Cinema advertising re-considered

A worldwide surge in cinema advertising expenditure underscores the need for additional research into the medium's impact and effectiveness. Proponents argue that among cinema's many virtues are its abilities to reinforce and complement other media. To explore this contention empirically, a study of commercials launched simultaneously on television and in cinema is reported here. Findings confirm that assuming a set budget/GRP constraint, in-market recall scores for commercials flighted concurrently in both media are significantly higher than for those launched only on television. Furthermore, young adults, a cohort often considered by advertisers to be evasive and difficult to target via traditional media, can be effectively reached through cinema advertising. Cinema's appeal is not restricted to the youth market, however. It is an underrated and underutilized medium through which to target older consumers. Conclusions are drawn and future research directions outlined.