Refreshing cinema breeze from west
Since January, Mediavision has held a 35 percent market share in French-speaking Switzerland
Since January, Mediavision has held a 35 percent market share in French-speaking SwitzerlandBy Markus KnöpfliCinecom & Media's monopoly as Swiss cinema marketer is visibly crumbling. The French competitor Mediavision seems to have an easy game, especially in French-speaking Switzerland. That is why Cinecom is now strengthening its presence there.
"With a market share of
95 percent, Cinecom is the market leader in the Swiss cinema market." This sentence has recently appeared on Cinecom & Media's press releases. The sentence is doubly interesting: Cinecom admits that it is no longer the sole ruler of the Swiss cinema market. Moreover, the market share figure corresponds to a rough average of the years 2000 and 2001, which shows that Cinecom has become cautious. Its market share in 2000 was about 97 percent, while that of 2001 is expected to be 92 percent. And in 2002, it is likely to decline further.
But a brief history: Cinecom's cinema marketing monopoly, which had existed since 1996, came to an end in November 1999. At that time, Geneva's multiplex cinema Balexert was opened, with owner Village-Road-Show already carrying a lease agreement with French cinema marketer Mediavision (MV). This made the Balexert the first Swiss cinema without a Cinecom lease.
And MV had thus achieved one goal: it was able to set a strong foot in Switzerland with the Balexert. With success: in 2000 alone, the Balexert recorded a good 500,000 cinema admissions, representing a market share of
of 29 percent in the canton of Geneva
and a market share of around
3 percent in Switzerland as a whole. In addition, the Balexert is drawing audiences away from other locations. Although Geneva recorded 1.7 million admissions last year, 100,000 more than in 1999, this shows that while the new multiplex generated additional admissions, it also took four times as many visitors away from other cinemas - a shift that can be observed in a similar form at other multiplexes.
Mediavision is busy acquiring new halls
But that's not all: last year, Mediavision did not sit on the Balexert, but brought 31 more movie theaters under its lease in French-speaking Switzerland. Since January 2001, MV has thus been marketing 44 movie theaters, which corresponds to 1.5 million admissions per year (basis 2000) and a market share of 35 percent in French-speaking Switzerland (around 8 percent in Switzerland as a whole). Since July 2000, MV has also been marking its presence with its own branch in Lausanne. The General Manager of Mediavision Suisse SA is Olivier Bloch, who is also Director of Mediapresse Pub SA, which has been handling advertising sales for MV since 1999.
As Bloch explained on request, MV is actively acquiring further cinemas. According to Bloch, it is already clear that as of 2002, at least 13 more cinemas will be under contract with MV, making a total of 57, which would correspond to 2.2 million admissions or a market share of 50 percent in French-speaking Switzerland (12.5 percent in Switzerland as a whole).
Cinecom, which changed its name to RMB Switzerland on April 1 (see WW 9/01), has now awakened from its slumber: Under the leadership of Michael Steffan, previously head of Digital Cinefilm (one of two joint venture partners who founded Cinecom in 1995), a representative office is being set up in Lausanne under the name RMB Suisse Romande.
But Steffan puts it into perspective: The new RMB representation has not only to do with the new situation on the cinema market, but in general with the changes at Cinecom. Since Cinecom has taken over the marketing of not only cinema, but also TV and print over the course of the last few years, the company wants to be present in French-speaking Switzerland because of all these business areas. "We want to show that we are interested in new products," Steffan says. He also said that in the future, the company wants to be closer to the French-speaking Swiss market and thus more flexible in order to better serve its customers. "But you can't say that we have neglected western Switzerland in recent years," notes Steffan, himself a Romand.
And he also cites proof: Just last week, Cinecom succeeded in renewing its contract with Metrociné, the largest cinema operator in French-speaking Switzerland (and number 2 in Switzerland), "for several years" - despite MV's counteroffer. Metrociné has a total of 29 movie theaters in the cities of Lausanne and Geneva, which, according to Steffan, corresponds to 1.6 million admissions per year and a market share in Western Switzerland of around 38 percent (all of Switzerland: 9.5 percent).
