Marketing, Communication & Audience Development
Written by Matias Armand Jordal
Feb 2026
Role & Responsibility
From 2019 to 2022, I had overall strategic and operational responsibility for marketing at Frogner Kino. During the establishment phase, this also included responsibility for programme profile and concept development of film experiences and events.
You can read the full story of how Frogner Kino was established, along with my other areas of responsibility, in the case study:Hvordan vi bygget Norges første Boutique kino (in Norwegian)
The marketing responsibility combined positioning and strategy with hands-on production. This included visual content such as video and photography, organic content and paid advertising across social media, as well as newsletters, press releases, and print advertising.
Context
Frogner Kino entered a market where 90% of cinema attendance is controlled by two major chains: Odeon (owned by AMC) and Nordisk Film Kino (owned by Egmont), which meant that growth depended on clear positioning, strong owned channels, and continuous audience development rather than large-scale campaigns.
My Approach to Marketing
My background in storytelling shaped how I approached marketing from the outset. Rather than treating storytelling as a creative layer, it functioned as a practical filter for decisions, used to test whether our communication made it immediately clear who Frogner Cinema was for, what kind of experience people could expect, and why returning made sense.
At Frogner Kino, this translated into a deliberate shift in marketing logic. Audiences typically choose a film first and then decide where to see it. Our aim was to reverse this logic by making the cinema part of the initial choice, and by treating the audience relationship as a central marketing task.
We focused on what we could control: the total cinema experience, the tone of communication, the quality of food and drinks, and the guest experience. Even when someone did not like a specific film, the overall experience was intended to be worth the visit.
Before opening, we carried out an analysis of the local market using demographic data from the Frogner district, including age distribution, household composition, income levels, and the low share of children.
The audience that emerged was primarily adults aged 25 and upwards, with a strong concentration among those born from the 1960s through the early 1980s.
Programme profile
Frogner Kino was developed as a boutique cinema as a deliberate response to both scale and competition. The profile combined new releases, classics, themed screenings, and curated side programmes, specifically adapted to an adult core audience. Emphasis was placed on so-called “middle films”, such as relationship dramas, period pieces, mysteries, comedies, and nostalgic titles, rather than blockbuster-driven programming.
After the first year, Little Women was our most attended film, while Frozen 2 topped the national box office. This confirmed that we were reaching the intended adult core audience rather than competing directly with blockbuster releases.
The Vintage programme showed the same audience pattern. Although it accounted for approximately 8% of the programme in the first year, it represented around 12% of total attendance, with several classic titles performing on par with, or better than, new releases. During the pandemic, when the availability of new releases was limited, several vintage titles attracted higher attendance than contemporary films and helped sustain overall attendance.
This audience profile was also reflected in secondary spend. From the outset, sales of wine exceeded traditional cinema snacks, reinforcing that the programme and the broader cinema experience were aligned with an adult, return-oriented audience.
Establishing relevance before opening
Before Frogner Kino opened, the primary task was to establish what kind of place the cinema was intended to be. With no existing audience and no programme to point to, the first pre-opening projects consisted of a series of films introducing Frogner Cinema through its history, aesthetics, and cultural context.
Atmospheric theatre
Tove Solbakken from the City Antiquarian’s Office explains the tradition of atmospheric cinema and how it influenced the design of Frogner Cinema in 1926, placing the cinema in an international architectural and film-historical context.
The Revold fresco
A film about Axel Revold’s original fresco and its restoration, led by painter and actor Jonathan Chedeville. The film shows the artistic heritage of the cinema and the craftsmanship involved in bringing this part of the space back to life.
From place to identification
After establishing Frogner Cinema as a physical place with history and cultural context, the next step was to shift attention toward people, and to explore what cinema means to those who use it.
“My first film memory”
A series of short portraits in which both known and unknown participants shared memories of their first experiences of going to the cinema. The series directed attention toward what set Frogner Cinema apart: the cinema experience itself, and the meaning it holds for people both individually and collectively. The first films also introduced the people behind the cinema.
