Cinema ads offer twice as much brand retention as TV, claims DCM study
Cinema goers are twice as likely to recall ads they see in the cinema than those they see on TV, according to research from Digital Cinema Media (DCM) and Hall & Partners.
The study of 1,200 people compared the effectiveness of ads in the cinema to those on TV. It found that viewers were twice as likely to recall an ad on the big screen than at home on TV.
When shown an unbranded still from an ad, cinema goers were three times more likely to recall the brand, with 43 per cent of movie goers providing correct answers compared to only 16 per cent on TV.
In an ad impact test, cinema goers described ads with an average of 12 words whereas home viewers only accumulated nine words - suggesting greater brand immersion and retention at the movies, according to DCM.
Simon Rees, chief executive at DCM, said: “These research findings are beyond conclusive: cinema advertising is doing something very different to people’s heads than other media.
“Maybe we’re stating the obvious, but the sheer impact and engagement of watching an ad on the big screen means cinema is the medium of choice when it comes to strengthening a brand, delivering key messages, increasing awareness and attracting new customers, especially amongst a desirable, hard to reach target audience.”
The firm acknowledged that cinema ads benefit from a captive audience focused on a large resolution display, forbidden from accessing mobile devices.