Partnership focuses on deployment of proximity engagement services for promotion of Universal film releases and analysis of the UK cinema-goer experience.

London, UK, June 20th, 2017 — Devicescape today announced it has entered a strategic partnership with the UK arm of Universal Pictures International, focused on innovation in proximity engagement and data analysis.
The partnership will see Universal use the Devicescape Engage proximity marketing solution to build location-targeted engagement campaigns into promotional activities for film releases across the UK.
The two companies will also harness the rich datasets generated by the Devicescape Engage platform to develop a unique, actionable, and in-depth understanding of the UK cinema-goer experience.
Improved understanding of the entire cinema experience will allow Universal and Devicescape to develop more effectively targeted marketing campaigns, and increase the range of contextually relevant outreach to cinema-goers.
The partnership builds upon the two companies’ successful collaboration to deliver innovative proximity campaigns for a number of Universal Pictures releases in the UK, including Illumination’s Sing, Fast and Furious 8, and Illumination’s upcoming Despicable Me 3, in UK cinemas June 30th.
“This is a hugely exciting partnership for Devicescape to be involved in,” said Dave Fraser, CEO of Devicescape. “Besides being one of the world’s most successful film studios, Universal is a renowned innovator. We are delighted to be collaborating to break new ground in both promoting and better understanding cinema-going in the UK.”
Launched early in 2017, Devicescape Engage brings unrivalled scale to proximity marketing.
It uses Devicescape’s Curated Virtual Network of shared public Wi-Fi to establish consumers’ presence at numerous retail, hospitality, leisure, and transport destinations, and trigger the delivery of location-aware, targeted engagement messages to consumers’ smartphones.
Click through rates for commercial Devicescape Engage campaigns delivered in 2017 have ranged between 9 and 13%.

ENDS

To learn more, visit www.devicescape.com and follow Devicescape on Twitter @Devicescape

About Devicescape
Devicescape enables brands and service providers to auto-connect customers to high-quality Wi-Fi — and deliver targeted proximity engagement messages — at numerous popular consumer destinations. At the heart of the Devicescape solution is the Curated Virtual Network of more than 300 million Wi-Fi access points worldwide. One network, millions of locations, limitless opportunities to connect and engage.
Media Contacts
Claire Jones
+44 (0)7826 528 900
claire.jones@jonesconsulting.co.uk

 

About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com).  Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal.  NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.  NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks.  NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

 

About Illumination
Illumination, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of event-animated films. Illumination’s film franchises include two of the top-six animated films of all time, and its iconic brands—infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—are beloved all over the world.  Illumination was recently named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, is the creator of the hugely successful ‪Despicable Me franchise, which includes Minions, the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time, as well as the Academy Award®– nominated ‪Despicable Me 2 and the upcoming ‪Despicable Me 3, which stars Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and Trey Parker and arrives in theaters in June 2017.
In all, Illumination’s films, which also include the theatrical hit Sing, as well as 2016’s record-breaking ‪The Secret Life of Pets—which had the largest opening ever for an original film, animated or otherwise, in U.S. history—have grossed more than $4.5 billion in worldwide box-office revenues and feature as their creative contributors an unparalleled collection of writers, artists, voice talent and musicians.
Additional upcoming releases are a newly imagined version of The Grinch, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of The Grinch, which is set for November 2018; ‪The Secret Life of Pets‪ 2 in July 2019; Minions 2 in July 2020; and Sing 2 in December 2020.
Beyond the theater, Illumination’s franchises have broadened their reach globally, year-round, with extensions into mobile games, consumer products and social/digital media. Reflecting the success of the ‪Despicable Me franchise, “‪Despicable Me: Minion Rush” has become the fifth-most popular game ever, with more than 800 million downloads, while ‪Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem attracts huge crowds at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood and will soon open at several locations around the world.

 

About Despicable Me 3
Illumination, who brought audiences Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions in Despicable Me 3.  Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, co-directed by Eric Guillon and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, the animated film is produced by Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and executive produced by Chris Renaud.
Joining Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig in Despicable Me 3 is Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Trey Parker, co-creator of Comedy Central’s global phenomenon South Park and the Broadway smash The Book of Mormon.  Parker voices the role of villain Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who’s grown up to become obsessed with the character he played in the ’80s, and proves to be Gru’s most formidable nemesis to date.  The film will be released in cinemas on June 30, 2017.  www.despicable.me