How to Market an Outdoor Movie?

Written By Michael Segaline

Bottom Line Up Front: The following article provides an expert Marketing Intelligence to plan your next Outdoor Movie.

If you are reading this article, then you are interested in making a lasting imprint for kids with this amazing hedonic experience. Therefore, it’s a very meaningful event and this article has plenty of outdoor movie night ideas. The end of the article contains a data-driven movie list for proven crowd turnout. Even if it is a good movie, if its a free drive -in movie, then not many will show because moviegoers think that it will be packed ( common case is the opposite). A decent drive in movie fee is between $5 - $20 a car.

Due to inflatable outdoor movie theater technology, a new market has arisen and so has imaginations. Everything from a “Dive-in” movie at the pool or a “Boat-In” movie overlooking Seattle’s beautiful harbor. Becoming a successful pioneer in this new world takes knowing the right marketing mix. It’s fun to experience the death and resurrection of the Drive-In movie. Social-Distancing was a game-changer for entertainment outdoors, resulting in a newest trend. The following helpful article is based on data from 2019 to present and covers the Pacific Northwest population for a sample. The data collected is from the cutting-edge industry leader, FunFlicks Outdoor Movies.

FunFlicks is the largest outdoor entertainment company on the planet let alone the United States. They specialize in outdoor movies with various sizes of inflatable outdoor movie screens. They have the best outdoor movie projectors and screen rentals in the business. FunFlicks does all the work, so you can focus on the marketing that matters.

However, there are three principals that make a successful Outdoor-Movie Marketing Mix: Imagination, Location, and Consistency. 

Imagination 

If you can’t imagine a good event, you probably won’t have one.
Backyard movie in Beverton Oregon. An LED screen in the grass with a bounce houses on each side. A big beach ball in the middle and several exercise balls. The movie event has outdoor metal bleachers to sit from for viewing. Showing the Nike symbol
Outdoor / Indoor movie with a 40ft inflatable screen in an airplane hanger of a major airline. Boeing The picture features a crowd to be sitting under the wing of a commercial airliner while watching the movie. Projected by Epson outdoor projectors.
Outdoor movie with LED screen at WildWaves in Washington State. The is a pool full of people swimming and watching the movie. There are green trees in the background.

Location

Yellow balloons with Outdoor movie on a golf course with high attendance. Its a Drive-in movie with golf carts. On a nice green fairway. The movie was Zootopia and it was playing during the daylight because of the LED. Inflatables need darkness.
A good example of a successful drive -in movie located in Tacoma Washington. The Tacoma Dome is in the background with an Animated movie plays on an inflatable 40ft movie screen. Several cars are in the parking lot watching the movie.

Consistency

Best outdoor movie projector with no screen required. The movie is projected onto the white wall of a building. Two kids are sitting on the roof of a car, laying down, watching the movie. The movie has a Dodge truck featured. 
  Don’t stress if not many showed for the first one.
Outdoor Dive-In movie at a Spokane Washington Apartment pool complex. There is an inflatable movie screen with kids playing in the pool, watching the movie while adults sit in outdoor pool chairs. 
Please define your target audience.
Outdoor movie featured at a waterpark with an inflatable screen, playing a Disney movie. The movie is showing at night while people sit in inflatable float rings in the pool and watch the inflatable movie.

Graduations, comedy events, weddings, concerts, film festivals, sporting events, birthdays, fund-raisers, religious celebrations, and corporate events.

Alternative for COVID issues. Using an inflatable outdoor movie screen for drive -in Graduations for the class of 2020 at Heritage Christian School in Washington State. The outdoor venue allowed for social distancing. Can due wedding events too.

Different movies will attract different crowds. Don’t be surprised when more lovebirds show up to “The Princess Bride” vs kids. 

Outdoor movie sponsored by TDS Fiber located in Spokane Washington. Located in a grassy Spokane park, the movie played was Major Payne. Blueray, Amazon Firestick, wifi enabled streaming . There is a good sized crowd in attendance. Running a Hond

Having people log into a Kahoots quiz about movie trivia and offering prizes is a great way to record crowd numbers digitally.

Large crowd for an outdoor movie with cool lights in the background the movie featured was the original Predator, with Arnold. Located in Seattle Washington. Some people are sitting on the grass and in foldable lawn chairs.

Stay consistent!

Gonzaga University consistently hosts away mens basketball games in the quad between the Foley Library and the Jepson Center. The college students sit on blankets in the grass in Spokane Washington. Watch the game on Outdoor mobile LED screen.

Just keep running a movie event year after year and make it a series.

Constancy draws crowds.

Spokane Parks and Rec showing the Disney movie Encanto at the Spokane Pavillion. Massive crowd sponsored by Idaho Centra Credit Union. Summer movie series. Grows bigger ever year with good SEO and marketing mix. Great turn our year after year.

The City of Spokane's Parks and Recreation increases the number of movies in their series every year due to crowd sizes!

Spokane Parks and Rec has an excellent system of using multiple social media platforms along with local news papers for FREE advertising under “Community Arts”. Read more about the Four Rules of Social Media Management and explore their very successful movie lists here: Spokane movies.

Big crowds = Bigger sponsors!

Host the movie along with other events and invite vendors.

Massive film festival in the Pacific Northwest. Hosted by FunFlicks Outdoor Movie Inflatable center stage with live music and suspended outdoor string lights. Tall speaker towers a supporting multiple speakers.

A successful Boat-In Movie applying all the fundamentals!

The best outdoor movie idea: Boat-in movie with an giant inflatable screen overlooking a harbor for boats to access. A giant Air ballon is in the background offering rides while many vendors set up booths. There is a large crowd. 
Here is a video of an effective crowd-work before a movie: Outdoor Movie crowd work.


 

This outdoor movie suggestion comes with the research: 

The latest animated kid’s movie.

The Goonies

The Karate Kid

Back to the Future (make it a series)

The Gremlins

Anything with John Candy

Most Robin Williams movies

 

FLOPS:

 The Sandlot


For more helpful Marketing Intelligence check out this: Helpful information

Michael Segaline

A Data Scientist and Search Engine Optimization Expert.

https://www.bloomingbiz.marketing
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