On April 4th, the first movie blockbuster of 2014, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, hit the big screen. In fact, it opened in over 3,900 movie theaters and brought in a tidy $95 million, making it the biggest April movie release in history! Most movie-goers had what I would call, “The usual movie experience.”
- You stood in line for a while.
- You entered the lobby only to see the traditional concession stand.
- You bought a Dr. Pepper and some popcorn.
- You chose a seat and mindlessly viewed the endless series of commercials before the previews.
All in all, the same movie experience that has been around since 1894, UNLESS you went to one of the Alamo Drafthouse theaters. This Texas based movie house chain has taken the client experience and positioned it as their strategic cornerstone.
Can you focus on the client experience to the point of creating enough market separation and differentiation so as to stand out? Can your experience be deemed unique in a vanilla market? You already know the answer, it’s a resounding YES. Let me remind you, the client experience is YOURS to control, YOURS to design, YOURS to deliver and nothing that happens in your market can impact a strategic focus on how you treat your clients. Here is what they are saying about The Alamo Drafthouse and what a laser like focus on the experience can mean to a business:
- Best Theater in America – Entertainment Weekly
- Coolest Movie Theater in the World – Wired Magazine
- Best Theater Ever – Time Magazine
Founder and head honcho Tim League decided the market would support a theater chain designed for movie lovers. Movie-goers would love to combine going out to dinner and then a movie at the SAME PLACE! The Alamo Drafthouse is a movie theater, eatery, and bar all in one. How do you confront a business that has fallen into an expected model? Here is how Tim and his team attacked the stodgy old movie theater market in a very focused and strategic manner.
Creativity
Design creativity as a core element of the movie experience. They do everything from sing-along musicals to classic movie nights. They decorate the lobby with big movie themes. During Captain America they had a photographer who would shoot you holding Captain America’s shield. Then there is The Lord of the Rings feast, where all three movies are shown and seven meals of JRR Tolkien themed food is served (Sold out every time by the way) Their Rolling Road Show (using a portable projector and screen) has shown area themed movies worldwide. Their famous Butt-Numb-A-Thon is a 24 hour movie marathon.
No Advertising!
You will not sit through a series of car commercials at the Alamo Drafthouse. Instead, keeping with their creative wit, you are treated to everything from Three Stooges shorts to theme related cartoons and old movie clips. One of my favorite things about going to the Alamo Drafthouse is the pre-movie show montage. I am NEVER disappointed.
No Talking. No Texting. PERIOD!
Lots of theaters say this but they MEAN IT! One warning and out you go. No refund. They go to great lengthys to introduce these two simple rules with hilarious short films or the manager comes in and addresses the audience. One of their recent kicked out customers called and left a profanity laced complaint that the good folks at the Alamo Drafthouse used as an advertisement on why you should see your movies there. (Check out the censored version here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVz-fO7kxcQ). This went viral and Anderson Cooper called the Alamo Drafthouse ‘heroes in returning civility to the movies.’
You are always challenged by the market, the competition, and the fight for business and sometimes the importance of the client experience is passed over. Our journey has been to keep a firm and critical focus on your client experience, looking for new ideas and opportunities to create business leverage in the things you control. Our job at Creative Ventures is to continue to open your mindes to the
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