"With a market share of
95 percent, Cinecom is the market leader in the Swiss cinema market." This sentence has recently appeared on Cinecom & Media's press releases. The sentence is doubly interesting: Cinecom admits that it is no longer the sole ruler of the Swiss cinema market. Moreover, the market share figure corresponds to a rough average of the years 2000 and 2001, which shows that Cinecom has become cautious. Its market share in 2000 was about 97 percent, while that of 2001 is expected to be 92 percent. And in 2002, it is likely to decline further.
But a brief history: Cinecom's cinema marketing monopoly, which had existed since 1996, came to an end in November 1999. At that time, Geneva's multiplex cinema Balexert was opened, with owner Village-Road-Show already carrying a lease agreement with French cinema marketer Mediavision (MV). This made the Balexert the first Swiss cinema without a Cinecom lease.
And MV had thus achieved one goal: it was able to set a strong foot in Switzerland with the Balexert. With success: in 2000 alone, the Balexert recorded a good 500,000 cinema admissions, representing a market share of
of 29 percent in the canton of Geneva
and a market share of around
3 percent in Switzerland as a whole. In addition, the Balexert is drawing audiences away from other locations. Although Geneva recorded 1.7 million admissions last year, 100,000 more than in 1999, this shows that while the new multiplex generated additional admissions, it also took four times as many visitors away from other cinemas - a shift that can be observed in a similar form at other multiplexes.
Mediavision is busy acquiring new halls
But that's not all: last year, Mediavision did not sit on the Balexert, but brought 31 more movie theaters under its lease in French-speaking Switzerland. Since January 2001, MV has thus been marketing 44 movie theaters, which corresponds to 1.5 million admissions per year (basis 2000) and a market share of 35 percent in French-speaking Switzerland (around 8 percent in Switzerland as a whole). Since July 2000, MV has also been marking its presence with its own branch in Lausanne. The General Manager of Mediavision Suisse SA is Olivier Bloch, who is also Director of Mediapresse Pub SA, which has been handling advertising sales for MV since 1999.
As Bloch explained on request, MV is actively acquiring further cinemas. According to Bloch, it is already clear that as of 2002, at least 13 more cinemas will be under contract with MV, making a total of 57, which would correspond to 2.2 million admissions or a market share of 50 percent in French-speaking Switzerland (12.5 percent in Switzerland as a whole).
Cinecom, which changed its name to RMB Switzerland on April 1 (see WW 9/01), has now awakened from its slumber: Under the leadership of Michael Steffan, previously head of Digital Cinefilm (one of two joint venture partners who founded Cinecom in 1995), a representative office is being set up in Lausanne under the name RMB Suisse Romande.
But Steffan puts it into perspective: The new RMB representation has not only to do with the new situation on the cinema market, but in general with the changes at Cinecom. Since Cinecom has taken over the marketing of not only cinema, but also TV and print over the course of the last few years, the company wants to be present in French-speaking Switzerland because of all these business areas. "We want to show that we are interested in new products," Steffan says. He also said that in the future, the company wants to be closer to the French-speaking Swiss market and thus more flexible in order to better serve its customers. "But you can't say that we have neglected western Switzerland in recent years," notes Steffan, himself a Romand.
And he also cites proof: Just last week, Cinecom succeeded in renewing its contract with Metrociné, the largest cinema operator in French-speaking Switzerland (and number 2 in Switzerland), "for several years" - despite MV's counteroffer. Metrociné has a total of 29 movie theaters in the cities of Lausanne and Geneva, which, according to Steffan, corresponds to 1.6 million admissions per year and a market share in Western Switzerland of around 38 percent (all of Switzerland: 9.5 percent).
