So as we are all well aware, ORANGE WEDNESDAYS are no more. In the next month or so we should see a new company take over the elusive offer!

 

The following isn't "official" just yet, but the fact they've played the advert at the start of movies is basically, sort of confirmation :lol:

 

As many UK GAFers know, the 2-for-1 Orange/EE Wednesdays has come to an end. For those who don't know what it is, it was a deal run by a mobile network in partnership with cinemas here in the UK. Be on their network, text a number, get a code for 2-for-1 on cinema tickets. I pretty much solely go to the cinema on Wednesdays because of it. It ended today, RIP.

 

The good news is, when watching a film tonight, just before the film started Alexander the totally not annoying Meerkat popped up and started talking about the Orange Wednesday situation and basically confirmed that CompareTheMarket.com would be doing it instead. It was all sort of hush hush don't tell them yet, so basically a tease before they announce it.

 

At the end of the little segment a logo came up with 'Meerkat Movies' on.

 

It might not be the exact same deal, but it's what we're getting. Heard it here first folks!

The rumour I've heard is that it will be on TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS. I really have no idea how you'd get a code or whatever it is that we'd need, so I'm really not expecting it to have anywhere near as big an impact as what Orange did, but we shall see!

 

Exciting times.

 

Would any of you be using it? Are any of you members of Compare the Market?

I already miss Orange Wednesdays and whilst I would like to see it return in some form, I wouldn't use comparethemarket.com just to get the code :lol:

I'd love this if we got Alexander the Meerkat before the start of every movie! :lol:

 

I've never used 2-for-1 before personally and it's unlikely that I would with my Unlimited card but it's a real shame that it ended and it would be great for another company to take over. Doing it twice a week sounds good too if people can combine this with Bargain Tuesdays to make it even cheaper.

I'd love this if we got Alexander the Meerkat before the start of every movie! :lol:

 

I've never used 2-for-1 before personally and it's unlikely that I would with my Unlimited card but it's a real shame that it ended and it would be great for another company to take over. Doing it twice a week sounds good too if people can combine this with Bargain Tuesdays to make it even cheaper.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but Orange Wednesday codes were compatible with the Unlimited card, I got people in for free loads of times! I'd assume it will be the same of Compare The Market do the same deal.

Officially confirmed/being reported!

 

Meerkat Movies to replace Orange Wednesdays

 

20 MARCH, 2015 | BY ANDREAS WISEMAN

 

Comparethemarket.com pledges more than £100m ($150m) to marketing campaign.

 

Meerkat Movies to replace Orange Wednesdays

 

Price comparison website comparethemarket.com has won the contract to take over UK 2-for-1 cinema promotion Orange Wednesdays.

 

In an expanded promotion, ‘Meerkat Movies’ will see customers of the website - synonymous with its Russian meerkats - offered 2-for-1 cinema tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for a 12-month period from April 3.

 

Mobile operator EE, formerly Orange, launched the popular 2-for-1 offer in 2003 but announced their exit from the scheme at the end of last year.

 

Major marketing push

 

Sources close to the deal confirmed to ScreenDaily that comparethemarket has committed ‘hundreds of millions of pounds’ to marketing the promotion across a three-year contract, and has pledged an annual marketing budget ten times that of EE.

 

The vast majority of UK exhibitors and distributors have signed up to the scheme with all commercial cinema chains on board.

 

The contract is understood to have drawn interest from a number of companies running successful loyalty schemes including supermarkets and banks but industry were ultimately won over by comparethemarket’s enthusiasm, agility and superior marketing commitment.

 

‘Watershed moment’

 

The deal represents a win for the industry, which saw cinema attendance plummet last year. According to one exhibition executive, the expanded promotion and huge marketing spend could see millions of new customers visit cinemas.

 

Meanwhile, the pact offers the ambitious comparethemarket.com an opportunity to grow its younger client base, with film audiences still skewing towards the youth demographic.

 

However, exhibitors will have a much smaller pool to tap into, with comparethemarket’s 5 million customer base significantly lower than the 17 million EE customers estimated to be eligible for Orange Wednesday.

 

Comparethemarket.com marketing director Mark Vile described the deal as “the biggest step change for the brand since launching the Meerkat Toy Collection in 2011 and reinforces our commitment to rewarding our customers.”

 

Barry Jenkins, chair of industry body Cinema First, which brokered the deal with comparethemarket, described the deal as a “watershed moment for UK cinema”.

 

“This deal represents a meeting of minds…the comparethemarket.com team bring with them an incredibly strong track record and huge creativity in customer engagement,” he added.

 

Awkward exit

 

The manner in which telecom giant EE announced its exit from the promotion in December, contending that shifting viewing habits made the initiative less desirable, has left some industry noses out of joint.

 

One insider ScreenDaily spoke to countered that EE’s heart was no longer in the promotion: “Orange became less enthusiastic for the promotion as its interests moved towards other forms of media. Their marketing had gone stale.”

 

According to another source close to the deal, Orange Wednesdays was only being taken up by around 100,000 EE customers on a regular basis last year.

 

But just this week, EE - which also backs the BAFTA awards and recently launched a TV service - announced EE Film Club, a promotion for EE customers to rent movies for £1 from online streaming service Wuaki.tv.

Interesting (although not surprising) that comparethemarket.com have less than a THIRD of EE/Orange's customers! So it'll be interesting to see just how much impact this will make. Especially with it being both Tuesday & Wednesday. Also, they must have some faith in it to throw that much more behind the marketing, than EE did! :o

I'm so far enjoying seeing the Meerkat advert before the movie every time I go to the cinema but I'm disappointed to see that Cineworld (perhaps other chains too?) have withdrawn their 'Bargain Tuesdays' and are telling customers it's because they have Meerkat Movies now. Not being something that everyone will be using, and having a significantly lower customer base, I feel like it's a poor move.

Just a little tip, short term travel insurance counts as a 'qualifying purchase'. I bought one day travel insurance for myself in the UK (which in CLEARLY needed) for £2.03 and now have a 2 for 1 code each week this year. I have an Unlimited card, but now it means I can save my friends money!