Core Value Proposition – Developed Markets
If your cinema chain is operating in the developed markets, you have probably implemented an online ticketing system with print-at-home capabilities that is functioning well.
Your cinemas are probably anchor tenants at shopping malls, or are located within close proximity of them.
Your cinema business is probably generating a significant part of its profits from concession sales and in-cinema advertising.
The core commercial opportunity for Mobile Commerce in cinemas is to integrate bCODE Mobile Promotions and Brand Affinity marketing with bCODE Mobile Ticketing.
The first business case is where your patron is not willing to pay a significant surcharge for bCODE Mobile Ticketing so it is necessary to employ another business model. In this instance, we will leverage the pre-movie, post-movie, on-scanner and on-ticket media spaces to provide Mobile Promotions and Brand Affinity marketing messages that your patrons will enjoy and act on, creating a lucrative supplement to your existing in-cinema advertising business.
The second business case is where the Mobile Promotions and Brand Affinity market messages are implemented as a stand-alone in-theater program, with Mobile Ticketing independently implemented at a later time.
Core Value Proposition -Emerging and Developing Markets
If your cinema chain is operating in the emerging and developing markets, you are probably planning or launching an online ticketing service.
Your patrons have limited access to PC Internet and printers at home. Print-at-home ticketing will therefore be of limited use.
However they all have and trust their mobile phones. bCODE’s mobile ticket delivery, combined with online, mobile (SMS + WAP) and on-kiosk ticket purchase will provide a significant value proposition for both your patrons and your in-theater operations.
Secondarily, in-cinema media spaces fetch premium prices. Like the Developed Market business case, bCODE can help you leverage the pre-movie, post-movie, on-scanner and on-ticket media spaces to provide Mobile Promotions and Brand Affinity marketing messages that your patrons will enjoy, creating a lucrative supplement to your growing in-cinema advertising business.
Third, but not least, nationwide cinema chains provide a great launch platform for Mobile-Carrier-Based mobile payment platforms. This is a third complementary business case that will accelerate ROI for your Mobile Commerce infrastructure investment.
Media Gallery – Worldwide bCODE Cinema Deployments:
How Does It Work?
For online ticket purchases, your patron would select the “bCODE Mobile Ticket Delivery” option for ticket pick up. Instead of having to print a barcode ticket at home or pick up at an in-cinema kiosk, the mobile ticket would arrive instantly at your patron’s mobile phone as a plain text SMS, which he/she could then scan at the cinema to gain entry to the movie.
For mobile and kiosk purchases, bCODE Mobile Ticket Delivery would be the default method of ticket delivery.
For bCODE Mobile Promotions and Brand Affinity programs, your patron would either be asked to participate during the ticket purchase process. In the business where this program is a stand-alone program, your patron would join the Mobile Promotions program by texting to a phone number. The system of numbering is country-dependent. For example, a patron in a ScreenVision theater in the US could join by texting “Sprint” to 22633 (spells bCODE on numeric keypad).
The resulting printed or mobile coupons can then be redeemed at the concession stand and/or nearby retailers.
IT & Operational Considerations
Your IT & operational departments are concerned with having to support additional technology infrastructure, and understanding how it integrates with Point-of-Sale and Ticket Admission. Your CTO is concerned with security, and understanding how the different technology standards will shake out before considering technology investments.
bCODE’s MediaPlane platform has been designed to maximize inclusiveness as far as technology standards are concerned. The bCODE itself is based on plain-text SMS, the most pervasive mobile services platform in the world next to voice. The bCODE MediaPlane is backwards compatible as it can print 1D barcodes that are accepted by existing ticket scanning systems, as well as emulate a conventional barcode scanner via RS232 or USB. It is also forward compatible with software plug-ins to support other emerging ticketing technologies such as Aztec and QR Codes.
Operationally, the MediaPlane scanners are cloud-based devices. They are connected to the cloud via 3G or Wi-Fi. This architecture allows for significant server-side monitoring, reporting and systems management services, enabling bCODE to remotely support the infrastructure without over burdening your operations staff.
For example, we can even monitor the number of paper prints left, in MediaPlane configurations where there is a printer, so that we can alert your staff before it runs out.
In terms of security, the unique an encrypted nature of each bCODE “instance” ensures that no Mobile Ticket can be used twice and no consumer will be able to create its own valid bCODE.
Deployment Experience and Product Maturity
bCODE’s Mobile Ticketing platform had been deployed to Cinema Customers in 8 countries globally since 2006. It had gone through many product iterations to have reached this level of product maturity.
bCODE Mobile Ticketing is a comprehensive Mobile Commerce industry solution with proven business models for Cinemas, and is not just a new piece of technology.
CLICK HERE to contact bCODE to learn more about how this can be applicable to you.
