Independent research carried out on behalf of Digital Cinema Media (DCM), claims that ads on the big screen are more than eight times more effective at making a brand “stand out” than television.
The study, conducted by Hall & Partners with a sample of 1,200 participants, looked at the effectiveness of cinema advertising to better understand how the big screen is coping in today’s media landscape, particularly in comparison to TV advertising.
By testing ad campaigns running in both cinema and TV at the same time, the study concluded that cinema is a much “more powerful and emotionally engaging medium for brands”, offering “a unique role for cinema” in the contemporary communication mix.
Key findings include:
– When shown an unbranded still from an ad, three times as many cinemagoers recall which brand it is for when compared with TV viewers.
– Cinema audiences are four times more likely to be ’emotionally engaged’ than a television audience.
– Those exposed to advertisements in the cinema are twice as likely to recall a brand compared to TV.
Since 2008, cinema has seen the total number of people visiting grow by 24 per cent, with 75 per cent of the adult population going to the cinema at least once a year. In 2008, only 64 per cent went to the cinema, which translates to 7.5 million more people going this year than in 2008.
“These research findings are beyond conclusive: cinema advertising is doing something very different to people’s heads than other media,” said Simon Rees, CEO, Digital Cinema Media.
“Maybe we’re stating the obvious, but the sheer impact and engagement of watching an ad on the big screen means cinema is the medium of choice when it comes to strengthening a brand, delivering key messages, increasing awareness and attracting new customers, especially amongst a desirable, hard to reach target audience.”
However, Lindsey Clay, chief executive of Thinkbox, the marketing body for TV, said the findings “need some perspective”.
“Cinema advertising is great but it is an occasional treat for most people and most advertisers,” she said. “TV is major a part of everyday life and the foundation of the biggest brands.
“IPA Touchpoints shows that going to the cinema accounts for 0.4% of the average person’s media day; watching TV accounts for 48%. 75% of the UK goes to the cinema in a year; TV reaches 93% a week.
“So cinema is a great addition to TV advertising but in no way is it a replacement.”
