From The Street To the Seat, @ScreenvisionLLC
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
I couldn’t help thinking, when I interviewed Christine Martino, senior vice-president, national advertising sales for New-York-based Screenvision, that with the investments the theatre company is making, Martino has a whole new career in front of her.
She certainly has a lot more to sell.
And that’s because Screenvision is investing heavily following the blocked merger with NCM, a move by the government that called a halt to the 10-month negotiations last November.
As a result, Screenvision received a payment of $26 million from NCM, funds that it’s now putting to good use.
In addition, some of the theatres that ‘make up’ Screenvision are also investing.
Shamrock Holdings is the major shareholder in the privately held theatre group – main competitor to NCM. Another shareholder, among others, is Carmike Cinemas, one of the largest motion picture exhibitors in the U.S.. Screenvision represents over 2,200 theatres and more than 14,000 screens. In addition to its N.Y. headquarters, national sales offices are also located in Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit, with local sales offices spread across the U.S..
“We’re building the core business, adding new partners like Christie Digital,” said Martino. “We now have five fully digital lobbies in theatres in Detroit, Los Angeles, and in some Emagine Theatres. This includes concession station screens, large interactive screens, and digital billboards. We hope to have 200 theatres fully equipped by this summer.”
Screenvision launched its Project Lynx at its Upfront 2015, teaming up with SITO Mobile for this initiative that offers national retailers and agencies greater ability to connect geo-targeted ads around movie theaters designed to drive in-store purchases.
“SITO has geofencing around some 150,000 apps for collecting data and we want to get into all the data about age, gender and so forth and then get into consumer behavioral data for better targeting and addressable ads,” said Martino. “And Kantar Shopcom, the WPP Group in-store analytics unit, will be supplying third party data on consumer purchases tied to the geo-targeted ads.
“Through SITO’s geofencing, we can connect someone who sees a specific store’s ad and, thanks to Kantar Shopcom, determine if they went to that store three days later as a result of seeing that initial ad.
“We want to be able to both attract and follow the consumer from the street to the seat. Advertisers can take advantage of the whole package or whatever they want.”
On top of that, Screenvision is currently in talks with beacon platform provider Gimbal to install indoor marketing systems at its 2,200-plus movie theater locations across the US. These, with the use of smart phone connections, will give even more technology data.
We asked Martino if Screenvision theatres are getting into the ‘luxury’ theatre market where everything from meals to specially designed seating to ‘everything nice for a date night’ if offered.
“Yes,” she said. “Harkins Theatres chain is one of the fastest growing chains and it is very much into offering luxury.” Harkins offers private screenings, corporate events, birthday parties and more.
Screenvision also announced a new preshow platform available exclusively to upfront advertisers – Front & Center ON. As part of the 20-minute preshow, there are three two-minute blocks set aside for exclusivity by advertisers, one each in technology, entertainment and style, where they can share their branded content. Other content and ads will, of course, run in between.
Screenvision’s creative studio, 40 Foot Solutions, will continue to innovate and produce industry leading branded content solutions for brands that do not have their own content. 40 Foot Solutions produced various on-screen elements for Screenvision’s Upfront show, and Christie Digital provided interactive, user-driven video walls throughout the event space at the transformed Skylight at Moynihan Station.
Martino told us that some of Screenvision’s biggest regular advertisers are Google and insurance companies such as Geico and State Farm.
With all its new offerings, Martino told us that Screenvision has staffed up, adding five national sales people in New York and another three in Los Angeles, for a total of 18 national sales staff now, “and we’re still looking to grow.”
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