The importance of being independent
Anna Cremin, head of research and consumer insight, Pearl & Dean, on how independent cinemas can offer advertisers reach to more engaged audiences.
Despite the current recession, UK cinema is currently undergoing one of its most successful periods, with admissions standing at a seven-year high for the period Jan – June 2009. This news, coupled with the impact and scale cinema advertising can deliver for brands, makes the big screen a highly effective place to communicate with different types of consumer audience.
While many might think initially of planning a cinema campaign which will run across screens throughout the whole country, some silver screen advertising can be much more targeted by utilising screens in particular areas or running before certain genres of movies to reach a more distinctive audience group. Such it is with independent cinema, which can deliver audiences typically difficult to reach with other media campaigns. Just under half of the 769 screens available in the UK are independently owned, which provides brands with a uniquely flexible method of communicating with both certain local area populations and distinctive demographic groups.
Pearl & Dean’s recent Movietalk research found that over half of the panel had ever visited an independent cinema, with a quarter visiting an independent site once a month or more, demonstrating the share of the market standalone cinema operators can boast. Over three-quarters of respondents feel the independent viewing audience is more ‘appreciative and discerning’, with over half claiming they visit independent sites as they ‘like the atmosphere and crowd that attends this type of cinema’.
Cinemagoers feel that the independent experience is a more refined one than heading to the local multiplex – 91% chose independent sites because they like the ambiance, 85% cite a ‘more relaxed’ atmosphere, while 79% feel there is ‘less noise’ than at a multiplex. Clearly, the experience of seeing a film at an independent is a very different one to watching the latest blockbuster at a multiplex. It is also important to remember that independent cinemas have much higher penetration in some areas of the country than larger chains, notably in the South West, East Anglia, parts of Scotland and rural Wales. This means independent operators are vital if a cinema campaign is to communicate effectively with these areas.
In terms of the advertising in independent locations, the MovieTalk research found cinemagoers believe there are fewer advertisements for big global brands (46%), while over one fifth (23%) believe that ads in these establishments are more tailored to their personal interests. Indeed, the research discovered that there is an affinity between the typical independent cinema audience and the brand advertising displayed on screen. For example, 32% of cinemagoers believe that advertising in art house or independent locations is better suited to brands with strong ethical values, while 29% agree that ads in these locations are artistically and creatively original – demonstrating that the ambiance of the location itself and the preferences of the audience extends to the brands on screen.
There are also strong ties between independent locations and their local community, as 36% believe there to be more local advertisements in these locations. Perhaps most importantly, MovieTalk found that 24% of respondents tend to remember advertising in independent cinema better than TV ads, and the same amount believe it to be less irritating than advertising in general – an example of right message, to the right audience, in the right place, at the right time.
Just under one in five have noticed that independent cinemas organise special events such as Q&A sessions and topical debates, providing an avenue for advertisers which may not be available at larger cinema chain venues. One such example is the Sanex ‘Skin deep’ film season, which was held at the Prince of Wales Cinema off Leicester square. Sanex hosted documentaries followed by question-and-answer sessions allowing cinemagoers to get ‘under the skin’ of certain subjects.
The independent nature of the cinema allowed the sponsor to brand the building both internally and externally, amplifying the cut-through for the company over a series of Wednesdays. Indeed, the season was incredibly successful for the brand: Sanex saw an increase of 22% in brand awareness; 18% bought Sanex products within a few weeks of attending the event; 50% said they were likely to purchase in the future and 7 out of 10 said that the event ‘changed my opinion of Sanex for the better’.
Given that many independent locations are just that – standalone – many advertisers forget to consider the benefits they can offer and audience they can deliver as part of a cinema campaign. The Movietalk study, however, proves that independent cinemas can offer advertisers reach to an audience which may be difficult to attain through other media channels, and who engage with the messages they receive while in an environment which relaxes and stimulates them. Whether attempting to reach a niche local audience, looking for a standout event to build brand awareness or even as part of a broader cinema advertising campaign, it pays to consider the independents.