Adlabs Cinemas ties up with SureWaves for content delivery

Technology trends are moving towards centralised dissemination of information and communication. Recently, Real Image Media Technologies, a digital technology provider, won a patent for its media and advertisement distribution and tracking system, QMedia, which aids in the central control of advertising being distributed to cinema screens and digital signages in malls.

Now, Adlabs, a cinema chain belonging to the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has tied up with SureWaves, a media convergence solutions provider, to create a unique communication channel for the Adlabs digital screen network.

SureWaves will provide hardware and software solutions that will help manage the delivery of content across the 150+ digital screen LCD network across 12 Adlabs Cinema locations through its centralised servers. Each screen on the network is uniquely addressable from the central location.

These screens will be mainly present at the box office, in lobbies and food and beverage areas and will be used for internal promotions, commercial advertising, information on upcoming releases and ticket availability. The screens will also air cross-promotions and contests, which will keep consumers engaged during the course of their theatre visit.

Sharing details on the development of the alliance with Adlabs, he says, “Adlabs was looking for a solution to manage its digital displays, which allow customised look and feel, and complete control. We also provided integration with the ticket booking system and tools to manage content from a central location, where each of the screens is addressable from the central location.”

Tushar Dhingra, chief operating officer, Adlabs Cinemas, says, “The SureWaves solution enables us to manage our network better and we are quite happy with the format in which we are engaging our consumers.”

When quizzed about the digital displays that were present at Adlabs before, Dhingra clarifies that such screens have been put up earlier as well, but they were not uniquely addressable from a central location, which helps in tracking. “Furthermore, integration of the box office ticketing information is now possible on a real time basis,” he says.

Vyas of SureWaves shares that in the coming year, more than 20 million people are expected to watch a movie on an Adlabs screen. This provides immense opportunities to disseminate a brand message, engage these consumers and provide them the Adlabs experience.

While Dhingra chooses not to share the details of the cost of advertising on these screens yet, he says that Adlabs is in the process of putting together a rate card and the rates will depend on the number of screens and the duration of the promotion.

“Technology is going to play a large role and it can make the entire experience more contextual, targeted and dynamic. We feel Adlabs Cinemas' deployment is a pointer to the trend that the market is getting serious about digital signage and displays,” says Vyas.