Cinema Targets Key Demographics
With fragmentation across the UK media landscape on the increase, Jackie Colvin, head of research at Pearl & Dean, explains how the silver screen provides a highly effective method of communicating brand messages to targeted demographics…
Many advertisers across a range of vertical sectors identify the 16-34-year-old audience as a key demographic. This age group has relatively high spending power and shows a willingness to try new products and brands. In fact, many sectors such as FMCG and telecoms have product ranges that are almost exclusively targeted towards this audience.
However, we all know that reaching this audience isn’t as straightforward as it has been in the past. Media fragmentation and pressures on time mean that they can be an elusive audience to reach and engage with using traditional media channels. Young people’s lives are changing, they have access to far more technological equipment than ever, putting them in control of which media they consume and when they consume it.
TV used to be the obvious mass medium to reach broad mainstream audiences, including 16-34s. Now, however, this isn’t necessarily the case. The way that TV is consumed is changing, with one of the big factors being the rise in ownership of PVRs. This age group is almost 43% more likely to have a PVR in their household than other adults. In addition, when the TV is on it often does not have their full attention. During the evenings (5pm – midnight), over one in three 16-34s are watching the TV and reading, and almost one in three are watching the TV and looking at websites. Similarly 60% of 16-34s agree that they change TV channels when the adverts come on.
These findings would make any advertiser think twice about using TV as a medium to reach 16-34s. However, TV isn’t the only screen available to advertisers. Adverts of cinematic proportions are watched by 16-34s on a ten feet tall screen in glorious Technicolour and digital surround sound up and down the country every day and night. With some great blockbusters lined up for cinema release this year, including the much anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Spider-Man 3, we’re expecting strong numbers of this key demographic audience in 2007.
As well as actually delivering audiences to advertisers, cinema also provides an engaging and impactful environment where consumers are relaxed and receptive to brand messages. With its darkened auditoria and the audience’s anticipation of the upcoming movie, cinema’s impact is second to none. In fact three out of four 16-34 regular cinemagoers agree that they usually notice the ads at the cinema. Advertising is seen as an integral part of the experience, and 16-34-year-olds are 65% more likely than the average adult to agree to enjoying the ads in this environment rather than on TV.
In addition, cinema going is a highly sociable experience with the majority of 16-34-year-olds choosing to go with their partner or a group of friends. TouchPoints shows that 16-34-year-old regular cinemagoers are far more sociable than their peers. An average party size of 3.3 means that there are greater opportunities for discussion of the movie and ads. The opportunity to reach this audience whilst they are together in groups, and in a conducive environment, is paramount. Stunning ads that have talkability are likely to give a brand word of mouth endorsement. Latest TGI data shows that 95% of these young cinemagoers have spoken of brands in the past 12 months, and they are 11% more likely to have convinced others about brands through word of mouth than other 16-34s.
These findings go to show that whether as a solo activity or as part of an integrated cross-medium campaign, cinema is a key vehicle in reaching specific demographics – especially the sought after ‘youth’ market of early adopters. It can improve overall effectiveness of ad campaigns by giving extra cut-through with a highly attentive and highly targeted audience, and reach those all too elusive 16-34s.