LIALI Jewellery LLC is a Dubai based jewellery company with a chain of up-market boutiques under the name of LIALI. Started in June 1999 by Raed Ahmad Baker and Anuraag Sinha, today LIALI boasts of 20 outlets in most of UAE’s landmark locations. The company specializes in certified diamonds, pearls, precious & semi-precious stones, 18k gold and customized handcrafted jewellery. Today, LIALI is associated with fine jewellery and personalized service that epitomize trust. It has established itself as a name to reckon with over the last 16 years. LIALI embodies the soul of the contemporary woman.
As a regular cinema advertiser of Motivate Val Morgan, Oofrish Contractor – Head of Marketing at LIALI, shares a testimonial on cinema as a medium for advertising and how the medium has benefited the brand:
Why does LIALI choose to advertise in cinema?
“In today’s world, exploding with digital options, engaging with the target audience and getting their attention is getting tougher. Cinema is a larger than life medium and coupled with the current facilities in which it’s offered, it appears to be the perfect choice for building brand awareness and equity.
How does cinema fit into the brand’s media strategy?
“We have been utilizing the cinema medium for the past three years, and as part of Liali’s media strategy, we chose to include it for two reasons. Firstly, because our target audience is definitely on this medium. Secondly, we can get their attention in a more relaxed environment with varying seating and viewing experiences such as Imax, 3D etc., thus resulting in greater audience engagement.”
“It is usually the medium we utilize to support the launch of a new collection, as jewelry is a high involvement product and needs to be portrayed in all its glory.”
“Of course, it is used in conjunction with other media. For example, cinema complements the advertising we do in print, as well as the product brochures & catalogues we distribute. It is sometimes even preferred over television, as audiences in this region tend to get divided across various TV channels and specific TV shows.”
Was cinema the best fit for a specific commercial/campaign?
“Indeed, cinema was the best fit for our campaign ‘Today’s Woman wears Liali’ – because the entire focus of this campaign was on our consumers who are ‘Today’s Women’, as opposed to focusing on a specific collection.”
“Today’s woman – regardless of whether she is an entrepreneur or a working professional, a homemaker or someone who works out-of-home, is independent, empowered and dynamic. She shops at malls and spends time and money on leisure and high quality entertainment that includes cinema.”
“Additionally, we have run campaigns in cinema a to touch upon certain occasions; such as Valentine’s Day, to showcase beautiful products by Liali – making it easier for men to shop for their loves ones.”
How efficient was it to book/deal through Motivate Val Morgan?
“Motivate Val Morgan and their staff were highly professional in their dealings with us and made sure that we had the opportunity to view the commercials at a cinema before we went live in order to get firsthand experience.”
Here are some LIALI ads that were booked through Motivate Val Morgan and screened across our network of cinemas in the UAE:
LIALI | Bakoo Mcveigh | Today’s Woman Wears Liali | 2018
LIALI |Pinaz Lakhdawala | Today’s Woman Wears Liali | 2018
LIALI | Joie De Vivre | 2017
LIALI | Engraving | 2017
LIALI | Valentine’s Day Offer | 2017
Source: LIALI Jewellery LLC
2017 was an exceptionally good year for ticket sales and 2018 could offer a repeat, says Cameron Mitchell, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas.
In Dubai, the web or TV is not winning the war in what people watch or how they want to watch it. Ticket sales at local cinemas have just had another solid year of growth in 2017, and 2018 could be in for another “high single-digit” run – with releases such as Black Panther pulling them in, it could well be the case.
“Certain cities in the region have a high screen (capacity) per million people, which is one measure we use in the industry,” said Cameron Mitchell, CEO of Cinemas at Majid Al Futtaim group. “And Dubai is one of those which also has a high (cinema) attendance per capita.
“With growth in real estate and in residential development, more screens are being added. Just drive along Al Khail Road and you see the amount of development that is taking place — and it is directly linked to population (growth expectations) and of affordability.
“Cinema is still the most affordable entertainment — at $10 (Dh35) for two hours, it is still the case. And this has remained unchanged since 2011, which was the last time ticket rates were raised, and that too only by Dh5.
“The industry looks at the issue of ticket prices periodically … but we are not expecting any change at the moment.”
