Only nine days into his tenure when we spoke, Scott was already a passionate evangelist for the power of cinema advertising. Why did he decide to go to the movies? The move to NCM unites his personal passion for film with a storied advertising career.
Scott got his start in network buying at Ogilvy and Mather and Bozell, Kenyon, Jacobs & Eckhardt. Stints at CBS Sports and Excite@Home followed before he landed at Discovery as an Account Executive. He quickly rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming Executive Vice President, National Advertising Sales, overseeing all of Discovery’s networks across all platforms and managing relationships with top agencies and clients.
Transitioning from small screen (for a major television network group) to big screen (for the largest cinema advertising network in the U.S.) has required an education for Scott. He’s quick to point out that movie advertising isn’t just for splashy product launches and “cinema-worthy,” Super Bowl-style creative. He believes it’s an effective medium for building brands and driving sales at any time of year, with any creative.
The following are highlights from our conversation.
Ingrid Laub: What are the biggest differences between television and cinema advertising?
Scott Felenstein: You’re getting your advertising message on the biggest possible screen in front of the most captive audience. When people are watching television at home, we don’t know if they’re looking at their smartphone or they’re on their iPad or what they’re doing. When you’re in a movie theater, you’ve decided you’re taking the time and you’re going to go immersively experience a movie for two hours. It’s hard to imagine a more engaged audience than somebody in a dark theater looking at a giant screen.
Ingrid: What’s the message you’d like your clients to take away from NCM’s Upfront presentation?
Scott: The interesting thing, aside from the engagement, is the audience. Trying to reach young people today in traditional media is very challenging. We’re a place where you can reach that audience and reach them at scale. I don’t want to beat everybody over the head with the words “Millennial” or “Gen Z,” but if you’re looking for young audiences and you’re looking to reach them in a great environment we have both of those things, all in one shot. When you add in our new Noovie pre-show and digital properties launching later this year, and the incredible 2017-18 movie slate, it’s very compelling.