Movie Theatres and Email Marketing

Whose appetite hasn’t been whetted by the animated popcorn and candy boxes dancing and parading across the screen just after the lights go down at the movie theatre? That pitch is the marketing version of a slam dunk—people are already in their seats, so where else but a concession stand will they go to quench their hunger and their thirst? The real challenge for movie theatres these days is getting people inside the building in the first place. With movies hitting DVD within months of their theatrical release, and Netflix and Redbox gaining users by the day, ticket sales are down. Plus, with movie prices going up, it’s harder than ever to lure people to the movies. However, email marketing of movie theatres can not only get people to the cinema but keep them coming back for more. Indeed, email marketing of movie theatres is the most essential form of marketing for a theatre or “Cineplex” in the 21st century. Movie theatres used to rely largely on newspapers for advertising, both in the traditional sense of buying ad space and displaying the movie times in a prominent part of the newspaper as well as the free advertisements they would receive when the local paper would review movies. But ad space is shrinking and most newspapers got rid of movie reviews long ago. Now movie times are relegated to a tiny font somewhere deep in the paper. And while commercials on television promote upcoming and current movies, there is no way for viewers to figure out if the flicks are playing locally. Nor is it possible for most theatres to produce their own television or radio ads. Fortunately, it is neither expensive to buy email marketing software nor difficult to set it up, which allows all theatres—regardless of size or marketing budget—to participate in movie theatres email marketing. These programs promise a far more direct delivery than newspapers or radio/television ads. There’s no need to worry about potential moviegoers flipping past the listings in the paper or changing the channel once commercials begin airing on the radio or television. Email marketing of movie theatres delivered straight to a subscriber’s inbox ensures the campaign will be read by its target audience. The email marketing software also makes it easy for theatres to customize the message and to personalize a subject line and greeting. Plus, recipients can forward the message on to other people who might be interested in attending the movies. These messages can include show times as well as blurbs of reviews and links to the movies’ official websites, all of which makes the email a uniquely interactive experience. Email marketing software saves time for friends, neighbors and family members planning a trip to the movies. Instead of calling multiple people, the organizer of the group outing can just forward the local cinema’s message on to everyone. Enticing people to the movie theatre is a challenge, but one that can be surmounted by effective email marketing of movie theatres!