Brands today face an increasingly crowded media marketplace to get their messages seen and heard.  Compounding the problem are the dramatically shifting media consumption habits of consumer who are increasingly being drawn to smaller screens on mobile devices. Luxury brands with a far smaller target market of consumers who can actually buy the brands advertised face an even steeper challenge.

There is considerable debate about the number of media impressions that bombard consumers every day.  The oft quoted statistics that consumers are inundated daily with 5,000 ‘brand impressions’ is fuzzy because it includes every brand logo or label the consumers see such as when they open their refrigerator, pantry, or closet, or walk down the street, or enter a supermarket or department store.

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A more statistically sound measure of advertising impressions comes from a study conducted by Media Dynamics.  They counted the number of actual advertisements people saw each day and then measures the actual number of ads that people actually noted, were actually ‘aware’ of and which made a real impression.  The findings are sobering.  Out of the 362 ads on average people are exposed to daily, only 12 actually made an impression, or roughly 1 out of every 300 ads daily. The solution is not more advertising, that may get lost in the noise, but more effective advertising that really makes an impression.

Enter Spotlight Cinema Networks, which hit my radar screen courtesy of Jason Croddy, VP/Group Director of Strategy for Canvas Worldwide.  His company handles the Genesis luxury brand account.  Spotlight is a compelling advertising option offering luxury brands a medium that greatly improves the odds that their message will make a lasting impression.

Spotlight ads run in luxury movie theatres offering films for artistically-inclined, highly educated, affluent adults.  Just the kind of audience that a new luxury brand like Genesis needs to reach.  It’s a much more elevated environment than theatres running blockbuster movies targeting teenagers.  Spotlight exhibition partners include luxury and independent film segment leaders like Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas, Silverspot Cinemas, Angelika Film Center and Landmark Theatres.

“We’re looking for people who have a sophisticated mindset,” said Jason adding that Genesis wants to reach a different kind of consumer seeking an alternative to a traditional luxury vehicle.

“We have identified that in this [luxury automotive] space there is a need for a more holistic experience than you could get from [another] automotive brand,” he stated.  “We’re looking to have more involvement in the lives of our consumers and the people who are looking to purchase a luxury vehicle.  That’s the white space that we’re going for.”

Canvas Worldwide found white space in the luxury car market and advertising white space – through its partnership with Spotlight – on big silver screens where a luxury brand can tell its story to an affluent audience primed to enjoy the message. “Storytelling is very important to us and we are looking for places that are organic to be telling stories. I think Spotlight is the perfect place for us to be doing that for Genesis. It’s an uncluttered environment where we have lots of flexibility,” Jason said.

Spotlight represents more than 200 national exhibition venues and their amenities go far beyond just reclining seats.  The theatres pay careful attention to the entire 360° experience of their audiences, with many offering upscale dining and wine and spirits.  Some theatres even have in-theatre waiter service, so guests can order food and beverages without leaving their seats.  The theatre surroundings are also carefully designed to look more like a boutique hotel lobby than a traditional movie theatre.  With more sophisticated movies and five-star  hospitality, the Spotlight theatres inevitably attract customers who live a luxury lifestyle.

Serendipitously, as I was learning about Spotlight, my friend Bob Shullman, Shullman Research, published a study on the lifestyles and cultural pastimes of affluents.  It found millionaires rank movie theatres their #1 leisure and cultural pastime. Shullman’s research clearly suggests that luxury brands can make a powerful impact on their target audiences through Spotlight Cinema Networks, a unique media partner connecting luxury brands and sophisticated audiences in a distraction-free, uncluttered and uncrowded environment.

To learn more, download this research white paper to discover luxury brand’s advertising white space.

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