When I goto movie theaters it is rare for there to be a lineup of
movie posters for the now playing movies. Is there a reason for this?
Seems it would help jog people's memories about the movie trailers
they saw.

The theaters I go to tend to have posters for upcoming movies.

Like czh, I mostly see posters for upcoming movies. Theaters want to
promote things that people have not yet bought a ticket to. A poster
for a movie that is currently showing isn't going to generate as much
additional revenue, since presumably the people who view the poster
have already purchased their tickets.

I guess they assume that people make up their minds before they goto a
theater. Most of the time I just drop in, and if I'm not up on the
trailers currently showing then I have no idea who's even starring or
what genera it is.

There must be a simple reason why studios spend millions on movie ads
but do not prominently display ad posters in a place where you can
make an informed decision before purchasing tickets.
I'm dying for an answer. No references required, as I can imagine
marketing departments don't post their movements/plans/reasoning. Just
give me a believable explanation so I can stop wondering.
Please.

Don't most people decide which movie they plan to see before they
arrive at the theater? Posters that advertise currently-showing movies
are, I suspect, likely to make little difference in people's movie
choices. I doubt that I would arrive at the theater planning to see a
certain movie and then change my mind because I saw a poster for a
different movie.

Most people, perhaps. Often I drop in if it is hot out, I'm waiting
for something, etc. And when I arrive I can't remember the title that
goes with the 30 second trailer I saw a week ago. Or better yet I
haven't watched TV recently and need some kind of information beyond
the title to make a decision.

Point is that they are selling a product without description or
picture of the product at point of sale. (maybe some theaters do, but
I assure you it is not consistent) What other business does that? Add
in the fact that they spend billions on advertising per year. Scratch
head.

???

Hello chippydoodles-ga,

I'm posting this as a comment rather than as an answer because I don't
think there is an answer to confirm your position that the purpose of
movie theater poster displays is to inform customers of what is
currently playing instead of coming attractions.

You said: "There must be a simple reason why studios spend millions on
movie ads but do not prominently display ad posters in a place where
you can make an informed decision before purchasing tickets."

My search to find an answer for you shows that there is indeed a
science to the display of advertising at movie theaters -- including
the use of movie posters. There is tremendous competition for the
captive eyeballs. Here are some articles to help you get an
understanding of how the industry sees their target and how to
approach them.

It seems that the movie distributors and movie theater operators
assume that the customer has a specific movie in mind when they arrive
at the theater so advertising is geared to offering enticements for
future attractions. These attractions are sometimes the movies playing
at the multi-plex. This is why there are sometimes posters for current
movies INSIDE the theater lobby which you will see after you've
purchased your ticket.

I hope that the information I've provided will give you a better
understanding of the movie poster industry.

Enjoy!

~ czh ~

http://www.signindustry.com/led/articles/2004-11-01-LB-MovieTheatersElectronicSignage.php3
Movie Theaters and the Art of Electronic Signage 

Modern multiplex movie theaters generate huge audiences who visit the
theaters for their continuing film fix. As these audiences circulate
from box office to auditorium, much of the audience's visitor
experience is guided by signs alerting theater guests to everything
from ticket prices to directions to the auditorium.

Essentially movie theater signage has become a customer service
enhancement assisting theater guests in managing their theater visit.

http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/Arbitron_Cinema_Study.pdf
The Arbitron Cinema Advertising Study (42 pages)

http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/NewSite/HISTORY/history.asp
HISTORY OF THE MOVIES AND THE MOVIE POSTER 

http://www.reelclassics.com/Articles/General/posters-article.htm
A History of Movie Posters

The first link illustrates my dillema:

FREDDY VS J
AMERICAN WE
MY BOSS'S D

Is about the only info a customer has to go on unless they can recall
and associate those names with information obtained through other
media channels.

One must at the very least have internet access to be informed about
what is being offered. Newspapers might not have a review or an
advertisement for the movie you really would want to see, and you
can't just turn on the TV for this information either as the sampling
of trailers is unpredictable and incomplete.

The ENTIRE movie industry is thus contingent on their consumers having
access AND consuming AND recalling the information provided by
alternate media channels.

Is there any other industry that does not offer information about its
products at the point of sale?

Chz, you wrote:

It seems that the movie distributors and movie theater operators
assume that the customer has a specific movie in mind when they arrive
at the theater

Is "it seems" a logical conclusion or is there a reference to it in
those links? Even if you can't find it explicitly stated, just tell me
you believe it with all your heart and I'll accept that as an answer.
I have to move on; I'm starting an art gallery where you don't get to
see a sliver of the art, just the title. I'm running ads in
radio/newspaper/tv to promote it with teasers. Wish me luck. ;)

Hello chippydoodles-ga,

I see your frustration but I think you?re operating under a faulty
premise. You seem to believe that movie theater customers need
point-of-sale information about the content of a movie and that the
movie poster is the logical delivery mechanism for this information.

This may have been true in the past (see the articles about movie
poster history I posted earlier) but it?s not true now. The basic
assumption of movie distributors is that the majority of their
audience arrives at the multi-plex doors knowing something about the
movies that might be available there. I suggest that you read the
Arbitron report I posted to get a better understanding of how customer
segmentation is leading to the movie theater experience that
frustrates you.

The article on movie theater electronic signage gives you previews of
what?s coming. The increased use of LED technology may do away with
movie posters as we know them. On the other hand, it might make it
possible to have new ways of presenting information not only in the
lobby but also at the point of purchase.

Your last remark about ?starting an art gallery? and your strategies
for promoting what customers will find there seems to imply that
you?re looking for similarities between attending movies and art
galleries. If this is what you?re interested in, you?ll have to post a
new question.

So, do you think I?ve answered your question or was this just an
interesting discussion? Let me know if I can post an answer. Thanks
and good luck with your gallery.

~ czh ~

czh, I accept your answer but am still curious about the issue because
the cost of the ads (posters) is low, they are already made, and there
is often a lot of blank space for them near the queue. Perhaps the
signindustry.com link answers the question: It all comes down to the
cost of a minimum-wage employee to change them out every week.

Hello chippydoodles-ga,

There is no definitive answer because movie theaters have many
options. Why don't you just talk to the theater manager where you
observed that "there
is often a lot of blank space for them near the queue"? They may never
have thought of it. I notice a tremendous turnover in the staff at my
local movie theaters. Maybe it's simply a matter of missing a
marketing opportunity by someone whose training was in another field.
Good luck.

~ czh ~