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| Author | Mia Blakeney |
On the morning of Thursday 6 July, the 2023 DCM Upfronts Cinema Media Showcase was held at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square.
The theme of the event was ‘Start With Cinema’, with an array of speakers outlining why and when cinema should be placed at the start of a media plan, especially if looking to launch and land a new product, new campaign or new message, cinema is a key medium to utilise.
DCM’s CEO Karen Stacey welcomed guests and outlined why cinema is a critical component within the wider media plan and can deliver value in ways other media channels can’t as effectively. Karen set out the agenda for the day, before handing over to Michael Tull, Insight Business Director at DCM, who talked through why the greatest stories start with cinema. Michael went into depth about the offerings cinema advertising provides, and the data to back them up, to show that cinema is a cost-effective, attention-heavy media channel.
We then welcomed the first of our special guests for the morning: Neil Marshall, Head of Theatrical Film Distribution, Local Film Production and Acquisition at Warner Bros. UK. Neil sat down with Karen Stacey for a Q&A session, speaking about the theatrical window, the power of cinema, and the amazing content coming from the studio in the near future.
DCM’s Head of Client, Michael Bensley, then took to the stage to explain why when starting something new, brands should start with cinema. Michael highlighted examples of brands who had successfully used cinema to launch a new product, campaign and message, and explained how cinema can seamlessly be integrated into media plans to maximise reach.
Matthew Hook of Hook Strategy later hosted a panel of industry planning and strategy experts: Vicky Fox, Chief Planning Officer at OMD UK, Chetan Murthy, Chief Strategy Officer at Bountiful Cow, and Dan Plant, Chief Strategy Officer at Starcom. The three panellists spoke about how their brand clients used cinema effectively at the forefront of their media campaigns, how cinema is a key part of media planning and strategy, and what they would like to see from cinema advertising in the future.
Sophie Gale-Evans, Client Business Director at DCM, spoke to the audience about how DCM can help agencies and their clients start with cinema. Sophie revealed three big announcements that will help streamline the process of integrating cinema into the media mix:
Cinema TVRs Report
Coming 18 July, DCM will release the latest cinema TVR reports via the Mediatel Connected platform. DCM has been working with PwC to improve the process of planning and buying cinema by translating cinema measurements into the language our partners speak: TVRs. By aligning cinema with other AV mediums, media planners can better build complimentary AV schedules and better integrate cinema into the wider media mix.
Effectiveness Roadmap
In September, DCM will be publishing an Effectiveness Roadmap document that will help explain how agencies can approach key considerations for planning. This will also give guidance on measurement solutions to address the increasing focus on ‘brand performance’ and perception compared to digital.
AV Maximiser Tool
Coming in October, DCM will be launching an AV Maximiser Tool. Having worked closely with the RSMB, the IPA and Lumen, the tool we have created will be hosted on the DCM website and will be fuelled by Touchpoints data. Users will be able to input their own data and analyse thousands of AV scenarios and combinations to find the best options by reach, attention and cost efficiency.
And finally, DCM’s Content Business Director, Tom Linay, highlighted some of the amazing cinema content to expect over the rest of 2023 and through 2024. The audience were shown the latest trailers to films such as Challengers, The Creator, The Marvels, Wish, The Colour Purple, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Thank you to everyone who attended the DCM Upfronts Cinema Media Showcase this year. We hope you left excited for what’s to come in the world of cinema advertising.
You can find more information and resources from the event on our Start With Cinema page.
Read how Campaign Magazine and The Media Leader have covered the morning.