Own the Experience, Not the Film: what ODEON Cinemas actually did
ODEON, Europe's largest cinema chain, launched the brand positioning 'We Make Movies Better' across internal and external communications. Agency Elvis built four brand characters around what ODEON actually controls: the magic of immersion, the memory of the visit, the food and hospitality, and the ease of getting there. The idea was extended from parent company AMC in the US and rolled out pan-European.
The tension it resolves
A cinema's reputation rises and falls with the studio's release slate, which it has no control over. ODEON resolved this by planting its flag on everything surrounding the film instead.
The challenge it solved for ODEON Cinemas: How do you build a resilient brand identity when the hero product you sell is made and controlled by someone else?
The mechanism
The brand splits the cinema experience into two territories: the film, which belongs to the studio, and everything around it, which belongs to ODEON. It then builds every character, message, and service cue around the second territory alone.
FAQ
What is the Own the Experience, Not the Film pattern?
The brand splits the cinema experience into two territories: the film, which belongs to the studio, and everything around it, which belongs to ODEON. It then builds every character, message, and service cue around the second territory alone.
Which brand proved it works?
ODEON Cinemas, in cinema exhibition (United Kingdom and Europe). jugnu's Kosh tracks 381 such patterns across Indian and global brands.
How do I apply this to my brand?
Run your brand challenge through jugnu. It diagnoses the tension underneath your problem, checks whether this pattern fits it, and builds ideas on the patterns that do.
This is the story. Every Kosh card also carries a transfer layer: the consumer insight underneath, the principle that moves across categories, and the boundary conditions where it breaks. jugnu applies that layer to your brand when it builds ideas.
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