Cinema can mistakenly be seen as a last minute thought to a media schedule, with brands seeing it as almost a luxury addition and can often be the first element to be removed if budgets are cut.
However, amongst 16-34 year olds – the demographic least engaged with media – cinema is really coming into its own, and can actually be very effective at drawing in incremental, unique reach.
That is according to a report conducted by DCM in partnership with research company Differentology. At its recent Upfronts conference, DCM said that unlike many other media channels, cinema is one place where young people can forget the world they are currently in, and fully engage with what’s in front of them.
Advertising is an essential part of that experience, with 16-34s actively looking forward to and discussing the ads played before each film. The same appetite for advertising does not appear to be shared elsewhere on the media spectrum, with many reports showing that this demographic is intent on avoiding advertising as much as possible, through means like ad-blockers.
Cinema is therefore a goldmine for advertisers wanting to engage with this particular age group, which accounts for 44% of cinema ticket sales, boasting an attendance 19% higher than the national average at eight times a year.
In addition to the study, to prove the value of advertising through the cinema, DCM looked at its own internal data sources, including six years’ worth of spot data, admissions data and 12 years of audience profiles on films, combined with the help of RSMB.
As a result of its findings, the company is now able to convert admissions into equivalent TVRs and show that cinema adds cost-effective, quality TVRs. Not only that, due to the nature in which cinema is consumed, it can also guarantee unique reach.
Looking back at the film slate from 2018, the company was able to divulge impressive numbers to show how blockbusters faired when it came to eTVRs. Of the findings, Avengers: Infinity War delivered twenty 16-34 TVRs in the first two weeks, while Incredibles 2 delivered nine 16-34 TVRs.
This is an invaluable tool for planners. Being able to convert admissions into a metric that is well-known, makes cinema a lot more accessible, and ultimately an easier sell on to media plans.
