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Author Topic: Looking for Marketing Ideas Brandon Henry Film Handler Posts: 20 From: Stacy, Minnesota, US Registered: Jan 2007 posted 01-30-2008 09:11 AM                     I recently took over a struggling theater in my small community and we have some repair work to do with the community to get our image back. I am looking for any great marketing ideas that or special events that anyone has done in the past that have success in bringing people in. I am currently working with the local schools to get together a small reward package that can be used for students who are excelling or even as an incentive to those who not. I need to let the community know that we are changing and things are going to be different. Any and all ideas are appreciated.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-30-2008 09:43 AM                        We do a student discount card. The kid presents the card when buying his ticket. We give a 75¢ discount and stamp the card - then when they have 10 stamps on the card, they get a free movie and a new card. If they don't have the card, they pay the regular general admission price. We also work with local business and the Chamber of Commerce to provide occasional free shows for big movies a couple of times a year. Let's say the new Harry Potter is coming out...you can advertise, "SEE IT FREE this Saturday at 2:00! Tickets availalbe at local businesses." Then you collect tickets at the door and bill the cooperating merchants for the tickets...it's a win-win-win: YOu get a full house, the merchants get traffic in their stores, and the kids get a free show. Make sure your theatre is spotlessly clean inside and outside before you start marketing. That is the cheapest form of 'upgrade' you can do. If you're in a pretty small town, the word will get around fast. Make sure the public can see your upgrade efforts happening. And, it goes without saying, be sure your presentation is the best it can possibly be.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-30-2008 02:36 PM                     Yes, any ideas to promote your business in a way that you're giving something to the community to enjoy. All above what Mike mentioned is extremely important since him and his theatre has been around for quite the while in this industry and he needs to keep his theatre going strong (mainly, since opposition could come into his area, thus he has to keep his image at the highest), Plus, on what I can share with my few years in this industry as well below: There are some who do snakbar discounts if certain number of tix are purchased. Some offer dual tix pricing: Single admit tix, or a tix with an attached pricing that includes snakbar purchases at a dollar amount. Snakbar refills on drinks and popcorn combo sales. If you're a discount, family based operation, sign up to this Service for your patron know that you really care about the products you offer to them. The biggest marketing exposure is with yourself and how you are with your staff - to get them motivated in feeling a part of your operation. For, how you operate that location WILL reflect to the patron on how your place and operation is. Will it be "WOW, this is a SAFE, fun and magical place! I'll definitely come back!" or, "This place is so gloomy and so mis-operated, I don't know I'll ever come back!" You're the main man -the buck stops with you. Make it the biggest splash you can be. Good luck-Monte  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-30-2008 04:33 PM                        quote: Monte L Fullmer Some offer dual tix pricing: Single admit tix, or a tix with an attached pricing that includes snakbar purchases at a dollar amount. Read your Master License Agreements with the studios VERY carefully. Anything "attached" to ticket sales is more than likely subject to film rental percentages.  |  IP: Logged Kara J. McVay Film Handler Posts: 95 From: Delaware, OH Registered: May 2002 posted 01-30-2008 07:34 PM                        We partner with the elementary PTO's, I buy the movie and they give the tickets out at school. I try to play something not on DVD yet, like we just ran "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" and we did 2 shows and sold out both. Which means I made $1000 on the concession stand! Not bad for a nights work:) Goes a long way with the parents and kids, they love PTO nights. We do 2 or 3 per school each year.  |  IP: Logged Robert W. Jones Film Handler Posts: 74 From: San Antonio, TX Registered: Mar 2007 posted 01-30-2008 08:24 PM                     Work with your Chamber of Commerce, schools, police department, local businesses, etc. to obtain funding for special shows. Cover the rental and freight for films. If it's non-profit, usually there is just a flat fee (older stuff already on DVD). Have done many of these in a small town outdoors for free, and the sponsors paid the rental fee. Good for you and good for the municipality by fostering good will. Can also do charity fund raising, police D.A.R.E programs etc. Good luck! Rob  |  IP: Logged Brandon Henry Film Handler Posts: 20 From: Stacy, Minnesota, US Registered: Jan 2007 posted 01-30-2008 08:42 PM                     Thanks for some great ideas. In regards to the PTO, do they purchase the tickets at a discount from you or do you provide the tickets for free and then just make up the cash flow through the concession stand. I have been trying to find a way to partner with our local schools and this may be the way to do it.