The group operates the VOX Cinemas network and currently has 95 screens in Dubai, 40 screens in Abu Dhabi, 9 screens in Ajman, 11 screens in Fujairah and 8 screens in Ras Al Khaimah. A total of 163 screens in the UAE, with plans to double it in the medium-term.
The UAE has over 400 operational screen (as of February 2018), and Dubai alone has over 200 operational screens – with many more set to open in the near future. Master-developers such as Emaar and Meraas have their own multiplex operations – through Reel Cinemas and Roxy Cinemas (respectively), and it sure makes sense for developers who are building up entire self-contained destinations to have those cinemas as well.
Clearly, cinema operators do not see web-streaming TV as a dire threat to their numbers – at present and in the future. “I think there’s a big difference between sitting at home on a couch and watching something on TV and being at one of our entertainment destinations,” Mitchell said.
“For mall developers/owners, this helps bring more people to their properties. Cinemas can be a really attractive anchor proposition. But they remain an expensive business.
“So long as cinema operators keep focusing on the guest experience and the movie experience, I can only see growth happening. Essentially, it’s about offering the experience.
“You could argue that anything you have in a restaurant; you can technically have it at home. But we still would like to go out for dinner. And look at the Starbucks business in the region — they keep adding more locations. Even though you can have a great cup of coffee from an espresso machine and which would be cheaper (than at Starbucks).”
For VOX Cinemas, it does not stop with just putting up a screen at one of Majid Al Futtaim’s mega-malls in the making. VOX has been working on the product mix; creating a premium ‘Theatre by Rhodes’ and ‘Gold by Rhodes’ and offering menus curated by chef Gary Rhodes — he of the Michelin star fame.
“So if someone is making a plan to go out to dinner and take in a movie, why not do it together? That’s the proposition we had put forth with the Rhodes alliance,” said Mitchell.
And then there are the VOX kids screens, which come with their own party room.
Teen Screens
Next month, VOX Cinemas will again be experimenting with a new concept — screens for teens. This will be at its brand new facility in Kuwait (The Avenues Mall developed by Al Shaya Group). The concept originated in-house.
“They feature a different design with a shared couch and — given the demographic — with an extremely tech-friendly environment. They can have access to gaming and watch wrestling or concerts on the screen. With teens, everything is a shared experience. Plus, there are the movies, of course.”
After debuting in Kuwait, VOX Cinemas has plans to spread the teen screen concept out elsewhere. However, no definite timeline has been set for this.
“What we are making at the cinemas is a multi-purpose environment — where you could come to watch 400 films a year or come for myriad other activities. That’s your choice,” said Mitchell.
Mall owners and cinema operators wait for the screens to light up
If there is one detail that animates the region’s cinema industry, it would be Saudi Arabia’s plans to allow screens back into business.
“We are all waiting for some guidance from the Saudi Government,” to know what will be permitted for screening and how the cinemas should look,” said Mitchell
“The Vision 2030 plan is very clear — citizens in Saudi Arabia should enjoy the same entertainment as the rest of the world and that it wants to work with private operators to make it happen. We expect that the first cinemas will be released within six months of the legislation being released.”
The Majid Al Futtaim Group is currently committed to develop two malls in Riyadh, for a combined investment of SR14 billion.
Motivate Val Morgan is the official cinema advertising partner of VOX Cinemas – except for the cinema at City Centre Bahrain.
Source: Gulf News and MVM Stats
Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) is the first Islamic Banking institution in the Kingdom of Bahrain and one of the largest institutions in the region, offering complete financial and banking services to both retail and corporate clients.
BisB launched a new sales campaign during the month of February, where any new or existing customers applying for any finance will benefit from discounted annual profit rates, as well as cashback if they transfer their finance to BisB or apply for a new credit card.
As part of this sales campaign, BisB booked the first-ever activation stand at VOX Cinemas, The Avenues Mall in Bahrain through Motivate Val Morgan (a booking which came through media agency RAMA) for a period of 3 days – 15 to 17 February 2018.
The activation stand was on the 1st floor of the cinema’s premises (in front of the escalators leading to the cinema screens).
In addition to activation stands, Motivate Val Morgan offers a host of other off-screen cinema advertising options at VOX Cinemas – The Avenues Mall in Bahrain, ranging from:
Want to know more on how off-screen cinema advertising could help move your brand closer to its target audience? Contact our team member in Bahrain.
