Warc, 2 May 2014
LONDON: Cinema advertisers are exploring ways to tap into
changing consumer behaviour, with a particular focus on how they can exploit
the shift to digital and mobile.
According to Simon Rees, CEO of Digital Cinema Media (DCM),
the specialist advertising firm, cinema needs to be "screen
agnostic", although the film itself remains "sacrosanct".
He explained to The Drum that cinema provides for uniquely
immersive experiences. "Engagement is very high and impact is very
high," he said.
During the recession, however, brands tended to neglect this
aspect of the movie-going tradition, eschewing big ideas in their advertising
to focus on offers and promotions instead.
Rees maintained that this trend is now changing, as film
fans are seeking to extend the cinema experience through their mobile phones.
Accordingly, DCM has developed an app allowing brands to
engage with the trend towards "second screening", pushing content to
viewers whose phones – switched to silent, of course – picked up a sonic
message from the cinema screen.
He cited the example of BMW, the automaker, as a brand that
had found an innovative way to utilise this technology.
When its ad appeared on the screen, viewers were asked to
choose the best driving line, braking and acceleration points using the app,
with the best performers being invited to a track day.
Cinema, Rees added, "is a very modern, agile, digital
environment" thanks to new technological developments. "Brands are
gradually waking up to that opportunity," he continued.
Nor are these developments restricted to the auditorium
alone, as the foyer has become increasingly digitised, and consumers can get
trailers for new films by scanning posters there.
"Rather than having a cluttered foyer, which it might
have been historically, we're now looking at how the consumer engages
throughout the whole of the cinema experience," said Rees.
After a disappointing 2013, when cinema adspend fell by
14.5% to £184m in the UK, the outlook is rather brighter for the next two
years.
The latest data from The Advertising Association/Warc
Expenditure Report indicate that cinema advertising expenditure is set to rise
in both 2014 (+5.4%) and 2015 (+6.9%).
Data sourced from The Drum, Cineworld; additional content by
Warc staff
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