Carlton plans to offer cross-media packages

Carlton Communications is expected to begin selling advertising packages across cinema, video and TV and will relaunch Cinema Me-dia as Carlton Screen Advertising.

The move will mean that advertisers will be able to create an association with a particular film throughout a cycle spanning a year to 18 months.

They will be able to advertise against a film at the cinema, when it appears on commercial video, and again when it appears either on satellite or terrestrial television.

One media director comments: “Carlton will bring TV buying practices to cinema. The company has such a stranglehold over that industry it’s the only way it could get extra money from the market.”

Another media buyer adds: “This could kill the flexibility of cinema. Cinema should have a separate sales house. But it could make sense for clients, as long as airtime is not sold conditionally.”

Carlton Screen Communications accounts for about 70 per cent of all cinema advertising sales. The rest of the market is taken up by Pearl & Dean Advertising.

Managing director Adam Poulter has brought in many Carlton TV sales staff, who are used to selling space in packages.