Uber – global taxi technology company operating in 633 cities worldwide, is all about providing access to safe, reliable and affordable rides for anyone, anywhere, and at anytime.
Uber Middle East booked a cinema campaign through Motivate Val Morgan in December 2017 which included a 4-week On Screen Advertisement and a Cinema Activation alongside the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
The cinema campaign was part of a larger Uber campaign which also extended to Radio and Outdoor advertising around strategic consumer touchpoints, residential areas with parking difficulties and in-mall parking areas.
The 15 Sec. 4-week On Screen Advertisement played on the ‘Top Screens’ of VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates, Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall and Roxy Cinemas – City Walk.
15 Sec. On Screen spot that screened from 14 December – 20 December 2017
15 Sec. On Screen spot that screened from 21 December 2017 – 10 January 2018
The 2 Min. Cinema Activation took place on Saturday 16 December 2017 alongside the movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi at the following locations:
The following activation was the one which took place at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates:
Credits:
Client – Uber Middle East
Media Agency – OMD
Creative Agency – FP7 Dubai
Production – Mint Events
Cinema Activations – or as we like to call it ‘Cinevations’, are a great way to interact with your target audience in an UNRIVALLED environment.
Be the talk of cinemagoers and the media with a ‘Cinevation’. You can even create buzz around your executions through social media.
Contact a member of our sales team for more information on ‘Cinevations’ at cinema locations represented by Motivate Val Morgan.
Source: OMD
VOX Cinemas, a unit of leading retail and leisure pioneer Majid Al Futtaim, opened its second location in Egypt at City Centre Alexandria on 1 February 2018 – less than a year after launching its first cinema in the country at Mall of Egypt.
This expansion comes as part of Majid Al Futtaim’s previously announced plans to investment to EGP 23 billion in Egypt by 2020, creating 144,000 additional direct and indirect jobs.
VOX Cinemas at City Centre Alexandria features seven cinema screens (6 regular screens and a VOX MAX screen) with a seating capacity of over 1600.
VOX Cinemas offers movie enthusiasts an unmatched cinematic experience, which has made it the preferred destination for all movie premieres in the region. This includes unprecedented sound quality equipped with the latest technology, and regular and VIP seats for a more comfortable viewing experience. Additionally, the cinema complex offers an unprecedented selection of deliciously prepared food and beverage to moviegoers, for a one-of-a-kind experience. The cinema facility also offers all the amenities for people with special needs.
In just a few months since its opening at Mall of Egypt in March 2017, VOX Cinemas became among the top three leading cinemas in Egypt, and a favored destination for movie premieres.
Omar El Banna, Country Head for Majid Al Futtaim – Ventures Egypt, stated, “In addition to our exceptional cinematic concepts; which are unsurpassed across the Middle East, VOX Cinemas always strives to offer an innovative and enjoyable cinematic experience, by paying close attention to details, such as the design and setting of each theater to suit the environment.”
VOX Cinemas at City Centre Alexandria is part of a range of diverse and innovative attractions and destinations, Majid Al Futtaim currently operates and aims to introduce in the Egyptian market. These include shopping malls, Carrefour stores, fashion stores, international restaurants, and unique family entertainment experiences such as Ski Egypt, Little Explorers, Magic Planet, that are in line with the company’s vision to create great moments by redefining the concept of shopping and entertainment for Egyptian citizens
VOX Cinemas operates 31 cinema complexes across the Middle East and North Africa, including the 14 sites in the UAE, 1 site in Bahrain, 11 sites in Oman, 1 site in Lebanon, 1 site in Qatar, 2 sites in Egypt and 1 site opening soon in Kuwait. Majid Al Futtaim has announced further investment plans to expand the footprint of VOX Cinemas across the region from 300 screens to 600 screens by 2020.
Motivate Val Morgan is the official cinema advertising partner of VOX Cinemas – except for the cinema at City Centre Bahrain.
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities at VOX locations across the region.
Sources: Arab Finance and Scoop Empire
Centrepoint – Middle East’s biggest fashion store and the region’s most coveted fashion retail brand, launched its newest brand film in cinema.
Conceptualized by Impact BBDO, Dubai, the new brand positioning embodies the spirit of the Centrepoint brand, to promote confidence through fashion.
