Miami Beach Film Society
Market Analysis Summary
We have broken up our markets into four divisions to analyze the percentages of types of people who will come to the Cinematheque. The Miami Beach International Film Festival will have a different breakdown.
The four divisions are:
- Geographical
- South Beach Locals 27%
- South Florida Locals 27%
- Visiting Other Americans 12%
- Visiting South & Central American, & Caribbean 12%
- Visiting Europeans 12%
- Visiting Other Areas 10%
- Race, Religion, and Culture
- White Non-Jewish 27%
- Jewish 27%
- Hispanic 27%
- African American 7%
- Other 12%
- Psychographics (behavioral patterns or “types of people”, and people fitting into a certain market groups unrelated to the above categories)
- Students 18%
- Gay and Lesbian Community 15%
- Corporate Groups 13%
- Film Industry 12%
- Older Generation 15%
- other 27%
- Age
- under 10 5%
- 10-20 10%
- 21-35 33%
- 35-50 31%
- 50 and over 21%
Our core market for the Cinematheque is the type of person who appreciates the arts and cinema in particular, and is interested in an alternative to the typical commercial offerings in the film and arts experiences. This core market exists in all the categories above, and our target markets are based on the biggest percentages of the pie, but we would like to develop the smaller percentages of the pie also, so we are targeting certain markets to develop that support.
Below is a list of target market segments that the Cinematheque will appeal to:
South Beach Locals “into the arts scene”. This is possibly the main market for the Cinematheque. People who live here year-round and are yearning for just this type of venue. South Beach Locals tend to try to discover “local hangouts” that are trendy yet not overwhelmed by tourists, and are not on the beaten path. (When is the last time you saw a large gathering of locals on Ocean Drive?) This is mainly why the location on the west end of Espanola Way was chosen. The area is becoming an “in place” for locals, with the help of our institution.
Locals from other areas in Miami. The types of people who go to art films in other areas such as Coral Gables and Miami will go out of their way to come to see what’s going on here. This group will include students from FIT, UM and FIU, arts supporters, and young people attracted to South Beach who are looking for something to do “before or after dinner and before late night clubs”.
Older Generation Locals who have had few opportunities to participate in activities on South Beach that they can relate to. The nostalgia factor that will be a big part of the Cinematheque will attract many older people of many ethnic origins. This group will include “baby boomers” and senior citizens.
Hispanic People who are looking for an alternative to a typical South Beach experience. Wednesday nights, “Cafe Con Cinema” with Spanish language films, will be devoted to this market since it is an important major market in Miami, but of course this market will also enjoy any night or day at the Cinematheque.
Lesbian & Gay People looking for an alternative to the gay club scene on South Beach. Sunday nights will be devoted to this important South Beach market.
Corporate Groups utilizing services such as film editing facilities and meeting facilities.
The Local Jewish Community who will find many of our programs to be of interest as the Cinematheque will specialize in nitch programming to serve the needs of our audience constituency.
Upscale Tourists who are attracted to South Beach for its boutique-style architecture and Art Deco history, and would appreciate a cultural “boutique-style” alternative to a commercial movie theatre or touristy Ocean Drive “art gallery”. This project helps to keep them coming to South Beach.
Young International Students and Hostel Guests. This group is here on vacation so will always find time for leisure activities. Many Clay Hotel guests are European, with a tradition of appreciating cinema and arts of a wide variety. It is a part of their culture to appreciate and understand the alternative offerings of a Cinematheque. They also need to use the Internet to check email, etc, and are interested in their newspapers from their countries.
Film Industry Members seeking an interesting space for dailies and presentations for their films, and film festival attendees. Another international market important for Miami Beach tourism. This market will grow tremendously with the inclusion of MBIFF into the programming.
4.1 Target Market Segment Strategy
Some examples of the strategy to bring in targeted markets is shown below:
Locals Into the Arts Scene. Placement of Cinematheque away from the typical “touristy” areas where locals rarely go. Programming of local Kaffee, video artists, photographers, and designers. Furniture design by local designer. Strong connections with local newspapers and magazines.
Locals From Other Areas. Outreach to universities and other arts and film enthusiasts, by marketing directly to them, advertising in their publications, and sponsoring their events. Newspaper listings.
Older Generation Locals. Programming certain nights with them in mind, such as the nostalgic oriented brunch programming. Also special programming can be organized for the Miami Beach Senior Center which is one block away.
Hispanic Community. “Cafe Con Cinema” Spanish speaking Wednesday nights. Targeting Miami Film Festival crowd, upscale events.
Lesbian & Gay Community. Sunday nights. Wire magazine ads, info in gay clubs and especially more sophisticated gay events. Participating in gay events as supporter.
Corporate Groups. Solicit targeted businesses for meeting space, contact hotel group sales personnel.
Local Jewish Community. Program consideration and Cafe inclusion of Jewish specialties. Support other Jewish film events and provide additional venue for supplemental activities.
Upscale Tourists. Contact hotel concierge on a regular basis to keep flow of this market. Offer concierge incentive program. Chamber of Commerce, museums, upscale hotels brochure placement.
International Students and Hostel Guests. Make available Internet and long distance telephone services, as well as international books, and newspapers. Open door to hotel lobby for more direct access to Cinematheque.
Kaffee. Keep in constant touch with this market to provide a space they relate to. Provide written information at other festivals, websites, and production guide mailings, calls, follow-ups.
International film enthusiasts and film festival supporters. Website and Press Releases to direct them. Promotional materials at other film festivals and events and film industry locations.
4.1.1 Service Providers Analysis
There is no organization in South Beach that currently provides the services and emphasis that MBFS will provide for Miami Beach. In 2001 The Alliance Cinema on Lincoln Road closed, so the Cinematheque is filling an important gap in alternative programming. Serious film enthusiasts make up a minority of South Beach locals and even visitors, but our programming is aimed at making the experience of being at the Cinematheque as interesting as the films, so the project has a wider appeal, with a wider outreach program, and a wider variety of supporters. Our hard core film audience will be pleased to know that programming will be aimed in their direction, but with a different package. Squeezing seven nights out of an audience that supports one or two on a regular basis is why we will have “Those Avant-Garde Mondays” and “Cafe Con Cinema” in our programming line-up for niche markets as well as “Sunday Brunch at the Cinematheque” featuring live entertainment and a lighter fare appealing to a wider audience.
The current alternative film presenting venues on South Beach are supplementary to museums that emphasize another aspect of their programming (exhibitions of their permanent and visiting collections). The Wolfsonian and the Bass Museum both have small auditoriums for film viewing, but emphasize other aspects.
The current alternative theatres in other neighborhoods include the Soyka Cinema on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami, The Bill Cosford Cinema at the University of Miami campus in Miami, and The Abisenthe in Coral Gables.
We intend to form cooperative relationships with these venues, especially the South Beach venues that we already have formed a working relationship with in the past. MBIFF will utilize many South Beach venues, and the intention is to form a synergy in the neighborhood so the festival’s home is South Beach venues of several types.
Instead of seeing these venues as competition, we see them as venues that help form an audience, and we see the Cinematheque as a venue that will also help them in the same way.
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