With every brand fighting to take hold of the consumer’s mind in that fast-paced digital world, one traditional advertising medium has a great story to tell on engaging and converting consumers: Multiplex Advertising. The reason this is important is that online advertising is where we see considerable spending of resources for most businesses nowadays. But how does this advertising drive up sales? And why should your brand be in it? Let’s delve into the power of multiplex advertising and how it will be able to change the game for your marketing strategy.
The Multiplex Advantage
Multiplexes are much more than theaters; they are a social spot, one through which people experience life. Families out on their weekly excursions, groups of friends watching the hottest box office movies, and couples going out for dinner and a movie—the kind of audience that frequents these halls is varied and represents many different demographics. This is what makes them a great platform for brands that seek to reach a large but relevant audience base.
Multiplex Advertising can be defined as the advertising that is executed inside and outside the cinema multiplexes, even involving on-screen ads visible just before the feature film starts, posters, standees, digital displays, and even product placements inside the cinema setup. This sort of advertising typically has a high impact as it gets the full attention of the viewer who is in a relaxed disposition and open for any kind of entertainment. While in other advertising platforms, consumers can always either skip or ignore ads presented to them, multiplex advertising truly binds your reception and retention of the message.
Captive Audience Equal Higher Engagement
One of the main reasons multiplex advertising is so potent is because it is person-based. People who come to a multiplex have a one-track mind—to watch a movie. Thus, they are in a good mood with no disturbances and are fully focused on the screen.
The same is treated effectively well with an example in one of the researches: According to Nielsen’s research, the on-screen advertisements recalled in a cinema are 58% which is very high as compared to Television Commercials and Online Video advertisements. This has been attributed to the fact that movie-going audiences tend to recall more ads shown on a big screen where they can barely skip it or ignore it. The advertising experience will be much more impactful and memorable in the more immersive environment of a cinema, with the large screen and surround sound.
Here is an opportunity for the brands to engage consumers in a meaningful way. By running creative and impactful ads that resonate with your audience, you will be able to push up brand awareness, drive consumer interest, and, in turn, result in increasing sales.
Involve many people: it is true; that a lot of people go to the multiplexes. However, your advertising will prove effective only when it communicates with the right target audience for your brand. For this, you need strategic ad placement. If you know the demographic and psychographics of the moviegoers who would frequent a multiplex, your communication is just to suit these people.
For instance, if you are running a campaign on your new line of sportswear, then placing ads on multiplexes with action-packed flicks or even sports documentaries can show your product to a public who is at least very likely to be interested in what you are selling. On the other hand, if one is dealing in luxury goods, one can place one’s ads in theatres showing high-end dramas or films mainly targeted at older and more affluent audiences.
Beyond this, multiplexes often come with in-depth audience information, regarding age, sex, income class, and even film-watching habits. Such information helps in designing campaigns that are focused on addressing the interests and needs of cinema-goers; hence, it makes your advertising more relevant and convincing.
The Power of Contextual Advertising
Context is king in advertising, and multiplexes are an excellent opportunity for contextual advertising. Movie themes and genres can be matched such that ads provide a seamless and engaging experience to the audience.
An example would be a brand that is about to launch a new product concept to resonate with family. The best place for such an advertisement would be in a multiplex that caters to animated films or family comedies. It will ensure the targeted exposure of the ad, and every ad will be relevant and more impactful to the message. When done correctly, this type of multiplex advertising, done in context, can bring about better engagement rates and stronger emotional bonding with the audience.
Beyond the Screen: Multiplex Advertising
On-screen ads are by far and wide the most common format for multiplex ads. Off-screen advertising includes window posters, standees, and digital display units that grace cinema lobbies and complement your on-screen efforts in reinforcing your brand message.
For example, a soft drink company may be able to afford to sponsor a refreshment stand that gives free samples to all theater-goers as they enter. This, of course, raises brand awareness but also creates a very positive association of the brand with the movie-going experience. The same is true for interactive displays or photo booths that engage audiences before or after the showing of a movie and offer a chance to interact with the brand directly.
This can further be made innovative like incorporating the brand within the actual ATM environment of the cinema. For example, a tech company could be sponsoring the Wi-Fi in the theater and offering it for free in exchange for watching a small ad or taking a survey. Not only could this raise exposure for the brand, but it could glean genuinely useful data about customer preferences and behaviors.
Measuring the Impact of Multiplex Advertising
The effectiveness of the multiplex advertising campaigns, as stated by any marketing strategy, is measured through core quantitative and qualitative metrics combinedly.
Some quantitative metrics include impressions (how many people viewed the ad), engagement rates (how many people interacted with the ad be it via a QR code, a website, etc.), and conversion rates (how many people made a purchase or performed another intended action after viewing the ad). For example, congregating around a survey or a focus group, the qualitative metrics could be measured by audience perception and recall of the ad.
A bigger sample may be given minute details on advertisers’ campaigns in the areas of audience demographics, ad recall, and engagement levels. This information can be used to perfect your ad delivery approach and boost ROI for future campaigns.
Conclusion
In a world where the limelight is sometimes stolen by digital, multiplex advertising brings a distinctive and strong way to reach consumers. This will make brand identity stronger, provide engagement, and boost sales through the targeting of a captive, relaxed, and receptive audience.
Whether it includes a local business that can drive footfalls to its stores or a national brand that reaches out to its audience to build relevance, advertising at multiplexes provides the perfect platform to showcase your products and services. To understand the audience, use contextual advertising, and measure the impact of campaigns, you will be able to unlock the real potential of multiplex advertising and take your brand to new heights.
At Benchmark Group, we understand the strength of multiplex advertising, and that it can work in conjunction with a greater marketing strategy. Our team of experts is always ready to help set you up with killer campaigns that catch the attention of your target demographic and drive effective results. Ready to make a difference? Let’s get the conversation started right away.