Advertising in Concessions
Everyone has a favorite movie theater snack. Popcorn, candy, and nachos are perennial favorites but there are many other snacks people can enjoy when they go to the movies. These include hot dogs, ice cream, packaged nuts, and drinks. In addition to traditional concession stand items there is also a wide range of specialty snacks offered at cinemas such as sparkling water with or without flavorings or fruit; healthy options like tater tots; and meal options like pizza or chicken tenders. It’s an awful lot of choices that you might not realize were available at theaters because they may not be advertised as part of the movie-going experience in any way.
The reason for this is that most theaters in the United States are independently owned and operated, so they can’t offer a large number of diverse snacks. They might have only 12 flavors of popcorn or three choices of soda. Theaters have a limited amount of space to offer products and advertising available for their concessions is limited as well. In order to sell more snacks, most theaters rely on building the emotional connection between their audiences and the movies they’re showing in order to attract people to go see movies there over competitors. In recent years many theaters are changing their advertising strategies because research shows that moviegoers have a strong emotional connection with movie theater brands, more so than any other kind of food service.
Theaters have always had a connection with audiences through the movies they offer, but this is only one part of their advertising mix. Theater owners have historically used in-house promotions or partnerships with consumer product companies to help promote their movie houses. In-house promotions include giveaways of branded cups and other swag; partnerships with consumer product companies include promoting access to a certain brand’s products within their theaters, such as Coca-Cola’s placement of vending machines in theaters around the world. There are similar kinds of campaigns for other brands, like Doritos’ placement of chips and other snacks in theaters.
However, recently technological innovations have created new marketing possibilities for theaters that can help them to more effectively market their concessions and grow the emotional connection between themselves and their audiences. One way this is possible is through advertising in concessions. The concession stands in movie theaters are the second most visited locations in cinemas after the restrooms, so this is a good place to reach audience members on a regular basis. This makes them appealing locations for advertisers to target their products, especially as it relates to snack foods and drinks which people enjoy during movies. There are several factors that make it attractive for advertisers to consider placing advertising in concession stands.
Concessions are a key place where people gather to talk about movies; their friends, movies they saw recently and what they think about them. They’re also a place where people can visit with their family or friends over a bowl of popcorn. This creates the opportunity for advertisers to be able to connect with movie audiences through innovative methods like advertising in concessions, as well as traditional marketing options like posters and billboards. People spend more money at concessions stands than any other part of movie theaters. The average number of concession items purchased per person is two, while the next highest area that people purchase from is the gift shop where they will only buy one product on average.
Additionally, the advertising space in concessions is available on a limited budget. Advertising space costs much less than billboards or posters because the revenue generated by sales of snacks and beverages at concession stands is extremely low compared to other areas of a theater such as programs or advertisements. There are also more opportunities for brand exposure by placing ads in concession stands than there are other areas of the theater.
On top of all that, advertisers can track marketing results easily and accurately through the use of technology such as hand-held devices that allow audience members to pay for concessions with their phones or smart watches which would provide them with real-time information about what concession items are being sold at any given time.
The first study to examine what happens when the brands of food and drink are advertised in concessions was conducted in 2005. The researchers found that many people really look forward to seeing what is offered next in a concession stand. They even have a baseline expectation of what their favorite brands are going to be offered on any given day because they’re used to seeing the same brand on the shelves at the concession stands. However, if it’s not available that day or if it’s not as advertised, some people almost do not want to wait for it to be put back on the shelves again, as evidenced by complaints about unattractive or stale food and beverage items.
Another study was conducted in 2005 to test what happens when people are exposed to advertising for new products through concession stands compared with traditional advertising such as posters and billboards. This study found that it does increase awareness and interest in the advertised product, but only until a certain level of saturation is reached. After that, there is a negative impact on the people who are exposed to these ads. The same study also tested what happens when different kinds of advertising are used together in concessions; they found that combining which product is advertised and how it’s advertised can make all the difference when reaching audience members.
Another study was conducted to find out what happens when different countries are exposed to advertising in concession stands. This study found that only 12% of consumers said they would be more likely to buy a food or drink product if they saw it advertised at the concession stand, while 25% of consumers said they would be more likely to buy a food or drink product if they saw it advertised on the movie screen. A study that was published in 2010 found similar results and showed that when a cinema has well-stocked, clean concession stands and is able to maintain them regularly, then people are more likely to visit them more often.
Another study that was conducted in 2015 showed that while it may be common knowledge that people are more likely to purchase food when they go to the movies, it is actually a very small percentage of concessions sales that happen during a movie. While the majority of concessions sales occur before and after the movie, about one-quarter of them happen during the film. The biggest factors related to why people buy food and drink during movies are lower price points compared to other meal times and convenience. Other reasons included wanting to enjoy food with friends and partners, weather associated with being at the movies, and nostalgia associated with going to movies.
Conclusion
Advertising in concession stands reduces costs and increases revenue for movie theaters. It also provides opportunities for consumers to have brand exposure to movie theater audiences while they’re using the concession stand. When you’re trying to reach a highly targeted audience, advertising in concessions is a great way to get noticed by those who frequent movie theaters on a regular basis. Remember that it’s important for you to test different marketing strategies so you can determine what is going to work best for your business. Bookmark our blog because we will continue to discuss how you can use advertising in concession stands and other areas of the cinema.