Case Study - Eat Cinema

Background:
Through our joint venture partnership with the UK film industry, All Industry Marketing (AIM), the etv media group produced and ran entertainment TV channel, Eat Cinema. AIM membership consists of BAFTA, the UK film Council, the Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA), the Federal Distributors Association (FDA), the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) as well as the individual film distributors and exhibitors. The channel launched on Sky Digital Channel 199 on 28th February 2006 and had a supporting website and WAPsite.

Objectives:
The aim of Eat Cinema and its supporting channels was to increase cinema attendance and to position “going to the movies” as a preferred leisure or entertainment activity with UK audiences.

To achieve this, Eat Cinema’s marketing campaign aimed to position the TV channel as the information source for all things film/cinema related and to help audiences find out what’s on at the cinema and help them choose the right film.

Mechanic:
The channel had a range of programmes designed to appeal to an 18-44 year old audience. Broadcasting 24 hours, seven days a week, Eat Cinema targeted audiences at the times when they most needed cinema information. Whether it was a family watching Eat Cinema on a Friday night to help them decide which film to see on the weekend; a young couple checking the mobile WAPsite when they were out at dinner or someone at work checking the Eat Cinema website, the channel was designed to provide entertaining, authorative movie news and information.

Programming included:

Just the Ticket presented by Emma Griffiths (ITV2’s ‘I’m a Celebrity..’) and T4’s Anthony Crank: a rundown of the week’s new releases in an attempt to match movies to viewers.

UK Top 10 presented by Matt Brown and Mohini Sule: the show highlights the week’s Top 10 UK and US Films and offered viewers the chance to reflect on less serious topics such as “Most Lame Chat-up Lines” in cinema history.

First Night Bites presented by Emily Booth: the show gave cinema-goers the chance to comment on the latest films as they exit the cinema.

The Buzz was a round-up of the week’s hottest celebs and biggest movies presented by real media and showbiz pundits.

Spotlight was a comprehensive look at one film.

Other Eat Cinema presenters included the BBC’s One Show presenter Christine Bleakley, T4’s George Lamb, E4’s Rick Edwards, BBC’s Tessa Dunlop, ex-MTV presenter Toby Amies

Channel Marketing:
At launch time, more than £1.5 million of media space was given in kind by distributors and exhibitors. A dedicated advertising campaign was also implemented. The marketing strategy put in place included:

• A 30 second in-cinema trailer was shown throughout the country. Individual film posters, print advertisements and billboards throughout the country included the Eat Cinema logo with channel number and a strapline.
  
• We undertook a three month sponsorship deal with Metro to promote the channel.
• In-foyer posters – each cinema throughout the country had dedicated two to three sites to Eat Cinema branded posters. Vue, Cineworld, Odean and some of the major independent exhibitors such as Showcase, carried Eat Cinema material on their respective in-foyer TV services throughout the country.
• Eat Cinema used the services of a publicity agency. The agency generated both regional and national media coverage.
  
• Exhibitor & distributor marketing channels - membership publications and individual websites contained the Eat Cinema logo and information.

Results:
Eat Cinema succeeded in producing high quality /low-budget, quickturnaround entertainment channel that was well received by both viewers and media alike. It was truly unique in that is was UK broadcasting’s only 24-hour one-stop-shop for authoritative information on all current cinema releases.