Ster-Kinekor to entice movie-goers to its cinemas

Ster-Kinekor to entice movie-goers to its cinemas SA's largest cinema chain, Ster-Kinekor is considering a variety of strategies to get movie-goers back into its cinemas.

by Lorne Philpot

18-06-2023 14:01

in Entertainment

Ster-Kinekor's strategies to attract patrons to its cinemas. Image credit: Orville

South Africa's biggest in-cinema movie brand is considering a number of initiatives aimed at enticing movie-lovers back to the big screen.

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STER-KINEKOR Ster-Kinekor, Africa's largest cinema company, has more than 60% of South Africa's market share of movie cinemas.

After the past few years of pandemic-related restrictions, many companies have seen a return to normal (pre-pandemic operations) while others are still battling to get customers back.

Ster-Kinekor entered voluntary business rescue in January 2021 because public gatherings were restricted and a lack of content that could be screened.

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REDUCED ATTENDANCE Ster-Kinekor's CEO Mark Sardi told News24 that the cinema industry was experiencing a turbulent time in SA because attendance was below pre-pandemic levels.

Sardi said attendance at Ster-Kinekor was below 50%, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 The pandemic and regulations implemented to limit the spread of Covid-19 impacted many businesses.

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From airlines to restaurants and the movies to live entertainment, businesses saw a huge drop in business.

ENTICING CUSTOMERS The pandemic changed the way customers consume or use products and services.

Businesses have had to become resourceful and think out of the box to entice customers.

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STER-KINEKOR'S STRATEGIES: Here are some of the initiatives Ster-Kinekor is considering in order to attract movie-goers back into its cinemas.

1. SERIES STREAMING

Sardi said Ster-Kinekor is considering the streaming of popular series. He said that the first episode screening was ideal for cinemas.

The company will treat series streamers as friends by building partnerships to feature some series content at the cinema.

He said this could direct traffic to Ster-Kinekor and could boost the viewership of series, if the first episode was shown in cinemas.

2. MOVIE PASSES

According to Sardi, cinema passes are also being considered by Ster Kinekor.

We firmly believe that movie-going begets movie-going so, the more you go, the more you will continue to go. Sardi said, per News24.

3. E-SPORTS

Sardi also said that Ster-Kinekor is considering e-gaming to draw young patrons into its cinemas.

Is there a world in which we can populate certain of our cinemas with kids who want to further their gaming or coding expertise? Sardi said.

I don't mind if we make no money out of it. We just want to remind people that the cinema is there and there is no amount of streaming in the world that is going to substitute for that. He added.

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LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/ster-kinekor-to-entice-movie...
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