“With a shifting consumer, cultural and competitive landscape, our new brand strategy focuses on positioning Centrepoint with purpose and pride heralding a new era for fashion-retail. The brand campaign is a reflection of our ‘purpose driven’ thinking and puts the consumer right at the centre of the action.” says Simon Cooper, Head of Centrepoint.
Not only does the campaign target a growing segment of the youth who constantly battle to express themselves, but cuts across a wide spectrum of audiences – especially in the region that can relate to the emotion and the lack of it. For them, fashion-confidence is a powerful ally and a response to the uncertainty.
Shyam Sunder, Senior Marketing & Ecommerce Head of Centrepoint adds,” ‘Show Yourself’ is based on a simple insight – that the lack of confidence often buries people under layers of self-doubt and uncertainty. Thus, making the brand platform an invitation to the inner-self, to break through the layers of ‘self-doubt’ that curb expression. “
Produced by Truffle, Beirut, and directed by Martin Stirling, the film tells the story of ‘The boy nobody could see’ and features Passenger cover ‘Let her go’ by Anna Pancaldi and Arch Birds.
Fadi Yaish, ECD of Impact BBDO, Dubai adds to the truth behind the film: “I’ve always identified with introverts. There have been times where I have felt comfortable blending in with the surroundings or the furniture even. But my best moments have come, when I’ve taken the courage to show the world that I exist.”
Centrepoint’s – Show Yourself, 60 sec brand film was booked through Motivate Val Morgan in two bursts:
1st Burst –
Start Date: 25 January 2018
End Date: 31 January 2018
Period: 1 week
Cinema Locations: VOX Cinemas City Centre Deira, City Centre Mirdif, Mall of the Emirates and Burjuman
2nd Burst –
Start Date: 8 February 2018
End Date: 14 February 2018
Period: 1 week
Cinema Locations: VOX Cinemas City Centre Deira, City Centre Mirdif, Mall of the Emirates and Burjuman
Take a look at the commercial below:
Credits:
Client – Centrepoint
Head of Centrepoint – Simon Cooper
Senior Head of Marketing – Shyam Sunder
Marketing Manager – Rupal Panjani
Agency – Impact BBDO, Dubai
Executive Creative Director – Fadi Yaish
Associate Creative Director – Alok Mohan
Agency Producer – Aly Seifelnasr
VP General Manager – Colin Farmer
Account Director – Christopher Kiernan
Account Director – Andrew Peacock
Account Manager – Lizelle Rodrigues
Planner – Saurabh Dahiya
Production House – Truffle, Beirut
Executive Producers: Michel Abou Zeid and Cynthia Chammas
Director: Martin Stirling
DOP: Carl Burke
Costume Designer: Valter Kobal
Grading: Jean Clément Soret / MPC London
Online: MPC London
Music Supervisor: Leland Music
Passenger Cover: “Let Her Go” by Anna Pancaldi and Arch Birds
Production Designer: Natasa Rogelj
Editor/ Editing House: Eve Ashwell – The Assembly Rooms
Source: Centrepoint
The ‘silence your mobile phone ad’ is a specially positioned creative spot asking moviegoers to put their phones on silent mode – prior to the start of a movie. It is a spot exclusively sold to 1 advertiser at a time. The ad spot has to be a maximum of 10 seconds long and has to be booked on an annual basis across all screens in the Motivate Val Morgan circuit (VOX Cinemas, Oscar Cinema, Cine Royal Cinema and Cinemacity).
In November 2017 – alongside the release of Justice League, Motivate Val Morgan in collaboration with Murdoch University Dubai conducted a cinema research project in the form of questionnaires and video interviews at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Deira, to measure the effectiveness of the ‘silence your mobile phone ad spot’.
Between 7pm and 9pm on 17 November 2017, two teams (comprising of two media students in each team – interviewer and videographer) from Murdoch University were present at each location to conduct video interviews and get questionnaires filled out by cinemagoers visiting the respective cinema locations.
At the time of this research project, Motorola had booked the ‘silence your mobile phone ad spot’.
No of questionnaires:
Mall of the Emirates – 19 respondents
City Centre Deira – 26 respondents
No of video interviews:
Mall of the Emirates – 9 respondents
City Centre Deira – 13 respondents
Please note: the same questions were asked in both segments (questionnaire and video interview) of this cinema research project.
Results from the research carried out at both VOX Cinemas locations are as per below:
How often do you go to the cinema?
