Cinema Advertising

[dgast]

I have been researching ads on the movie screens that show before a movie starts. Our local cinema has 9 screens and serves a surrounding community of approximately 70,000. The cost is around $4,800 US for a year and you do have to sign up for a year. The payment is split 50/50. For that you get to have 3 different ads on a slide show between a set of trivia questions, this is shown on all 9 screens and runs before every showing of each movie. It sounds a little expensive to me, but I think the reach and demographic would be good.

I'm thinking approximately a 1% reach would give me a 700% return based on $100 average ticket with 50% cost to the ticket.

Anybody had any experience with this type of advertising?
Does the reach and demographic fit our business model?
What percentage of return might I expect? 1%-5% new business?

 

[PCX]

I would do it . . . if it was not about $2000 per month. Apparently, thats the going rate here.

 

[drpcfix]

I think you are way overestimating how many customers you might get - 1% is like a few customers a night.

I'll bet it's far fewer

I found unless they have a problem "right now" - the ad gets ignored.

If you go for it - please use a tracking phone number and URL and report back the stats

 

[SprinterTech-WI]

we did it, got 3 customers, cost $2400..... not doing it again. and we are a block from the theater on the main road too lol

 

[drpcfix]

What did your ad look like? Mention services? iPhone's or computers?

Post the ad???

Really curious..

 

[PCX]

While the movie theater may or may not be effective depending on your demographics, you have to keep on thing in mind when it comes to any advertising. There is a difference between Marketing and getting your name out there and Advertising to get immediate results.

With marketing, you are trying to get people to remember your name and your brand. You want them to see your name over and over and over again till your name is a household name that everyone knows. This is a accomplished through marketing, which is typically done by consistant advertising. The idea is not to see immediate results, but to be the first business that someone thinks of when they actually do need your services.

Advertising on the other hand can be both, but typically with advertising you want immediate results. Things like fliers and cold calling. Things that you can do in mass and produce a certain amount of immediate results.

Marketing:

- Branding and color
- Mascots
- TV advertising (depends on your business type whether or not this would be advertising, marketing or both)
- Radio advertising (mostly for marketing, but same as above)
- Signage (cars, billboard, store front)
- Anything and everything that has your logo, colors, mascot ect and seperates you from the rest and makes you more rememberable.
- Events (can be both)
- Website (branding and marketing)

Advertising

- Fliers
- Mailers
- Cold Calling
- Google Ads and Search Placement (advertising, notice how your site is for marketing, but your placement in search results is your real advertising)
- Phone book
- Any and every type directories

These are just a few things. Again, some things can be both or one or the other. It depends on your business and how you do it. Also, most any type of advertising can become marketing if done consistantly enough and with the correct branding. Sorry if that was a bit thrown together, that was just all off the top of my head.

 

[SprinterTech-WI]

I agree PCX, which is why it wasn't BAD, just think we had better options elsewhere.......

I'll see if I can find a copy of the video.... oh and it was only a 15 second spot, a 30 second one would do better I'm sure.

 

[PCX]

I agree PCX, which is why it wasn't BAD, just think we had better options elsewhere.......

I'll see if I can find a copy of the video.... oh and it was only a 15 second spot, a 30 second one would do better I'm sure.

Most definitely better options for better prices, which is why we did not do it.

 

[dgast]

I agree, I probably overstated. I worked on some scenarios taking into account different parameters ie attendance, % of adults, % of reach, and average ticket invoice. I found the percent of reach drives the profit much quicker than any of the rest of the parameters. I will make those available in Excel spreadsheet format if anyone is interested in tinkering with them.

In my mind I would do this mainly as name recognition and letting people know I'm here. Since I do not have a storefront to use for drive by recognition. In a way it is much less expensive than having a storefront and there is a potential that it will pay for itself, eight new tickets a month potentially pays for it. Even if I get four tickets a month the word of mouth that comes from it maybe a greater gain for me.

I am interested in what others have done in the way of static advertising whether in news print or flyers.

Thanks for making me dig deeper on this though.

 

[SprinterTech-WI]

I agree, I probably overstated. I worked on some scenarios taking into account different parameters ie attendance, % of adults, % of reach, and average ticket invoice. I found the percent of reach drives the profit much quicker than any of the rest of the parameters. I will make those available in Excel spreadsheet format if anyone is interested in tinkering with them.

In my mind I would do this mainly as name recognition and letting people know I'm here. Since I do not have a storefront to use for drive by recognition. In a way it is much less expensive than having a storefront and there is a potential that it will pay for itself, eight new tickets a month potentially pays for it. Even if I get four tickets a month the word of mouth that comes from it maybe a greater gain for me.

I am interested in what others have done in the way of static advertising whether in news print or flyers.

Thanks for making me dig deeper on this though.

I wouldn't do it without a storefront.... I did it because our logo was a HUGE part of the commercial, and since we have a HUGE sign 2 blocks from the theater figured they'd match 2 and 2.... but they will not be writing down a phone number I can about guarantee it, most movies I've been too people don't even look at the screen until the movie starts.... just my $0.02 though

 

[FoolishTech]

I found unless they have a problem "right now" - the ad gets ignored.

Agreed.

Additionally, there are those folks who intentionally go to the movie late so as to avoid the ads.

I used to be that person, but now I'm lucky enough to live in small town USA with an independent movie theater that DOES NOT RUN ADS AT ALL, of ANY type not even for upcoming movies!!! When they turn on the projector, the movie you paid to see starts, and that's that.

 

[ElementalWindX]

I did screenvision for a year. I wish I could get all that money back. Biggest waste ever. I got 0 return on it. I feel like screenvision did not deliver at all because I am a big movie goer and I saw my ad maybe 1 out of every 10 times I was in the theater. wtf right?

 

[SprinterTech-WI]

I did screenvision for a year. I wish I could get all that money back. Biggest waste ever. I got 0 return on it. I feel like screenvision did not deliver at all because I am a big movie goer and I saw my ad maybe 1 out of every 10 times I was in the theater. wtf right?

yea same here.... I saw it more often, but I felt like it was a major waste of $$$ Wish I could get the $1800 back!