SMEs to benefit from BNL new low cost advertising campaigns

Blekins Nigeria Limited (BNL) is set to partner with top cinema hubs to bring about disruptive reforms into the advertising sector in the country.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the emerging firm, Mr. Akinnmadewa B. Akinfolarin, made this known at the just concluded African Business Convention held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.

He stressed the need for brands to adopt the use of cinema houses for their brand visibilities.

“Cinema is innovating in marketing products we offer as well as on the entertainment front. We are open and flexible to collaborating with innovators and investors in all parts of the media space and other niches.

Cinema advertising complements other media and advertisers and brand managers will find better return on investment if they get that science right. The key is to use the versatility of cinema to drive and execute the campaign.

“With wall-to-wall screens, surround sound and its dark environment, cinema is uniquely immersive, so cinema viewers process movie advertising more consciously, which yields results other advertising mediums cannot,” he said.

When asked on what impact the Cinema platform can have on businesses that needs faster ROI, Akinfolarin said: “If you want your message to have impact with high recall, cinema is the perfect platform. It also provides an opportunity to stretch your campaign creatively, because advertising content has got to be great in the cinema space. The cinema space pushes the boundaries of creativity. In advertising, reach is not everything. A media strategy that aims for maximum reach at all costs may sacrifice creativity, positioning and engagement – it won’t necessarily generate the optimum ad spend return on investment (ROI). Cinema provides a platform that can target specific market segments in terms of both demographics and psychographics. Cinema advertising fulfils many of the objectives that a reach-oriented strategy misses out on, such as impact, high recall and audience engagement.”

He also made it known that “as advertising budgets get tighter, brands need to focus on offering marketers value, and strategists need to create innovative media plans to help achieve their goals.

“There have long been a few dominant media types that every media strategist and media buyer recommend. But some media types are oversubscribed, and now provide less attractive returns. Perhaps strategists need to look to supplementary media to stretch budgets further and move into areas with less clutter.

“Some of our clients at BNL have unlocked opportunities for experimental, experiential activations and OOH advertising. A chilli producing client, for instance, customised the popcorn pack in cinemas so they resembled a chilli tin. Taking over the cinemas, this with a compelling screen ad and a call to action – no other channel offers that opportunity.

“Cinema is all about the experience. The smell of the popcorn, the slush, the dimming of the lights, the sound… brands need to optimally embrace this environment to their advantage.”

For more information on how to leverage on inside the cinema advertising, visit the website