To celebrate the launch of the new Filmology benefits platform, Smarta are offering you the chance to win five pairs of cinema tickets valid at any of the 78 Cineworld Cinemas in the uk.

The new Filmology Cinema Benefits platform enables employers to have their own branded portal to offer staff access to the best discounts on cinema admissions, and so help their employees to stretch their budgets further.

Visit the smarta website for more information and your chance to win cinema tickets.

Through the Filmology Cinema Benefits platform, staff can purchase discounted cinema admission vouchers redeemable at over 440 cinemas across the UK and Ireland, including Cineworld, Showcase, Apollo and Empire cinemas.  The cinemas include 230 independents in the UK and Ireland that are covered by Filmology’s own Independent Cinema Ticket.

Employees can save up to 40 per cent against standard box office prices and are able to purchase discounted popcorn and drinks vouchers (selected chains only), making their night at the movies even more enjoyable.

David Pearson, Director of Filmology, comments: “This unique new employee benefits scheme enables employers to motivate and reward their staff with cinema vouchers more conveniently than ever before. Cinema is the ultimate employee benefit reward with universal appeal, and can be enjoyed by everyone nationwide, with different films to suit different tastes arriving each week. Now, with the option to have the voucher delivered immediately to a mobile phone, many recipients can enjoy a trip to the cinema immediately, any day of the week.

“Employers can create a positive association across the workforce by facilitating the chance to save money on a trip to the cinema. This ultimately will support the overall organisation by creating loyal and dedicated employees who wish to see the company prosper.”

David Pearson, director of Filmology, said: “This is a unique new employee benefits scheme that enables employers to motivate and reward their staff with cinema vouchers more conveniently than ever before.”

Read the full article on the Employee Benefits website.

10 Trends in Vouchers

The full article appeared in Marketing Magazine, published 14th March 2012 and included:

Top 10 Innovations in Vouchers, Gift Cards and Rewards

In at number 10 was; Instant Film Tickets

Cinema tickets are a tried-and-tested staff incentive. They are low cost, with a high perceived value, and also benefit from a bit of glamour borrowed from the silver screen.
Inviting staff to enjoy a film on the company has become easier with the introduction of digital cinema vouchers.

Movie and marketing company Filmology has developed the product for the Cineworld chain. Brands that partner Filmology to create sales promotion campaigns, can also now deliver vouchers via email or to consumers’ mobile phones.

Motivcom is the parent company of businesses including P&MM, Entice, Filmology, Fotorama, Protravel and Summersault Communications.

Sunday Times 100 Best Companies confirms Motivcom performance

David Lebond, Executive Director of Motivcom responsible for the Sales Promotion division, commented: “To achieve market expectations in light of the current economic climate was a great performance and we put the result down to the company’s significant investment plan and the quality of our staff.”

Major investments in 2011 included a new 30,000 sq ft office complex for P&MM, the acquisitions of Goldserve and Allsave and a group wide investment of over £1m in new IT systems and technology.

David Lebond believes: “The continued success of the business is down to the quality of our staff who have a tremendous knowledge and dedication which is emphasised by the group retention rate with more than 50% of staff having now qualified for long service awards.”

Motivcom has also been accredited as a top 100 company to work for in the newly published Sunday Times Best Companies survey 2012.

David Lebond added: “In these volatile global economic conditions, the depth of experience and quality in every division of our business reassures me that we will continue to deliver growth.”

Vast Majority Still Opt for Paper Vouchers

No less than 85% of the £4bn a year UK gift card and voucher market is represented by paper based vouchers and gift cards. In fact, 2011 saw a growth in the number of paper based vouchers purchased, which likely reflects the wider economy as businesses incorporate employee incentive and engagement schemes, and reward staff with gift cards and vouchers.

Yes, the gift card and gift voucher market will move further into the virtual and digital space, but this move is not one that can take place overnight and there are many considerations to be made and measures to be put in place.

Whilst digital and mobile are the way forward, it’s essential that we don’t overlook the power of paper based vouchers and gift cards. There’s a high number of people who like the touch and feel of paper currency and the benefits of knowing exactly how much they have to spend. In addition, they are both extremely good for instant rewards and enable something physical to be given.

David adds;
The cinema promotions sector has already seen a significant shift towards mobile vouchers, so I wholly agree with Ariya Priyasantha that marketers should not ignore the mobile voucher market. However, it is important to recognise that paper based and gift card vouchers are, and will continue to remain, a dominant part of the market, with mobile as an addition.
Whilst mobile is the future, it’s important that we don’t overlook the present which is led by gift cards and paper based vouchers. The instant and physical nature of paper and plastic vouchers are both powerful factors that will remain for years to come.

David Pearson of Filmology talks about the use of mobile technology for cinema promotions.

Amongst all this innovative technology, there is one thing that remains – the novelty of going to the cinema. It is interesting that, as mobile technology comes to the forefront, and almost everything you need can be accessed via a handheld device, people continue to physically visit the cinema and pay their attention for a solid few hours.

