Cinema and the imperative for another screen by Joe Evea

Joe Evea, Commercial Director at Digital Cinema Media, talks about the need for a second screen in cinema and the benefits it can bring for both the audience and brands looking to reach them with 12Ahead.

The era of the ‘connected consumer’, best demonstrated by the twitter hash-tags and handles that accompany so much of the media we consume, is now a reality. Next year will see an increasing number of brands looking to reach connected consumers across multiple screens in order to build long-term connections with their audience and engage them in a fluid, two way conversation.

People are consuming media when they want, how they want. In an age where screens follow us everywhere, the entire media industry has to be more innovative, more flexible and responsive to audience behaviour. The era of the connected consumer is a reality, and a result of hitherto unanswered dissatisfactions with the media landscape finally being answered. All media have recognised these changes in content consumption, and are reacting in their own respective ways to maintain relevance and satisfy the consumer’s increasingly unpredictable media palate.

From the individual’s perspective there is no definitive screen hierarchy: no screen which is automatically first, and none that are automatically second. Wherever we are – at home, at work, in the car, on the train, in the pub, in the cinema – one screen may temporarily occupy centre stage as circumstance or task dictates. Whichever screen commands our attention, the smartphone is our constant companion – providing always-on access to whatever screen we want.

Mobile now plays an increasingly central role in the lives of the world’s population. Mobile internet usage in Indonesia and Nigeria already exceeds desktop internet usage and India and China are beginning to see similar behaviour. Mobile is transforming the way people behave and empowering communities like never before. And companies like Instagram and Foursquare have put mobile at the forefront of their strategy, with great success.

Cinema, specifically Digital Cinema Media, provides a gateway to a highly valuable audience, with the capacity to educate them, leverage an association with content they are passionate about (film) and deliver a consistent user experience at scale.

Over 74% of heavy cinemagoers own a smartphone (versus UK average of 53%) of whom 56% visit social networks on their devices. Studies have shown 80% of the audience keep their device switched on during the ads and a further 69% keep it switched to silent (source – FAME 2013).

Cinema delivers 170m admissions per year in the UK alone and has seen consistent growth in admissions in the last three years. The power of cinema is that it is an identical experience on every visit, therefore enhancing that visit with mobile is an easy education for consumers.

Unlike the “At Home” market, cinema has the advantage that the only device our audience will be carrying with them is their mobile.

Cinema is an appointment to view media, everyone going through the door has an interest in film (they have made a purchase). They have an average of 17 minutes in the foyer. They are more likely to be using their mobile phones and to see advertising which promotes use of the mobile and explains how it works.

Cinema has all the ingredients to launch the ultimate second screen experience – the challenge is to create an application which enhances each and every individual’s cinema visit and engages them before, during and long after their cinema experience.

As part of the cinime experience, PlayStation® has created an on-screen interactive quiz, planned by Manning Gottlieb OMD, to test cinemagoers’ film knowledge at the start of the pre-show.

During the interactive quiz, cinemagoers will be able to answer a series of questions displayed on the big screen, via the cinime app on their smartphone, that are tailored to different audiences and films, as selected by PlayStation. If they get two or more questions correct, they can redeem a PlayStation-sponsored prize after the movie or during their next cinema visit.

This article first appeared on 12Ahead