IN-Cinema Advertising and Content Assess

'Fifty Shades' Sets In-Cinema Ad Record

Typical '50 Shades' female-based ad

'Fifty Shades of Grey' has mopped-up all of the in-cinema ad space available prior to its Valentine Day release.  So, advertisers who didn't book their ads last month are now out of luck.

OPI fingernail polish ad

National CineMedia, who sells ads for the Regal, AMC, and CineMark cinema circuits announced that they were "sold out" of all ad space for February due to 'Fifty Shades'.  It was the first time in years that NCM has sold out all of its ad space.

In general, the cinema advertising business is anticipating a banner year thanks to a slew of upcoming box office bruisers, including: 'Star Wars', 'Minions', and Pixar's newest, 'Inside Out' - just to name several.  NCM, which is trying to form a merger with ScreenVision (its rival in the in-cinema ad space) reported that it has ad commitments exceeding $225 million for 2015, a huge increase over last year's total of $110 million.

Many of the advertisers for 'Fifty Shades' were female focused brands and their commitment represents the biggest advertising expenditure since 'Sex In the City'. What's good about in-cinema ads is that they are relatively inexpensive, compared to say TV, and they are very measurable.

Is Content As 'Available' As Providers Boast

Seek and ye shall find - or maybe not!  The boast of accessing content anytime, anyplace. on any device is just that - a boast.  In fact, just finding what and when it's available for viewing is a real chore - as there exists no fully integrated digital program guide.

A recent survey by Hub Entertainment Research found that 61% of viewers say "they need a universal program listing to find shows across all sources and devices".  A universal source to search across content platforms simply does not exist today.

The survey found that in regards to the high-impact, action and animated films consumers' preference was to go to the cinema vs. any other platform.

Just saying,
Jim