SMS Messaging Makes Going to the Cinema Easier Than Ever Before

My family doesn’t go to the cinema often, but when we do, I dread the ticket line. So I almost always purchase my cinema tickets online if we plan to go during a busy time, or for a newly released movie. Paying for the tickets is always easy, but getting them at the cinema can be problematic.
Often you have to bring the credit card you used for purchase, and still wait in a line to pick up the tickets. Sometimes there’s an automated ticket machine that dispenses the online tickets, but you still need the card you used for the purchase. And you’re out of luck if the machine is broken (back to waiting in line). I’ve been to some cinemas that needed a physical printout of the email confirmation before they would release the tickets to me. Or at least I needed to provide the long, complicated confirmation number. Come to think of it, most of the time picking up the online tickets was as much of a hassle as waiting in line for them. The only difference was we didn’t need to worry about tickets being sold out. Which is still a good thing. But it seems like it should be easier.
But just this past weekend I had a totally different experience. I purchased cinema tickets online, and at checkout I had the option to receive the tickets via SMS. Supposedly all I needed to do was show that message to the ticket taker – no waiting in line to pick up physical printed tickets. That was pretty cool I thought. Especially after remembering the broken ticket machine at our last visit. I was also a little nervous though. I’d never used the method before, and how would they send me tickets in less than 160 characters?
I needn’t have worried though. Almost immediately after I clicked to buy the tickets, I got a text message. It was simple: Open Link for Tickets Conf#123456789 https://ticketlink….
So I had the confirmation number handy in case of a problem, but I also had a link to the tickets. When I clicked on the link it took me to a mobile webpage with a QR code at the top. The ticket taker scans the QR code and you walk right on through. And there’s just one code for all the tickets I purchased for my family. It was simple, fast, and easy.
The mobile webpage also had a summary of what I had bought – the movie, how many tickets, the time it started, the confirmation number and which theatre number the movie was in. It even had directions to the theatre.
As a consumer, I found this process so easy I don’t mind paying a remote booking fee for online tickets. It means I don’t have to worry about sold out movies or lines ever again (well, except the line to the ticket taker, but I’m ok with that).
Cinemas should take note of how this all works and how it could improve their profits and make for happier customers. In the next post, I’ll share a little more about how cinemas using SMS in this way can leverage it to grow their marketing lists too.
Related Articles
Drive Up Attendance During Festival Season with SMS Messaging Part 2
Festival season is upon us! Experienced festival organisers predict that to be successful you need more than just music. You’ll need to offer an experience to your attendees. In the last blog I covered some of the reasons for that, and ideas on how to start building your SMS marketing list before your festival begins. In part 2, we’ll take a look at how to use SMS to create engaging experiences for attendees while they are at your festival, and even after they leave.
The New York Times, Olympics, And SMS Messaging
The New York Times used the Olympics as an excuse to try a massive SMS experiment. They wanted reporter Sam Manchester to get personal with their thousands of readers using two-way SMS messaging. Read the blog to see if the experiment was a success or a failure.
How to Use SMS Messaging to Keep Your Club Members Healthy
In a report released last week by Nielsen, it turns out people want more than just to see a lower number on the scale. In their study, 75% of people worldwide plan to lose weight by changing their diet. And another 72% plan to exercise – that’s where your health club and SMS comes in.
Do This One Thing and You’ll Improve Your SMS Marketing ROI
SMS marketing is not quite like most other marketing. You have such a limited space to get your point across, just 160 characters, more or less. It’s not unlike having to create a print advert for a small space, but somehow it can seem more intimidating. That’s why sometimes it seems like marketers forget one basic rule about writing offers: Always lead with the offer! Sounds simple, right?
Using SMS Messaging For a Cause is Catching On
As old as SMS messaging is (going on 25), is it surprising to know that for non-profits and political campaigns it’s just now catching on? It might be, but if you think about it maybe it isn’t surprising. Until the last few years, people have been very reticent to hand out their personal mobile number. Now though, they’re more willing – if they care about the source of the messages.
Boost Webinar Attendance with SMS Messaging
Webinars have become a standard form of lead generation marketing. The numbers vary by study, but generally agree that over 60% of marketers use webinars. One thing that's true for all of them is: not everyone that registers will attend. On average about 40-50% of registrants will actually show up. How can SMS help?
Why SMS and Mass Participation Sports Events are Made for Each Other
Most major sports teams in the UK and US already know the power of SMS for engaging fans via scores, stats and other data. But the power of SMS can extend far beyond the world of the major leagues. SMS is ideal, not only for communicating with participants but to coordinate teams of volunteers across the event.
6 SMS Marketing Ideas for Events Planners
Avoiding Fraud on Mobile Coupons in Your SMS Marketing
SMS coupons have redemption rates ten times email coupons. Averages run around 30%, but they could be as high as 45% for personalised messages. Even with those great numbers, retailers can still lose money to fraud. Find out how make sure customers only redeem your coupon once.
What Your Customers Want From SMS Marketing
Mobile marketing offers an unprecedented access to your customers virtually any time, anywhere. This is particularly true for SMS marketing because it is “always on”. Customers don’t have to be surfing the web, or using an app to receive messages. Instead, they see the marketing messages right alongside ones from their friends and family.