getting excited about some new product or software or website that never reaches critical mass.

Second, you have to be careful when you listen to the customer ... it's critical that you don't let a vocal minority carry you in a direction that is harmful to your overall brand.

For example, SoaP was destined for a PG-13 rating until the director listened to fans who wanted more profanity, more gore and more nudity.

He complied, and the film earned an R rating, which no doubt cut deeply into the audience since it eliminated a good portion of the possible market for a film about killer snakes (teen and tween boys).

Just to be clear -- I'm not saying the customer isn't right or that you shouldn't cultivate customer evangelists. What I am saying is that the folks with the loudest voices aren't the only ones you should be listening to.

For a different point of view, read Jackie Huba's five lessons for marketers from Church of the Customer Blog here.