Once a week – 21 respondents
2 to 3 times a month – 20 respondents
Once a month – 12 respondents
Once every 2 months – 3 respondents
Often – 6 respondents
Depends – 4 respondents
Not Applicable – 1 respondent
How long before the movie starts (time on ticket) do you arrive at the cinema?
Hour before – 5 respondents
More than 20 minutes before – 19 respondents
10 to 15 minutes before – 27 respondents
5 minutes before – 8 respondents
Exactly at the start time of the movie – 8 respondents
Do you enjoy the pre-show (cinema ads by Motivate Val Morgan)?
Yes – 52 respondents
No – 15 respondents
Do you pay attention to cinema ads?
Yes – 53 respondents
No – 14 respondents
How many cinema advertisements seen on screen do you recall?
1 to 2 ads – 24 respondents
3 to 4 ads – 17 respondents
5 or more ads – 12 respondents
All most all ads – 5 respondents
None – 8 respondents
Not Applicable – 1 respondent
Do you recall the Motorola ad (silence your mobile phone spot)?
Yes – 48 respondents
No – 19 respondents
How creative was the Motorola ad?
Very creative – 22 respondents
Somewhat creative – 15 respondents
Neutral – 7 respondents
Not Creative – 4 respondents
Please Note: only respondents who answered yes to the previous question answered this question
What sort of on screen ads stand out?
Visually creative – 35
Long – 2
Short – 3
Fun/Funny – 6
Catchy – 2
Good Message – 3
Music accompanying the ad – 4
Ads that include the audience – 2
Other – 3
Not Applicable – 16
Please note: respondents could provide one or multiple answers to the question above.
All respondents who participated in the video interview segment signed consent forms which do not grant Motivate Val Morgan permission to publish the footage shot at the two locations.
Research Highlights:
As the results above indicate, the ‘silence your mobile phone ad’ is well-received, due to the following factors:
High Frequency – the ad plays on all screens and alongside every movie across all locations of four cinema operators.
Recall – the ad plays closest to the start of the movie (just before the ticker– movie countdown spot).
Creativity – the ‘silence your mobile phone ad spot’ showcases the most creative ads which remains ‘top-of-mind’
A big thank you out to the media students from Murdoch University Dubai – Tarek Fakhra, Kayla Nobrega, Gem Macalma and Irene Macabuhay, for taking time out on Friday 17 November 2017 to conduct the questionnaires and video interviews, and the management at VOX Cinemas for granting us permission to carry out this research project on a busy weekend at two key cinema locations – VOX Cinemas Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Deira.
Here are some example ‘silence your mobile phone ads’ booked through Motivate Val Morgan:
Axiom – 2012 to 2016
Samsung – May 2016 to January 2017
Motorola – May 2017 to January 2018
Interested in the ‘silence your mobile phone ad spot’? Contact a member of our sales team for more information.
Ezz Elarab Automotive Group – one of the fastest growing and successful automotive sales and services companies in Egypt, recently booked a cinema campaign for Citroën – which included an on screen advertisement and an off screen car display at VOX Cinemas – Mall of Egypt.
The on screen ad was booked from 27th December 2017 – 30th January 2018, while the car display was booked for a period of 2 weeks starting 18th January – 1st February 2018.
As the first ever car display at VOX Cinemas – Mall of Egypt, the Citroën – having caught the attention of many cinema patrons, was sold on the second day of being put on display in the cinema’s foyer area.
Apart from on-screen ads, advertisers who utilize other interactive areas of the cinema tend to see greater campaign results – in terms of higher recall and brand awareness.
In the off screen space, Motivate Val Morgan offers a host of promotion activities – across all the countries we operate in, to compliment and support on screen advertising, ranging from:
and many more…
Contact a member of our sales team for more information on how off screen cinema advertising could help move your brand closer to its target audience.
In advertising, reach is not everything. A media strategy that aims for maximum reach at all costs may sacrifice creativity, positioning and engagement – it won’t necessarily generate the optimum ad spend return on investment (ROI). Cinema provides a platform that can target specific market segments in terms of both demographics and psychographics. Cinema advertising fulfils many of the objectives that a reach-oriented strategy misses out on, such as impact, high recall and audience engagement.
