Reaching Ad Avoiders

Study Says Cinema Extends the Reach of a TV Campaign and Delivers Ad Avoiders


According to a study conducted for the Cinema Advertising Council by Integrated Media Measurement says that a combined television and cinema ad campaign more than doubled the conversion rate as compared to television alone.  The combined cinema-television buy also provided double the lift; extended incremental reach; and the ability to target key demographics including ad avoiders.



During the six-week study, IMM tracked the behavior of consumers exposed to ads promoting three prominent cable TV programs. Some key findings:

Of those exposed to an ad in the study, 10.1 percent of those exposed to an ad on 'TV Only' tuned in to the show's premiere, while 22.7 percent exposed via 'TV and Cinema' did so. 

While 24.7 percent of panelists exposed to an ad on 'TV Only' went on to tune in to watch any airing of the shows, conversion doubled to 49.5 percent when exposed to 'TV and Cinema' ads.

'Any Cinema' outperformed 'Any TV' on conversions per ad exposure by a ratio of 24 to 1.

"This study proves the power of cinema to positively impact ROI, vs. using TV alone" says Dave Kupiec, chairman and president of the CAC. "There have always been synergies to combining cinema with TV on a client's media plan; most marketers view cinema as a 'network’ – one that can provide regional or national reach – and they know that cinema reaches consumers primarily on weekends when TV viewing is at its lowest. Now, we have proof that by adding cinema to the media mix, clients will dramatically increase their ROI."

The study further quantified the value of cinema advertising to marketers based on various brand campaigns measured:

Cinema over-delivers the hard-to-reach "multitasking" segment of the population. Moviegoers are 64 percent more likely to reach those who text while watching TV and 25 percent more likely to reach those who are on-line. 

Cinema delivers hard-to-reach demos 13-34 (compared to the average person, men 13-17 are 124 percent more likely to go to the movies and men 18-24 are 49 percent more likely). 

Cinema advertising also reaches those who are traditional media 'ad avoiders.' In fact, 28 percent of frequent moviegoers are ad avoiders resulting in moviegoers being 157 percent more likely to see ads in cinema compared to other media measured.


From Memorial Day weekend through Independence Day weekend (5/23/08 - 7/6/08), IMM isolated and analyzed the media behavior of consumers to measure the relative impact of advertising in cinema and in other electronic media.  IMM provided 3,000 panel members in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Tampa and Denver (500 in each market) with a mobile phone, asking them to carry it with them wherever they went.  The phones were equipped with a technology that creates digital signatures of all audio media (television, radio, movies, etc.) to which it has been exposed.  IMM then determined levels of exposure to content and advertising across a wide variety of media platforms, as well as certain types of consumer behavior, based on a timeline of when the media was viewed or heard inside and outside of the home.  

The Cinema Advertising Council www.cinemaadcouncil.org