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-30-2008 08:51 PM                        quote: Brandon Henry do they purchase the tickets at a discount from you or do you provide the tickets for free This is "what the market will bear," I think. If you're running a brand new movie, there's no reason to do a HUGE discount. If you're dealing with an organization that has plenty of money, you don't need to discount at all unless it's needed to do the deal. Absolutely don't give away the tickets for free unless you're running an ancient (on DVD) movie. Nobody else in town is giving stuff away; why should the movie theatre? Don't devalue your product. Don't give away the store.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-31-2008 12:18 AM                     quote: Barry Floyd Anything "attached" to ticket sales is more than likely subject to film rental percentages. ..just one of the 'sneaky' things that this one discount buck house does : "claim" that they don't know how to read...  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-31-2008 09:31 AM                        The local 10 screen indoor theatre here in our town also has an "attached price" concession combo they offer on certain nights of the week. Just remember that film-tech is a public forum.... sometimes things posted here have a tendency to come back and !  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 01-31-2008 02:57 PM                     quote: Brandon Henry In regards to the PTO, do they purchase the tickets at a discount from you or do you provide the tickets for free and then just make up the cash flow through the concession stand. Offer tickets to the PTO at a discount, then encourage them to resell the tickets to the parents for a higher price and market it as a PTO fundraiser. You get paid, plus regular concessions prices, the PTO gets their fundraiser and if it all works out, the parents and kids can still go for a little less than normal. Example: Normal ticket = $6 You sell it to the PTO for $3 They sell it to parents and kids for $4.50. This has been proven to work well. If I am reading your original post correctly, you don't mention actual repair work, but rather repairing your image. This should be pretty simple; it starts with customer service. I say it should be, but sometimes providing great customer service is harder than it seems.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-31-2008 03:20 PM                        Disclaimer: I've never done cinema marketing. That said, here are my thoughts: Do you have control over booking, or is this a corporate chain where managers don't book their films? What type of theatre is it? Typical multiplex? Historic theatre? Mall theatre? What is the booking policy? Why would people want to go there? Does it have a great location? Unusual programming? Interesting architecture? Friendly and helpful staff? Find out what is special about your venue and then "sell" that. Start with your existing customers: - make your lobby displays (posters, etc.) attractive; put "opens <date>" on posters for upcoming films; post reviews and film descriptions at or near the boxoffice - take care with trailer programming; only show trailers for films that you will be booking and update trailers weekly (remove old ones and add new ones); keep the number of trailers reasonable (I like 3; 5 is too many) - introduce the films (at least the big shows); use this opportunity to personalize the experience and plug upcoming films, as well as to tell people to turn off cell phones and be quiet during the show - have a printed flyer with current and upcoming films and showtimes for customers to take with them - have a good telephone recording; be sure to include directions to the theatre, prices, and the direct telephone number to the theatre; make it sound good (hire a radio DJ or voice actor if possible--it makes a difference) - in addition to cleanliness, pay special attention to regular maintenance; check every day for burned-out light bulbs, broken seats, damaged neon, graffiti, damaged screens/drapery, worn-out carpet, etc. and fix these issues immediately; no one wants to go to a run-down theatre  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-31-2008 03:37 PM                     You've been given some good ideas here. I'd like to add that you do a survey of your service area (perhaps a mass mailing with a free bag of corn for a response or a newspaper form (with the same "reward") to see what your community wants. Don't forget to include an age grouping response.  |  IP: Logged Scott McGuire Film Handler Posts: 94 From: Elmira, NY/United States Registered: Oct 2007 posted 02-01-2008 12:23 AM                     Dinner and a Movie. Find a localy owned reataraunt and work something out. Get the restraunt to buy passes from you and then they can sell them at a price they choose to people who come to that place to eat.  |  IP: Logged Geoff Jones Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 579 From: Broomfield, CO, USA Registered: Feb 2006 posted 02-02-2008 05:06 PM                        A few more thoughts from another non-cinema, non-marketing guy: Do you have a particularly large screen? (50+') Call it out on your Marquee, Newspaper Ad, Website, Box Office. - Cloverfield on our Giant 50-foot Screen. Do you actively discourage disruptive talking? Do you montitor auditoriums and throw out cellphone talking, laser pointing, chatty cathy, assholes? Call it out. - Disruptive talking not tolerated at our theatre. Do you allow your patrons to sit in ad-free peace before the show? Call it out. - No on-screen ads or commercials! Do you provide a quality presentation? Call it out. - Bright, focused movies with state of the art sound. And I'm another big proponent of occasional classic screenings. Raiders of the Lost Ark a few months before Indy IV. Groundhog Day on 2/2. Jaws on the fourth of July. Cheers, Jonesy  |  IP: Logged

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