Screenvision Media Argues at Its Upfront That Cinema Delivers the Most Desirable Audience

At its upfront presentation to media buyers Thursday night in New York, national cinema advertising company Screenvision Media made a compelling case that brands who advertise in-cinema can attract a young and highly-engaged audience, one that neither TV nor digital advertising can deliver. It's the world of cinema, Screenvision says, that also provides "premium video in an immersive environment with the most desirable audience." “There’s no question that we are at an inflection point in media. Advertisers are looking for memorable impressions that create impact along with TV audience replacement, and they are finding that in cinema,” said John Partilla, chief executive officer of Screenvision Media. There was a 1 percent to 2 percent decline in national TV advertising in Q1 2017, according to Pivotal Research Group senior analyst Brian Wieser. Screenvision Media chief revenue officer Katy Loria says a significant chunk of that traditional TV ad spend is shifting to cinema, a medium she says possesses a brand environment that's safer than TV or digital. “Look, TV delivers scale, but ratings erosion is real and it’s becoming increasingly harder to buy GRP’s effectively. In addition, viewability, fraud and the inability to guarantee a safe environment with appropriate context are concerns in the digital world,” said Loria. “In a landscape where attention is the new ROI, and engagement is the new currency, we offer the ultimate storytelling canvas for impact.” One way Screenvision is looking to stand out from TV and digital is through its "10 Pack" offering, which will enable sponsors to buy ad time ahead of what Screenvision believes will be the 10 most popular and profitable films for the coming year. In addition to the "10 Pack," Screenvision announced that AMC Theatres will be the company's newest partner, joining a roster that includes "a national network of state of the art theaters, all of which possess a distraction-free environment." The company also unveiled a targeting tool for potential partners named Cintel, which combines behavioral, psychographic and demographic audience data that enables media buyers to more effectively target movie audiences. Additionally, Screenvision shared results of its Connected Cinema case study, which highlighted extended reach amongst movie audiences and incremental consumer engagement. Through Connected Cinema, Screenvision affiliates’ allow brands to connect and engage with audiences before, during and after the movie. Screenvision launched the study during the premiere of Lego Batman. “We know that advertisers covet our valuable moviegoing audiences, and through Connected Cinema, we can give them increased touchpoints as well as positively impact engagement with their brands,” said Christine Martino, Screenvision’s evp of ad sales. According to Screenvision, in 2016, 1.3 billion moviegoers drove a new record at box office, resulting in $11.3 billion in ticket sales. This year's box office is on track to exceed 2016, the company claims, and year to date, nine films have topped the $100 million box office mark. The cinema advertising community closed out 2016 with over $750 million in revenue, accounting for 5.8 percent year-over-year growth. “We’re very proud of our unrivaled ad awareness, and we take very seriously our role in harnessing the power of the most memorable impression on behalf of our advertisers,” said Screenvision Media’s chief strategic development officer John McCauley.