In an Adweek article from 2017, James Cooper, the editorial director, speaks about Screenvision Media unveiling a new creative launch pad ad unit at the 2017 Cannes Lions. Brands taking part in the initiative are eligible for the Hegarty Awards – to honour the best in cinema advertising. Cooper notes how “cinema provides a highly memorable impression in media, reinforced by a 59% ad-awareness statistic.”
Cinema has the benefit of a captive audience, and commercials on the big screen cannot easily be ignored. In addition, niche markets can be catered to. Take for instance a brand selling exclusive sports cars. Mass reach should not factor into their media plan. Instead, carefully crafted content delivered to the correct audience is a superior strategy for marketers and maximum reach should not be the default goal.
The same rule applies when scheduling movies at cinemas. Showing a film at every cinema in the country won’t necessarily produce best results. Reach is not everything — the relevance of a brand’s message to their target market being delivered through the correct channel, is what matters. Cinema provides quality audiences, rather than aiming for quantity.
Besides reach, other brand marketing goals might be awareness, brand positioning, brand affiliation, or short-term impact and hype. What’s important is to have a clear objective of what job the campaign and media should do and be able to measure it.
The need for integrated campaigns
Industry analytical tools are evolving, following the end of Amps and the imminent emergence of new media measurement methodologies, media currencies and segmentation models, marketers need to be clear about their campaign objectives. At the same time, we need to define and understand our audiences better. For instance, in the cinema space, there is a huge correlation between moviegoers and mallgoers, simply because a majority of movie houses in the Middle East are in shopping malls. This opens up possibilities for campaigns using cinema and out-of-home (OOH) activations around malls and in the broader cinema space. This also provides a fantastic opportunity for brand owners to keep their products top of mind within the retail environment. Besides this, there are collaboration opportunities between retail, brand and cinema.
For example, let’s look at Dubai – home to more than 55% of the world’s top international retail brands as well as world-class shopping malls such as The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates. The retail potential of about 2.4 million Dubai residents was valued at Dh63 billion, or Dh26,137 per head in 2015, and was set to grow by 8.5 per cent per annum.
Dubai’s retail sector has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years and the emirate was named the second most important international shopping destination globally after London in 2015 – according to real estate consultancy firm CBRE.
Consumer purchase decisions can be influenced using the various advertising opportunities within malls — including cinema. Hence, there is a need for integrated campaigns that creatively unlock these opportunities. These should be targeted campaigns that don’t aim for reach alone. Cinemas, if you think of it, are more than just the big screen – they are auditoriums and versatile spaces. They can also be used for live broadcasts and conferences to reach a wider audience than just moviegoers.
Cinema is innovating in the marketing of products and services as well as on the entertainment front – a medium open and flexible to collaborating with innovators in all parts of the media space. Cinema advertising complements other media and advertisers and brand managers will find better ROI if they get that science right. The key is to use the versatility of cinema to drive and execute campaigns.
Cinema is uniquely immersive
As a recent Millward Brown white paper points out, one of cinema’s unique selling points is its minimal distractions compared to other media. Multi-screening is still not socially accepted in movie theatres, and ads can also not be skipped or muted.
With wall-to-wall screens, surround sound and its dark environment, cinema is uniquely immersive, so cinema viewers process movie advertising more consciously, which yields results other advertising mediums cannot.
Millward Brown research also shows that the impact of cinema advertising is boosted substantially when people see ads on cinema plus one other screen. This cross-channel synergy contributes on average 20-35% of overall brand effects. Particularly with TV.
For brands wanting their message to have impact with high recall, cinema is the perfect platform. It also provides an opportunity to stretch a campaign creatively, because advertising content has got to be great in the cinema space. The cinema space pushes the boundaries of creativity.
The big screen alone won’t give brands the reach of TV or radio, but a multi-platform strategy offers the best of both worlds. Combining cinema and TV is unparalleled in terms of ROI. The two-visual media complement each other.
In the US – always a bellwether of industry trends – there are already indications of advertisers moving from TV to cinema. The US saw a 1-2% decline in national TV advertising in Q1 2017, according to Pivotal Research Group, while cinema advertising reported 5.8 percent year-on-year growth in 2016.
As advertising budgets get tighter, we need to focus on offering marketers value, and strategists need to create innovative media plans to help achieve their goals.
There have long been a few dominant media types that every media strategist and media buyer recommend. But, some media types are oversubscribed, and now provide less attractive returns. Perhaps strategists need to look to supplementary media to stretch budgets further and move into areas with less clutter.