Marketers keen to ensure the target market sees their brand or message should utilise the fact that cinema offers complete audience attention. Sponsorship deals, product placement, branded association, and corporate events are all initiatives that can be used to raise a brand’s profile, capitalising on the numerous opportunities associated with this popular pastime.

Cinema-going trends have, and will continue to adapt over the years as brands launch offers and promotions, such as the prolific Orange Wednesday which has caused a rise in mid-week cinema attendance. Delivered via mobile, this is the ultimate promotion for today’s consumer, partly due to its convenience and accessibility. The recession has led to consumers constantly and actively seeking vouchers and special offers to get the best value for money. O2, Bulmers and Google Books are but a few of the companies providing mobile promotions direct to the consumer. Success lies in being a step ahead – brands which give people what they want, at the right time and with minimal effort on the consumer’s behalf will win the stakes.

QR codes and the future

Combining products with the smart phone has further advanced the process of mobile voucher codes further still. Quick Response Codes (QR codes), such as those employed in Bulmer’s No. 17 cider brand campaign, can be read via a mobile after the user has scanned the code on the drink label using their phone.

These codes may look technologically complicated, but could not be simpler. Better and more simplistic compared with reciting a code number, they also deliver more brand opportunities as well as a more engaging experience for the consumer, not forgetting the increased scope of additional content that can be accessed.

Not only do they support brands to deliver heightened user experience, marketers gain a platform to directly engage with their target audience.

The world is your phone

Today, a number of screen advertising companies offer their expertise to enable targeted discounts and special offers to be sent to registered users’ mobiles when they enter the cinema. With these tailored to the location, the offers can be specifically targeted to the recipient and comprise discounted cinema snacks, or a free cinema ticket to encourage repeat visits.

The mobile phone is most likely the only media channel which remains with the user constantly. Let’s face it, nobody leaves the house or office without their phone. This therefore makes it the perfect medium to exploit any sort of promotion. With many smart phone users constantly online due to the propinquity of the internet, brands and advertisers have it easier than ever to directly communicate with the consumer. Brands need to be savvy however, and use this individual information, combined with the portability of mobile to bolster value to the voucher. The most effective format will both enhance the offering to the consumer, whilst also benefiting the brand.

Technology is an inherent part of everyday life for the Generation Y, consumption of media happens without even realising. The main issue is to increase the usage of mobile phones in this way to the more senior generations. Marketers must not assume everybody will engage with the use of QR Codes and should find some sort of common ground.

Training ahead

A second issue is the familiarity of box-office and shop staff with redeeming mobile vouchers. The process need not be too different to standard procedures; the new generation of ‘barcodes’ must be compatible with the majority of barcode readers at retail level. It may seem like a small challenge, but familiarising staff with the process is the first step, in this fast-paced culture. Although the process should not be too arduous, training and time will of course be essential but will deliver a positive return in the future.

Mobile is here to stay

Promotions and discounts in voucher form will only continue to evolve and be delivered in an increasingly tailored and targeted style, one more convenient and fast than before.

The brands that flourish most will be those which maximise this route to market and positively capture consumer attention through providing content that is both relevant and useful to the individual’s life. After all, whilst mobile provides a powerful and instant marketing platform, the ‘delete’ button also enables the user to instantaneously erase information irrelevant to them. The mobile phone is a stage on which a brand can perform, yet to be recognised it must utilise its 15 seconds of fame.

Full article appeared on Ingenious Britain.

First, Blockbuster faces a problem in that its core offering is out of date. Consumers want to see what they want, when they want – usually immediately, an often on a whim.

That is why first postal services, and more recently, online downloads and video-on-demand have superseded retail stores for film rental.

Interest in watching movies continues to boom, with about 170m customer visits in the UK per year, brining cinema promotions with it.

Blockbuster’s pans to enter film-downloading and streaming is a positive move, but retail DVD rental has become passé.

David Pearson, director, Filmology via email

Having worked at Carlton Screen Advertising for ten years, John has accrued extensive experience within the film sponsorship and promotions industry. During his time at the company, John was promoted several times, and his most recent role was Head of Promotions in which his responsibilities included the start-up of the Films Promotions Department, as well as the division’s ongoing management including marketing and business planning.

John’s notable achievements in this role include everything from securing on-pack and in-store cross promotions through to major above the line move tie-ins and product placement.

Filmology has created this role to demonstrate its commitment to brand partnerships. John’s remit includes positioning the company as a conduit for brands/agencies in order to further establish Filmology’s link to ‘all things film’. Using John’s expertise, Filmology will strengthen distributor relations, therefore firming its position as the leading authority in the relationship between brands and the UK movie distribution industry.

David Pearson, director of Filmology, comments: “John’s impressive experience speaks for itself; he’s accumulated invaluable industry knowledge, developed excellent relationships and will prove to be an important asset in the continuing growth of Filmology. We’re pleased to welcome him to our team.”

Full story appeared on Promotional Marketing website.

Also appeared on The Sales Pro News – Filmology appoints BDD.

Read the full article on U-Talk Marketing.