A regulatory crackdown promoting online privacy makes in-house consumer lists more valuable, because of restrictions on similar lists if compiled by third parties. That drives Hollywood to marketing lists plucked from exhibitor rewards/loyalty programs — like the Marcus Theatres slide pictured — and film distributors’ direct-to-consumer initiatives.
Granular consumer data — location, age and personal interests — is used to tailor messaging, particularly in digital media.
“As the demand for relevant and personalized email increases in 2022, the barriers to collecting the actionable data necessary to meet that demand will increase as well,” says a a state of the email industry report from marketing agency SparkPost. “The loss of third-party cookies and new features, such as Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection, are likely only the beginnings of a paradigm shift that will continue to drive marketers to rethink data collection and usage practices.”
With the crackdown, Apple tightened data collection permitted by others on its platform, and popular browsers Firefox and Safari, and search giant Google will no longer permit third-party tracking. Other software companies are following suit. Tracking learns an individual consumer’s interests, which are used to build a personal profile.
On the other hand, in-house compiled lists have few restrictions because consumers often consent to providing information and/or the first party directly observes their activities.
Different Types of Data
| Zero-Party Data — Data that an individual proactively & intentionally shares with you. |
| First-Party-Data — Data that you collect directly from interactions your customer has with channels you own. |
| Second-Party Data – A trusted party’s first-party data that they decide to share on a limited basis. Usually, the parties only share data for customers that the parties have in common. |
| Third-Party Data — Any data that is collected, aggregated, and shared from one or more sources, often without a direct relationship with the customer. |
Loyalty and rewards programs of theater chains are an example of first-party data, which are collected from media channels that a company owns itself. In one example, Midwest regional circuit Marcus Theatres says in its 10K regulatory filing last month that its Magical Movie Rewards program has 4.4 million enrolled members. Those members sign up, voluntarily providing Marcus with personal data.
“Approximately 41% of all box office transactions and 40% of total transactions in our theatres during fiscal 2021 were completed by registered members of the loyalty program,” Marcus says in the filing. “The program allows members to earn points for each dollar spent and access special offers available only to members. In addition, we have partnered with Movio, a global leader in data analysis for the cinema industry, to allow more targeted communication with our loyalty members. The software provides us with insight into customer preferences, attendance habits and general demographics, which we believe will help us deliver customized communication to our members.” Marcus operates 85 movie theaters with 1,064 screens in 17 states.
Leading Canadian circuit Cineplex has 10 million members in its Scene+ program, which is the country’s largest and is venture with Scotiabank.
Hollywood distributors operate their own consumer interactions vacuuming up consumer information. For example, Warner Bros. Pictures has an extensive program cultivating fanboys with its DC FanDome program, which connects to its DC Comics business that spawn superhero movie adaptations. Walt Disney Co. has an array of fan events too.
Big companies have increasingly centralized consumer info collection to maximize data pools, aggregating from multiple divisions such as theme parks, TV channels, electronics, publishing and music arms. If data all comes from under one corporate roof, it’s not subject to heavy restrictions.
Emailing has come in and out of favor over the years. Spamming — indiscriminate mass mailings — of past years gave the medium a bad name, but junk folders reduced annoyance. Now new bells-and-whistles have emerged. “Where emails have previously been static, GIFs (graphic interface formats) add a layer of animation and excite readers,” says the SparkPost report. “Rather than writing paragraphs of text, they can do this in a series of moving frames to take the reader on a journey.”
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