For the average consumer in Oman these days, the cinemas are a frequent source of entertainment that has prompted brands to tap into this medium to reach their target audience. In fact, eager viewers who sit down to watch a much-awaited blockbuster are often bombarded with advertisements either in the form of pictorial slides or a 30 second short film, even before movie trailers are aired.
With the industry spend on cinema advertising pegged at about RO50,000 a year, it is clear that a few companies in Oman have opted for this form of advertising, with only a minority in this segment working out the right strategy to effectively showcase their brands.
Corporates who own or represent brands such as RangeRover, Chips Oman and The Wave, Muscat point out that cinema advertising simply helps refresh the minds of consumers about their offerings. For digital media and art center owners like ProShots, it is an apt medium that reflects the high quality of their production work, but executives across the board agree that one cannot bank on this platform alone for brand recognition as the time period and frequency of airing ads in the cinemas is too short.
Stronger advertising platforms such as the print media and billboards are imperative to supplement cinema advertising.
As brands are seeking new channels to connect with their customers, cinema advertising has been slowly gaining momentum in the last three years in Oman and still holds a promising outlook for the future.
"The rate cards to advertise in the cinemas in Oman is cheaper by 15 per cent when compared to other countries in the region. If integrated more creatively, it has a very high potential of brand engagement and brand enhancement," says Noufal Ali, creative director, FP7 McCANN World Group, Muscat. This innovation includes utilising surroundings inside the cinema plaza such as the seating area to showcase brands and incorporating social media links within the ads that can generate immediate responses.
The right mix
In Oman, till date, clients who choose to advertise in the cinemas have mostly been the international brands. But some local players like the Ali Shaihani group and the Wave Muscat are also slowly exploring this medium.
Those that have opted for the cinemas as an advertising platform spend roughly 20 per cent of their overall advertising budget for this initiative. But for such advertising to become effective, companies have to carefully examine the movie schedules at least a month in advance to determine the right target audience.
David Stafford, vice president, marketing at The Wave Muscat says that for a brand such as theirs, the cinemas are requested to air their ads only during blockbuster movies that have garnered good reviews. For brands like Jaguar and Range Rover, airtime during English movies is preferred.
Choosing the right plaza and location is also important to ensure that companies have got the desired target audience. The rates vary for each of the plazas, between RO600-900 per month, with the first cinema hall costing the most as it has maximum capacity.
"We prefer to be in Plaza 1 at City Cinema, Qurm because of its large seating capacity. Ads of brands such as Jaguar and LandRover are usually showcased in City Cinema, Qurm which is slightly upmarket. For mid segment, brands such as BYD, we prefer ads to be aired at City Cinema, Ruwi," says Umesh Rao, manager, advertising and promotions, MHD.
Determining seasonal trends is also imperative to make cinema advertising effective. For instance, The Wave, Muscat prefers to air its ads in Shatti during the summer months when the footfalls at the cinemas are maximum. On the other hand, cinema advertising does not work during the holy month of Ramadan as theatres are practically empty, points out Rao. Others like Saud Bahwan Group, ProShots and Ali Shaihani use the cinemas all year long to showcase their respective brands.
Ajoy Kumar, sales and marketing manager at Ali Shaihani that owns brands like Chips Oman and Sohar Chips, says cinema ads are more effective for flagship products instead of highlighting less popular ones. When it comes to seeking the right expertise to advertise in this platform, firms such as Ali Shaihani have their ads made inhouse to curtail costs, while others like The Wave and MHD choose large local and renowned international advertising agencies.
The big box
The cinemas as an advertising platform can be advantageous in some ways, as some companies are able to portray their brands on a high quality platform that is more receptive. "The social aspect of movie going, the captive environment of the cinema and the lack of clutter affecting the medium adds to the preference," says a spokesperson for Saud Bahwan Group. But executives agree that the quality of the video of most short ad films and slides being produced in the market is quite poor and they lack creativity.
"I don't care much for the ads that are showcased in the cinemas," says Fahad al Riyami, a young Omani. "It is true that we are forced to watch the ad and cannot skip it by changing a channel like we do while watching television. But I cannot recall most brands that I come across in the cinemas here as the ads are not creative enough.
Ads of some international brands do capture my attention even if it is a five-second slide as they are quite striking." Fliers of some FMCG products along with standees are also present at the venue but few take notice of such hoardings while entering the cinema plazas.
"I don't think many people here understand the effectiveness of advertising in the cinemas. The video ads have to match the standards of the cinemas. If the ad has no story line or an emotional element, it may actually end up damaging the brand's identity instead of enhancing it," says Huda al Lawati, managing director and partner, ProShots.
Rami al Lawati, co-managing director at the studio points that high quality videos that are used in the cinemas can be resized for the digital space, hence it pays to invest adequate money to produce high quality ads for the cinemas.
For Ali, creativity in cinema advertising is not just about the story line and the quality of the images/videos. "The idea is to stretch and go beyond the unexciting cinema slides and engage the audience right from the queues at the ticket-counter till the end of the movie. Installing digital kiosks, putting up posters around the lounge area, branding behind the ticket counterfoil and the seats inside the hall are just off-the-cuff innovative ideas to begin with."
One of the other drawbacks of cinema advertising in this market has been in measuring the effectiveness of cinema ads. Incorporating other interactive platforms within the ads, like a link to social media or interaction via text messages where consumers can seek additional information will help assess the effectiveness of the cinemas as an advertising platform immediately, suggests Stafford.
Additionally, establishing more clarity on the rules and regulations to advertise in this medium and a consistency in airing the advertisements will help improve the effectiveness of this platform, he opines. Some point out that increasing the number of cinemas across Oman where more retail outlets are present will help improve the scenario in cinema advertising.
With more cinema halls coming up in the sultanate, the demand for cinema advertising is expected to continue witnessing a steady increase for the foreseeable future. Industry onlookers are also optimistic that with companies becoming more receptive to exploring new ideas, better creatives to captivate the audience could be introduced to the market that will help the concept of cinema advertising evolve to the next level.
© businesstoday 2012
