Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
There’s a growing cinema network across the US that specifically targets the affluent, educated, and influential adult market, and that offers advertisers multiple ways to reach them..
Jerry Rakfeldt
Under the overall name of Spotlight Cinema Networks, it is owned by Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner, who own Landmark Theatres, and AMG, (Arthouse Marketing Group, owned by Jerry Rakfeldt).
Among the film exhibitors in Spotlight are Landmark Theatres, Angelika Film Center, Laemmle Theatres, Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas and CineBistro, as well as many small independent theatres that focus on exhibiting art film and supporting local film festivals.
“We represent 185 individual theatre locations operated by about 100 exhibitors,” says Rakfeldt. “While Landmark operates 50 theatre locations and Laemmle operates seven theatre locations, most of our exhibitors operate one location. Altogether we have 730 screens, all focusing on films attracting that affluent, educated adult market and concentrated mainly in the top DMAs. About 30% of the exhibitors are not-for-profits.”
The top executives in the company all have strong backgrounds in advertising and film marketing and have close connections with the film world and the arts community. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Spotlight, founded in 2010, also has offices in New York and Chicago.
Many of Spotlight’s theatres have reserved seating, gourmet concessions and even in-theatre dining. In about 25 select markets, Spotlight presents an upscale, entertaining digital program on the cinema screen consisting of critical movie trivia, entertaining movie shorts, advertiser slideshows, videos, and an eclectic sound track representing today’s music scene in a 20-minute digital preshow program created specifically to resonate with educated, adult and affluent theatre patrons.
Spotlight was formed to offer on-screen advertising, custom digital content, online extensions, screenings and events. The majority of the advertising at the theatres is on-screen and in-theatre, but Spotlight is also looking for ‘extension partners’ who would offer some synergy with its theatres, films and the type of audience that it targets. Rakfeldt sees opportunities with mobile and online who want to engage with its specific audiences.
“We are always concerned with the amount, type and quality of advertising that we carry,” says Rakfeldt. “National advertising, of course, gets a premium position. Our strongest categories nationally are automotive and electronic, and we have many other top brands.
“We haven’t been talking about ourselves much until now, but have been growing organically,” says Rakfeldt. “It’s now time to make ourselves better known.”
Should you wish to meet Jerry, Jerry is one of the many network owners attending The DailyDOOH Investor Conference in New York on Wednesday, October 22, 2014
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