RSA to be relaunched as Cinema Media operation

RSA Advertising is being restructured and relaunched under the name Cinema Media in an attempt to make it more “product focused”. The move comes three years after the cinema sales operation was bought by Schroeder Ventures from its former owner Rank.

“It has become apparent that you can’t build a brand on three letters that no longer have any relevance to the company,” says Cinema Media marketing manager Nick Adams. “We will now position ourselves as more contemporary and more closely aligned with the product.”

The company, which claims to handle airtime sales for 83 per cent of UK cinemas, including the MGM, Odeon and UCI chains, will place a greater emphasis on client service.

National sales executive Julia Cunningham has been promoted to head of client sales. She will oversee a new department comprising four staff.

Former ad director at IPC women’s weeklies Ian Scott joins the company as national sales director. Katrina Hill, previously national sales director, is promoted to group sales and marketing director. She will be responsible for national sales, video, regional sales and Sea Choice, which covers long-distance ferry operators.

Next month will see the publication of a new Cinema Handbook for advertisers and agencies. There will also be a trade marketing campaign and a direct mail drive.

Cinema admissions soared in the summer, according to the latest figures from the Cinema Advertising Association (MW September 8).

Adams is confident that growth will continue into the autumn. This week sees the release of Apollo 13, which will be followed by Disney’s latest animated feature Pocahontas and Goldeneye – the next James Bond movie.

Rival sales operation Pearl & Dean has issued new figures that claim it has a 20 per cent share of the UK cinema market. Growth has been boosted by the new Warner Multiplex sites, says the company. Warner recently announced a 75m investment plan to build six sites in 1996.

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