Cinema ads, political content creators, moderating alcohol: 5 interesting stats to start your week

Most cinemagoers like to arrive in time to see ads

More than three in five (62%) cinemagoers agree they “like to get there in good time to see ads and trailers”, suggesting people are more likely to enjoy and pay attention to ads in that environment.

The cinema also naturally creates a moment of “talkability” for advertising, with around two-thirds (67%) of younger adults aged 16 to 34 agreeing they “enjoy talking about the ads with other people” at the cinema.

Indeed, the vast majority (98%) of cinema experiences are counted as “co-viewing”, versus just 10% of YouTube viewing experiences and 42% of live TV viewing experiences.

Co-viewing can make the experience more enjoyable, with almost three-quarters (71%) of respondents agreeing that “being part of a big audience enhances the experience” at the cinema.

“Cinema provides a powerful shared experience in which people feed off the energy of others, and makes us feel closer with others,” says Andrew Tenzer, co-founder of Burst Your Bubble which created the report alongside cinema advertising group Digital Cinema Media (DCM).

Source: DCM and Burst Your Bubble

Consumers divided on creators making political content

Over two in five (43%) UK consumers welcome social media creators posting political content during an election campaign, whether this is paid or unpaid content. That figure rises even higher among younger consumers, with 76% of 16- to 24-year-olds and 68% of 25- to 34-year-olds being in favour.

While most younger consumers are in favour of creators posting political content during an election year, the topic is potentially divisive with almost one in three (30%) of the general population opposed to creators posting any election content, whether paid or unpaid. Just one in four (25%) over 55s are in favour.

Political content from creators is more likely to perform well when it’s “organic”, finds the research. Over a quarter (28%) of voters say that sponsored political content from creators could actually make them less likely to vote. By contrast, around a third (30%) of voters say organic political content makes them more likely to participate in an election.

Prior to the General Election, which took place last Thursday (4 July), just over one quarter (26%) of UK creators reported they had been approached by political organisations to produce content in the run up to the vote.

Additionally, two fifths of UK creators (39%) report they haven’t been approached by political organisations to engage in  political content but could be interested in the future.

Source: Billion Dollar Boy

Number of regular drinkers in UK down 18% since 2016

The number of people who regularly drink alcohol in the UK has declined 18% since 2016, to a record low, according to data from GWI. Around two-thirds (67%) now drink alcohol at least monthly.

Alongside this, the number of British consumers who drink non-alcoholic beer or spirits has risen to an all-time high, signifying a shift to a more sober lifestyle across the UK. Over one in 10 (15%) of British consumers now drink non-alcoholic beer or spirits at least once a month, up 62% since the start of 2019.

The decline in drinking is more pronounced among women, with a 24% drop over the same time period for women drinking regularly.

The most common reason for people moderating their alcohol consumption is concerns over health, with 46% of people listing it as a reason. The next most common reason is avoiding hangovers, with 42% citing this. Avoiding getting drunk (35%), saving money (34%) and diet (25%) are other common reasons for moderation.

Source: GWI

More than two in three marketers looking to AI to manage video content

Brands struggling to manage increasing volumes of content needed to fuel multiple channels are turning to artificial intelligence, with around two-thirds (67%) of marketers looking at AI to manage video content.

Video is seen as the superior media by 55% of marketers, versus imagery (30%) and text (14%). However, video content can potentially cause issues for marketers, with 77% reporting they have had to turn to expensive re-shoots after being unable to find video footage.

While the majority of marketers are looking to utilise AI to manage video content, there are a number of obstacles to adoption. These include lack of budget (41%), lack of understanding of the opportunities it creates (37%), creative resistance (31%), and contractual positions with outside agencies (31%).”

Source: Overcast HQ and Censuswide

Effectiveness of Euros ads improves versus last tournament

The average effectiveness scores of ads produced for the Euros tournament has increased, according to data from System1.

During the last men’s Euros tournament in 2021 – delayed because of the pandemic – UK ads scored an average 2.4 stars. However, this time around, the average is 3 stars.

Paddy Power’s football spot ‘Europe’s Favourite’ has come out on top for effectiveness, according to System1’s ranking which gives it a top score of 5.9 stars.

In second place is Irn-Bru’s ‘Optimism is Back in Scotland’, a humour-laden ad that looked to distill some optimism in the country’s fans ahead of the tournament. While the optimism might have been ill-judged, the spot scored five stars.

Other top scorers include Adidas’s ‘Hey Jude, You Got This’ (4.5 stars), Lidl’s ‘We’re on Your Team (4.4 stars), BBC Sport’s ‘More Twists, More Turns (4.1 stars) and Budweiser’s ‘Official Beer of England’ (4 stars).

Source: System1