Movies - What to do tonight?

Movies.com (www.movies.com) is a world-class website that provides a broad array of entertainment news, original content and services, including show times and ticket sales, to help movie fans make the right choice on movie night. Its content encompasses movies from throughout the U.S. film industry and follows films from production through video/DVD release.  Operated by the Walt Disney Internet Group, Movies.com consistently ranks as a top ten videos/movies site.

The site launched in March 2000 as a general information site for movie fans specializing in the rumor to theatrical release stage of a movie’s life cycle.  Later, management recognized the need for a refined site mission and positioning in line with audience and advertising client expectations.  As a result, Movies.com was repositioned in mid-2002 with the mission of assisting movie fans in making movie night decisions.  As such, the site’s tagline was introduced as “Get movie night right”.  Subsequently, over the past year, Movies.com has successfully evolved into an online movie guide and functional decision-making tool – clearly differentiated from general entertainment and movie and celebrity gossip sites. Every feature developed following this repositioning has had the new mission at its core.

In July 2003, a major innovation in Internet technology, Movies.com Motion, was added to the site to provide fans with easy, instant access to video clips which can assist in movie-going decisions.  Motion is a proprietary and patent-pending technology from the Walt Disney Internet Group.  It is a free application that automatically launches full-motion video clips when a fan visits Movies.com, allowing broadband users to view high-quality video.  The video is pre-downloaded directly to users’ computers so there is no buffering, streaming or errant pauses, and because the video is embedded directly in web pages, a secondary video window or media player window is not required.  The application features exclusive movie clips and behind-the-scenes segments, clips from the Ebert & Roeper syndicated television program, movie trailers and interviews with actors and directors. 

Also in the summer of 2003, the site’s free weekly e-mail newsletter was retooled.  The re-branded “Movies.com Weekend Watch” provides an extension of the decision-making tools found on the site.  It is delivered to subscribers every Thursday, giving fans insight into the hottest new releases, both in theater and on DVD.   Two unconventional columnists, “Ms. Matinee” and “Marquee Man”, are featured in the newsletter on alternating weeks and each provides a unique, playfully sparring perspective on what's happening in the world of movies.  

A significant element in the repositioning initiative was an emphasis on the DVD/Video area of the website to broaden the movie lifecycle window in which Movies.com provides information.  The DVD/Video area was expanded to include new releases, upcoming releases, genre-based groupings, and a Movies.com exclusive, “The Cinema Files” – a clever, topical compendium of must-see DVDs.  Information on upcoming DVD releases is available three months in advance, and recent release information is more extensive as well.  The DVD/Video area now mirrors, in many ways, browsing a video store along with your own personal, insightful guide and provides Movies.com fans with a comprehensive resource for choosing the right DVD.

In October 2003, efforts to provide an integrated and contextually relevant retail outlet for fans to enable their decisions, once made, resulted in the birth of Movies.com Marketplace.  Throughout the site, pages devoted to movie titles include information on the respective DVDs and additional related merchandise, such as books, soundtracks, or games that are available for purchase.  The Movies.com Marketplace also includes a regularly updated “Spotlight” section which highlights an eclectic assortment of DVDs and movie-related merchandise including electronics, toys, games, etc. 

Movies.com’s repositioning efforts have been very well received.  Traffic has grown over 186% from February of 2002 to February of 2004 while during the same period the entertainment movies category has grown by 52% and the total Internet population has grown by only 36% (ComScore Media Metrix).  In August 2003, Movies.com was noted as the fastest growing movie site on the web. (ComScore Media Metrix).  In September 2003, Movies.com won the Best Movie Website award from the Web Marketing Association’s WebAwards and was most recently recognized again as the fastest growing movie site on the web! (Nielsen Net Ratings, January 2004)