THOSE WHO COMMUNICATE
WIN IN DIGITAL SCREENING
by Laura Carniel
The way in which movie theatres communicate
their offer to the public is now widely recognized as being a vital element
for their competitive success and exhibitors pay increasing attention
to the image the public has of their cinema. “Communication” is thus becoming
one of the key words in the world of digital cinema. Communicating digital
screening is not just about making known a technological innovation but
also about offering a whole new viewing experience. Exhibitors are becoming
increasingly aware that technology is not an end in itself and on its
own is insufficient to create a competitive edge. What the public is told
and, above all, how it is told is therefore becoming of fundamental importance:
it is not enough to have a good product and new technology; you must know
how to communicate this in a distinct and appealing way.
What are the mechanisms to concentrate on? The means of cinematographic
promotion remain more or less the same, whilst what changes is the message:
less focus on films and the cinema’s promotional offers and more on technological
innovation and the quality of the digital image. And when it comes to
digital screening it is precisely the quality that becomes the hub around
which the exhibitor’s work rotates: digital technology is taken on board
because it offers better quality of projection, becoming a “pledge of
quality” to the public and the vehicle of a unique experience in theatrical
viewing.
The Italian scenario
This is the main result to emerge from the first research carried out
in Italy on the digitalization of movie theatres. Arising out of collaboration
with the MEDIA Salles association, the research, which covers the whole
country, had a dual objective. From the exhibitors’ point of view, to
examine the impact of digital technology on the distinguishing features
of the offer, on the company’s main business results and on the modes
and tools used in the field of promotion. From the spectators’ point of
view, to analyze their perceptions and attitudes in relation to digital
screening and its impact on the overall cinema viewing experience.
Following 2005, which recorded a considerable increase in the numbers
of the country’s digital cinemas, the Italian scenario appears to have
been somewhat static over the past few years, slowed down by two main
problems: the huge costs of adopting and maintaining the technology and
the scarcity of titles distributed in digital format on the Italian market.
The results of the research show that only a small number of exhibitors
manage to obtain public financing for the adoption of digital technology
(47.4% of exhibitors state that they bought the equipment themselves).
For most of them, it appears that it is difficult or impossible for them
to update their offer technologically.
Technological innovation or cinema
viewing experience?
In addition, the research shows the tendency of Italian exhibitors to
consider functional and technological features as being central to the
differentiation of the cinema’s offer, to the detriment of factors related
more to the spectator’s overall experience and entertainment. The attention
paid nowadays, especially in America and in general in multiplexes or
megaplexes, to the added value of the leisure-experience and entertainment
of spectators has no real counterpart on the Italian scenario, either
amongst theatres or amongst audiences at digital screenings, who do not
seem to attribute any particular importance to these side features of
the theatre’s offer.
Greater attention should nonetheless be devoted to the spectator, who
must be accompanied in all phases of his contact with the cinema and its
offer. In connection with this it is of vital importance for the theatre
to offer the digital spectator an experience that is as involving and
as unique as possible, exploiting not so much peripheral aspects linked
to social relations, leisure, differentiation of the entertainment offer
(e.g. localization of the movie theatre in a context of entertainment,
close to pubs, restaurants, disco clubs, etc.), but rather those related
to the aesthetic experience connected to the superior and incomparable
quality of digital viewing and the overall experience, including the many
additional services that allow theatres to assume a truly distinctive
position in the minds of their audiences (e.g. services related to access,
availability, provision of information, merchandising).
Communicating digital screening:
the importance of the medium and the message
As regards the communicative aspect of the cinema’s offer, generally indicated
by exhibitors as a very important factor in increasing the theatre’s competitive
edge, this assumes a special nature when applied to the field of digital
screening. Apart from the classical means of promotion, websites seem
to be particularly widespread (used by 78.9% of respondents); however,
if we look at the media that make most impact on the public, we discover
that websites are amongst the media least used by spectators as a source
of information on digital screenings (only used in 14.9% of cases).
Instead, it can be seen that the lion’s share derives from commercials
screened in non-digital cinemas (advertising in cinemas is identified
by as many as 32.7% of spectators as their source of information on digital
screenings).
Sources of information on digital
screenings (percentage of respondents)
Synergy thus becomes the keyword in the
promotion of digital screening. What is not always possible (the situation
of digital screening in Italy, consisting largely of single-screen cinemas,
greatly limits this possibility) but to be hoped for is a joint effort
in communication by theatres in the same complex, making on-the-spot communication
important and at the same time aiming to re-direct the spectator to more
innovative tools such as the website for more information and additional
services.
In order to increasingly enhance the experiential aspects of the theatre
offer, more attention must be devoted in the future to involving the spectator
through digital technology, which is at present used very little as a
lever in communicating promotional messages, in order to leave room for
focusing on aspects of technological innovation and better quality of
cinema-going.
Audience reaction
And audiences? How do they react and what do they think about digital
screening? Slight awareness of the real features of digital immediately
seem to be predominant, with more attention to the title on offer than
to how it is shown. Yet, a certain amount of curiosity is starting to
arise about the added value offered by digital.
In conclusion it seems rather complicated
at present to foresee the future of digital cinema. Nevertheless, in Italy,
where we are still waiting to see what outcomes there will be to the present
experimental phase of digital, the overall level of satisfaction registered
amongst exhibitors (and also, it should be stressed, amongst audiences),
together with the policies for expanding the circuits of Italian electronic
cinemas, raise good hopes for the future, progressive spread of digital
technology across the whole country.
Overall level of satisfaction
of exhibitors with the adoption of digital technologies (percentage of
respondents)
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