Cinema advertising company, Digital Cinema Media (DCM), held its annual Upfronts showcase again this year (3rd July) at the impressive Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London. The event was attended by a full house of agencies and brand representatives who all took their seats for CEO Karen Stacey’s keynote welcome, and a full schedule thereafter, including the ever-popular slate rundown from DCM’s Tom Linay and Jeremy Kolesar. But the big reveal for the morning was DCM’s latest piece of research, conducted in partnership with research and thought leadership consultants, Burst Your Bubble, entitled “The Cultural Power of Cinema.” 

Part of DCM’s Building Box Office Brands series, the research ultimately shows that in the era of social media and supposed ‘connectedness’, people are actually spending more time alone than ever before. But the counter that’s so desperately needed in today’s increasingly isolated society is the opportunity to share experiences and feel a sense of community; just like you do when you go to the cinema. 

After a panel discussion moderated by Craft Media’s Co-founder, Jen Jones, in conversation with Alex Taborda (Head of Media, Professional Products Division, L’Oreal), Josh Hurrell (Marketing & Media Planning Lead, Sky) and Steph Ferreira (Head of Customer Marketing & Digital, Hotpoint UK), Burst Your Bubble’s Co-founder, Andrew Tenzer, presented the findings starting with a sobering piece of data from IPA Touchpoints. The amount of time spent alone, specifically for 16-34 year olds in the United Kingdom, has steadily increased from 4.5 hours per day in 2014 to 6.6 hours in 2023. With an increase of 47%, the pandemic is responsible for accelerating this trend but it has yet to return to pre-COVID levels. 

Tenzer pointed out that, while we expect people to spend more time alone as they get older, younger people are spending as much time on their own as the whole of the adult population and this is despite the touted togetherness that ‘social’ media affords users. He said, “Our research shows that people are feeling increasingly disconnected from others, almost half say they’ve moved further apart from others in the last few years. And almost six in ten say there are fewer opportunities to share their interests and passions. And these metrics are higher amongst 16-34 year olds.” He also explicitly pointed out that “the promise of technologically enabled communities doesn’t really hold up. If these were real communities people wouldn’t be feeling this way… this should lead us to the conclusion that ‘the whole world at your fingertips’ digital narrative is a hollow one.”

So what is available to us as a society, then, when the research shows a “spiral of despair”, as Tenzer put it, when there’s a distinct need for shared experiences but actually fewer of them? Since DCM’s area of expertise is cinema advertising it’s no surprise that cinema plays a leading role here with 98% of showings being co-viewing experiences. This very essence – and unique selling point (USP) – of cinema is shown to deliver strong community outcomes, and they’re in fact seen as institutions in their local communities with a positive image. Tenzer said, “We all crave connection which manifests in the need to do things that bring people together. But it needs to be more tangible. The virtual digital experience or community just doesn’t really cut it.” Didn’t the pandemic tell us that? And if you’re lucky to live near a particularly active venue that regularly ‘eventises’ film screenings – the independent Rio in Dalston, north east London springs to mind – you may well find yourself with a new bunch of friends and a thriving social life.

Cinema Offers Connection

On a par with live events (music concerts, sporting events, comedy nights) cinema facilitates the very thing that is seemingly becoming more and more absent in society – as Tenzer described it it’s “an environment that sets up the potential for emotional contagion.” And don’t forget the added bonus that cinema comes with a (much) cheaper ticket price than a football season ticket or a Taylor Swift concert. 

One interesting finding Tenzer pointed out was that attending the cinema actually changes how you see other people, just by being together and selecting the same film to watch. He said, “Although not charted [in this research], one of the things we found is that cinema reduces our individualistic view of other people. Just being in a cinema with other people changes how we think about them.” 

And then, of course, there’s the question of value for advertisers and brands. The shared viewing experience is far more effective in terms of reach now that viewing habits are so fragmented, especially in terms of media planning. He said of linear commercial TV channels and their viewing figures, which have significantly dropped in the last decade, “We see AV plans have increasingly tipped the balance towards viewing occasions where you’re reaching one person watching, rather than tapping into the full power of a shared view and a wider collective cultural resonance.”

But also, the very perception of brands associated with cinema advertising is that they’re of higher value (similarly to how theatrical releases are frequently perceived as ‘better’ than streaming titles), as well as the overall experience being elevated by the dynamics of audience connection and the emotion of the story. And there are no other channels for which watching adverts is an integrated ritualistic part of the experience. But the study shows that 16-34 year olds in particular will attend the cinema slightly earlier to ensure they can see the ads and trailers – and they’ll discuss them. “How many channels can say that ads are a positive part of the experience? Well, cinema can. In every other channel, ads are interrupting the experience. Cinema advertising is integrated into the ritual of the experience. And that’s a magic ingredient from a psychological perspective. Talking about ads at the point of seeing […] encodes much more strongly in our memories.”

In a society divided by political extremes, increasing isolation and a disintegrating community spirit, cinema offers a space in the middle that signals trust, positivity and human connection; an antidote to loneliness. And a magical space to be, one that’s proven to combine and unify both social and commercial impact. But then the findings of this research won’t come as a surprise to the Celluloid Junkie readership, will they?