The right partners can take brands places – smart lessons for the marketer of today

Screenvision has tied up with TikTok in a bid to connect brands and the younger demographic.

Screenvision Media is a cinema, video, and media company that creates engaging tech-based futuristic media solutions for brands at movie theatres across the county. In a bid to attract young audiences (Gen Z and the millennial audience), it has signed a deal with TikTok.

The plan is to introduce a new segment in its pre-movie show “TikTok on the Big Screen” which will show a 60-second video featuring content from TikTok, of which, some will be branded. TikTok will put the branded content it has, in the Screenvision show. The perfect choice for this kind of partnership, are brands that are already into TikTok advertising that targets the younger audiences. Placement for these slots will be sold jointly by Screenvision and TikTok.

TikTok has a huge young following which Screenvision will tap into with this partnership as about 80% of movie-goers are all less than 40 years old. This whole exercise is a part of Screenvision’s attempt to convince the advertisers and the market that movie screens are as good as or even better than TVs.

Screenvision is also partnering with Hartbeat, Kevin Hart’s production studio to bring brands closer to diverse audiences. Hartbeat will represent Screenvision in sales targeted at diverse audiences, and offer creative capabilities to advertisers. Along with Hartbeat, Screenvision will launch Black and Hispanic ad networks and will now sell inventory on 3,800 Black-targeted screens and 3,700 Hispanic-targeted screens across the US.

Hartbeat is a certified minority-owned studio that will create a series showcasing upcoming blockbusters starring diverse actors or from diverse creators, with brand integration opportunities and bespoke partnerships, for Screenvision’s pre-movie show. This will also run on Hartbeat’s owned connected TV channels, like the LOL Network.

If you know that 80% of the movie-goers are less than 40 years old, then you need to offer them ad content that will resonate with them. And if you need to reach a diverse audience, then DEI, particularly diversity must permeate your strategy.

Screenvision has made some really strategic partnerships in this respect.

When you wish to engage the under 40’s, then TikTok is the way to go.

The main appeal of TikTok is its unique format, which usually has videos with all kinds of music. It is highly interactive and keeps the attention of users through its engaging content and format. Brands can offer a fun and interesting way for customers to interact with them. Its unique format lends itself to a very enjoyable way for brands to promote their products. TikTok’s wide appeal is something brands must take into account while planning their marketing strategy.

When a younger demographic goes to the movies, what better way to get their attention than through TikTok – shorter brand videos before the long movie screening! It appeals to the younger crowd and keeps them fully engaged, making them want to watch the pre-movie show almost as much as they want to watch the movie itself.

This generation of people, the young Gen Z is the most diverse and accepting of different kinds of value systems, ethnicities and people groups. They are the first ever minority-majority generation. And when it comes to appealing to them, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the strategy and messaging. The very diverse audience itself has expressly and overtly stated that they would support brands that took a stand to have diversity, equality and inclusion as an important part of their business strategy.

Hartbeat is a minority-owned outfit – the very clued-in Gen Z will know and appreciate that. And Screenvision partnering with Hartbeat to work at bringing brands closer to their diverse audiences is a great move. They are a minority and know diversity firsthand, making them the best orchestrators of this.

Screenvision really seems to know what it is doing. And has a powerful message for the marketers of today – if you want to resonate with the younger generation, you need to do it right. If it means, you take TikTok to the movies, then that’s what you got it do!