Village Cinemas has engaged independent retail media platform Zitcha to launch an automated retail media network and drive increased revenue from and for commerce partners.
Leveraging first party loyalty data from Village Cinemas one million plus Vrewards program, advertisers can initially access Village Cinemas branded offsite Meta social media channels including Facebook and Instagram, to more effectively segment, target and connect with consumers at scale using the Zitcha platform.
Village Cinemas, which appointed Zitcha following a competitive market review, is one of the country’s first major entertainment brands to realise the growing demand for retail media solutions – which GroupM forecasts will hit US$125.7 billion globally this year alone, rising to US$176 billion annually in 2028 and surpassing TV advertising spend.
Nic Robin, chief commercial officer, Village Entertainment, said: “Village Cinemas is a retailer, arguably not in the traditional sense but our team recognises the value of a large first party data set. The opportunity to further optimise media for advertisers by effectively connecting with cinema goers is exciting. The combination of a robust loyalty program, digital share of ticket sales and high guest affiliation with blockbuster movies enables efficient ROI for partners via digital channels.”
“Village Cinemas values long lasting relationships with a number of commercial partners, the Zitcha platform will supercharge the landscape enabling incremental value for the current and new partner base. Initially Zitcha will activate our offsite Meta and Google channels.”
Australian owned and operated, Zitcha connects the media assets of retailers including website, social, email and in-store, enabling brand advertisers to connect directly with consumers at every touchpoint and drive better sales attribution. Retailers already using the Zitcha platform include Adore Beauty and New Zealand’s largest retail group, The Warehouse Group, with other leading retailers to be announced shortly.
Nick Hinsley, chief revenue officer, Zitcha added: “Commerce media remains an untapped opportunity for many retailers in Australia. That’s additional revenue not being realised by retailers and missed chances for brands to connect and convert with the right audiences.
“Village Cinemas were one of the first major entertainment companies to launch a loyalty program in Australia and are now one of the first to make a significant retail media play. These decisions will pay significant dividends not only for its business but the partners that use the Zitcha platform. We look forward to building a strong relationship with them to further innovate their retail media strategy.”