Opportunities for experimental, experience activations
Gone are the days when cinema advertising was just about screen time accompanied by a call-to-action. An integrated campaign can now embrace branding on popcorn boxes, cinema lightboxes and plasma screens, screens above the candy bar, and sampling stands and activities in the foyer, concourse and auditoriums of cinemas (to name a few). Cinevations (cinema activations which engage audiences) are another popular form of advertising in cinemas.
Media strategists can bundle this high-impact, experiential advertising with another media like TV, radio or print. TV will give you reach, and you can deliver the experiential elements at cinemas.
Cinema makes up 3.41% of the total advertising revenue in MENA as of 2017, according to Zenith. Although cinema advertising in MENA has gone down by 5%, Motivate Val Morgan’s turnover has gone up by 2% in the UAE in 2017. Cinema may not be a huge share of the market, however, it’s one of the only mediums, apart from digital, that hasn’t seen a drastic decline over the years. It is also a medium that can be regionalised or localised — advertisers have the opportunity to limit their campaigns to just a few relevant sites.
Courtesy: Zenith
Courtesy: Zenith
Cinema is all about the experience – the smell of the popcorn, nachos, slush, dimming of the lights and sound, which brands need to optimally embrace to their advantage.
Cinema doesn’t compete with other advertising mediums, it complements them and remains a powerful, targeted, high-impact media experience with a highly responsive audience. Brand owners would see results if they take a broader and more integrated view which incorporates cinema when bringing their products/services to the market.
Cinema is the unique ingredient that brings targeted, quality, creative expression to campaigns, filling in the gaps of a one-size fits-all approach. With growing interest and innovative solutions, the medium is returning to take its rightful place as a key weapon in the targeted advertising arsenal.
The big screen is limitless in bringing campaigns to life!
Sources: SAWA, BIZCOMMUNITY (Cinema News), Emirates 24/7 (Business) and Zenith
Landmark Group’s Centrepoint is the biggest fashion store in the Middle East, the region’s most coveted fashion retail brand – with 140 stores across the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, and also one of Motivate Val Morgan’s loyal clients for many years.
Shyam Sunder, Sr. Marketing & Ecommerce Head, Lead Member – Group Marketing at Centrepoint shares a testimonial on cinema advertising and how the medium has benefited the brand.
Why does Centrepoint choose to advertise in cinema? How does cinema fit into Centrepoint’s media strategy?
“Being a fashion destination in leading malls where cinemas are present, the cinema medium has always been an intrinsic touchpoint in our customers’ journey. Also considering our rich repertoire of world class films, we believe we can captivate our customers on the big screens and inspire them to keep shopping with us.”
What is Centrepoint’s view on the medium and how does it compete/compliment other advertising mediums utilized by the brand?
“Cinema is undoubtedly a great medium and the few remaining captive audience platforms which can entertain viewers without skipping. Hence, while we are digital marketing driven, we cannot let go of the potential and popularity of Cinemas in this region.”
Does Centrepoint use the cinema medium for campaigns relating to brand awareness, tactical promotions, or both?
“Both. Centrepoint has managed to harmonise both fashion and tactical campaigns with its new SALE films. Our series of films, ‘Sabotage’ ‘Lies’ and now ‘Unleash Greed’ are path breaking and balances both quite brilliantly.”
Was cinema the best fit for a specific commercial/campaign?
“The Centrepoint SALE is the biggest retail events in the region and we have been inventing in the property with some trail blazing work and consistent presence in cinemas across the region.”
How efficient was it to book/deal through Motivate Val Morgan?
“We get the best in class cinema network at great value with Motivate Val Morgan. It’s been a long and enduring relationship as both brands continue to improve and innovate.”
Check out some of the Centrepoint ads that were booked through Motivate Val Morgan and screened across our network of cinemas in the UAE:
CENTREPOINT | SALE | 2015
CENTREPOINT | THIS RAMADAN #SPOTLIGHTONYOU | 2016
CENTREPOINT | LIES | 2016
CENTREPOINT | SABOTAGE | #LOOKGOODSALE | 2016
CENTREPOINT | BACK TO SCHOOL | 2017
CENTREPOINT | UNLEASH GREED | 2017
Source: Centrepoint, Landmark Group
