As "Rogue One" Arrives, Screenvision Ramps Up Advertiser Engagement

By applying thought leadership and a creative lens to its marketing communications, Screenvision Media is looking to ignite the passion of the advertising community itself to more deeply commit to the medium and the content next year.

Mary Ellen Holden:  What prompted Screenvision Media to increase its messaging to advertisers?

John McCauley: A confluence of factors contributed to our thinking, as we are seeing that as television ratings continue to decline, the cinema advertising experience has become a more attractive option for advertisers. Screenvision Media creates great delivery for premium video -- we no longer compete within cinema alone. With so much audience fragmentation across TV and other advertising channels, cinema's steady, large-scale audience delivery of moviegoers and the immersive, captive experience of the 40-foot screen are becoming increasingly more important within media plans. This shift has led us to engage with the media community differently to reinforce our ability to create impact like no other. Our message is upbeat as box offices are up, and we plan to harness this success and excitement.

Mary Ellen: Box office buzz generates brand interest in the big screen. How do you share this with the ad trade?

John: We have a very successful screening program where we invite brands and agencies to come to the movies for larger releases. This first-hand moviegoing experience adds an additional layer of insight and perspective to the movies and big screen opportunities. We feel very strongly that sharing our passion and keeping the heat on the movies enables our clients to feel more informed about the content. This translates to more engagement and hopefully a greater willingness to showcase their ads within our Front & Center Preshow.

Mary Ellen:  How are you expanding this insider focus?

John: As our screening program proves, members of the advertising community love the movies and are also moviegoers. And, like all movie enthusiasts, they thrive on exclusive and inside access. At Screenvision Media we have a culture that values creativity, collaboration and a passion for the distinct magic of the moviegoing experience -- and the movies -- that is unrivaled in its impact and engagement.  We decided it was time to dial this up with our valued friends in the advertising community.

Mary Ellen:  Can you provide an example of insider insight?

John: We are fortunate to have a very talented creative director, Matt Arden, and an in-house movie expert within our marketing group, Erin Pullman, spearheading our movie insider insights initiative.  For example -- our most recent movie perspective is a mashup featuring the highly anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story compared with Suicide Squad.  We proactively reach out to clients with this type of clever, industry-leading innovation to showcase how engaging movie promotion and advertising can be.

Mary Ellen:  Are you launching any other new marketing initiatives to further establish Screenvision Media as a cinema expert?

John:This month we are launching The 120, a video summary that highlights the next couple of months at the box office coupled with some inside scoop, as well as what is hot now -- like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, opening this weekend. (Rogue One star Felicity Jones is pictured at top.) We are excited to share this content with our movie-loving friends at brands and agencies.

Mary Ellen:  To close out the year, is there a final message that you'd like put out there?

John:While cinema has made plenty of progress, there are still many advertisers who think of cinema advertising as a specialty medium. It's important to remember that cinema advertising is in many ways as fluid as TV and digital and can be turned around very quickly. For example, if your NFL ads aren't working, think cinema, as we can deliver impact to a captive audience in short order. My parting message would be to continue to be receptive and view cinema advertising as a central part of your media mix, as it will create impact like no other.

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