Allianz Cinema: "The title sponsor must be a sympathetic figure".

Allianz Suisse has been the title sponsor for the Swiss OpenAir cinemas organized by Cinerent since last year. How difficult was it to find a new title sponsor after Salt and what were the biggest difficulties?

The search for a new title sponsor is never easy, as we are talking about a large, national and long-term commitment. A lot has to be right in terms of the strategy and timing of potential sponsors, and ideally we need a lead time of at least one and a half years. Salt's exit was due to the realignment of the company in connection with the new owner. In terms of timing, we were therefore caught on the wrong foot and did not have the ideal lead time. With Allianz Suisse, we were in contact with a partner who wanted to focus its sponsorship strategy more strongly on the topic of cinema - and has been doing so very intensively since last year.

How complex was the transition from Salt Cinema to Allianz Cinema and how "smooth" was it?

Rebranding such an event, including adapting the entire appearance and all advertising materials, was very time-consuming. Especially because our team and that of the new title sponsor and the agencies and partners involved were not yet 100% coordinated and everything had to be aligned with the existing and previous partners. However, we already had practice, as we had just mastered the rebranding from Orange Cinema to Salt Cinema the previous year. With the agencies involved, Allianz Suisse and Eyeloveyou, we had two extremely flexible and reliable partners who, together with us, mastered all the challenges that arose perfectly and have now made various optimizations to the presentation for the second season of Allianz Cinema.

What changes has the change of title sponsor brought with it?

The switch to Allianz Suisse has certainly brought new energy to the project - including the establishment of a completely new location in Lausanne. A new title sponsor launches new ideas and existing activities are scrutinized. After 16 years with the same title sponsor, certain things were also very well established - which can be a disadvantage depending on the situation. In many areas, however, we are only talking about minor adjustments or optimizations, as the event itself is very well established and it was not Allianz Suisse's intention to turn the entire concept on its head.

What does the title sponsor have to "achieve" in order to be a title sponsor?

For us as organizers, it is very important that the sponsor is also a popular figure who fits in with the direction of the event, the audience and us. It is also extremely important that the title sponsor activates and utilizes the commitment accordingly - be it in the area of communication, ticket or other promotions or the use of hospitality services. These are all aspects that help the event to progress and also need some time to establish themselves. Of course, he also needs a long-term perspective in connection with the commitment.

In addition to the title sponsor, there are smaller, local sponsors. What significance do they have and what is their "achievement"?

I wouldn't necessarily call the level of the local main sponsor in Zurich "small". These sponsors are just as important to us as the national title sponsor. They create a local connection to the population and their communication activities make a very important contribution to raising awareness of the event in the respective venues. For example, Zürcher Kantonalbank - our longest-standing local main sponsor in Zurich - communicates the event intensively to its customers every season and uses the event as a hospitality platform.

What do you see as the advantages and difficulties of working with regional partners? How time-consuming is the coordination?

The advantages of local sponsors are, as already mentioned, the local connection to the location. The difficulties are that coordination and reconciliation with all the sponsors and partners involved is much more time-consuming. For a few years now, there has been a trend away from a few large and nationally oriented sponsors towards a combination of national and several local partners. If you used to have four contacts at the title sponsor/main sponsor level, you now have ten.

It's not easy to cover the wishes of everyone involved. How do you weigh them up?

Our aim is to treat all partners equally - as everyone contributes their fair share to the event. This is sometimes a big challenge for our team, especially during the preparation and peak season. Of course, it sometimes happens that sponsors or partners have to be slowed down a little or steered in a different direction, because we have to keep an eye on the big picture and especially on our visitors - sometimes you have to find a balance. We are fortunate to have sponsors and partners who work with us and with each other in a spirit of partnership and with a great deal of passion.

What kind of budget and how many employees do you have?

The core team (including the technical team, which also carries out the assignments abroad) consists of 8 people with different levels of employment. Towards the end of the season, we work with additional freelancers and the team grows to around 20 people. We do not communicate budget figures...

You have a new Lausanne edition this year. What criteria did you use to choose this new location?

The first edition of Allianz Cinema Lausanne ends this Friday (21.07.) and we are taking positive stock of the first year. We set up the Lausanne location together with and at the request of Allianz Suisse. From the very beginning, Allianz Suisse expressed the wish to establish a location in French-speaking Switzerland, if possible with us as the organizer. Lausanne is a very cinephile and active city and has the necessary size and catchment area to run a cinema of our kind.

Are there any other locations or editions planned after Lausanne?

No, not at the moment.

You can find information about the Allianz Cinema here.