Opening coverage – how the cinema was framed
NRK’s coverage reflected this emphasis on memory by centering on an elderly couple who had their first date at the cinema 60 years earlier, thereby anchoring the restored building in personal cinema experience rather than in the framing of a launch event, and aligning closely with the cinema’s core adult audience.
NRK – Østlandsendingen - District News Oslo and Viken (25.10.2019)
The opening campaign
Below are excerpts from our social media campaign for the opening on Instagram and Facebook. The intention was to make the people behind the cinema visible, and to communicate our love of film in an unpretentious, inclusive way.
The opening campaign was structured around a clear functional split between organic and paid content. Organic films were used to activate and engage an existing audience ahead of the opening, while low-budget paid distribution was used to extend reach in the final lead-up.
Film 1 - Teaser (organic)
"Frogner Cinema reopens"
Competition ad (paid)
"Win 10 gift cards"
Film 2 - (organic)
"Programme announcement"
Campaign performance and audience response (Facebook + Instagram)
Content Views Engagement ER
Film 1 – Teaser (organic) ~4 000 262 ~6–7 %
Film 2 – Programme announcement (organic) ~5 600 280 ~5 %
Competition ad (paid) ~20 000 171 ~0.8–1 %
Differentiation in social channels
Following the opening, the cinema’s social channels entered a sustained growth phase. While individual posts cannot be isolated as direct drivers of attendance, the opening campaign marked a clear starting point for longer-term audience development. Over the following years, the channels grew steadily, eventually reaching a combined total of approximately 11,500 followers across Facebook and Instagram.
We closely monitored how the major cinema chains used social media, looking not only at formats and advertising, but at how they
related to their audiences. What we consistently observed was a largely one-way, informational use of the platforms, with limited dialogue, follow-up, or visible interaction.
We chose to position ourselves directly in this gap. Instead, we treated the channels as an active interface for dialogue with the audience. This meant prioritising fast, personal responses, visible presence, and ongoing interaction over polished messaging or campaign-driven content.
Here is one of several ways we used Facebook to involve the audience directly in programming decisions. The audience was asked which Christmas films they wanted to see at the cinema. The post generated 125 responses, and several of the most frequently mentioned titles were included in the published Christmas programme alongside the curated selection. Other posts invited participation without decision-making intent, such as asking followers who they would bring on a date to the cinema..These posts generated engagement, but were primarily used to sustain dialogue rather than inform programming.
Audience responses and engagement in social channels are not, in themselves, evidence of ticket sales. The purpose of this approach was not to predict individual viewing behaviour, but to strengthen relevance, visibility, and a sense of ownership among a local audience. By inviting participation, the cinema stayed present in the audience’s awareness and positioned itself as both accessible and responsive.
Another way we engaged followers was through simple, transparent competitions developed in collaboration with local businesses, including the restaurant Kolonihagen located directly across from the cinema. We kept the process straightforward and visible, allowing followers to see exactly how the draw was done.
It was a small idea, but an effective way of building trust and maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the audience.
An independent Facebook fan group formed around the cinema and grew to more than 400 members during the first year, indicating that the cinema had become something audiences identified with, not just a place they visited.
Daily use of Instagram Story
We used Instagram Story as a continuous, low-threshold channel to stay present in the audience’s everyday media use. Story ran in parallel with regular posts on Instagram and Facebook. Content focused on practical information such as programme overviews, screening times, offers, and short updates.
The content combined promotional material from distributors with self-produced assets for films without ready-made marketing material. Story was also used to make ticket purchases feel simpler and more accessible. When some audience members found the booking solution unfamiliar, we responded immediately with simple visual explanations shared through Story.
Food, wine and the DINE-IN concept
DINE-IN was developed as a core part of the Frogner Cinema experience and became a clear point of differentiation in both programming and communication. Simple tapas and wine were designed to be easy to eat during a screening without disrupting the film.
The concept was actively promoted as part of what defined the cinema. Communication around DINE-IN focused on clarifying what kind of place Frogner Cinema was, and on positioning the cinema as a destination rather than a venue chosen solely for a specific film.
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Promotion and editorial coverage
The DINE-IN concept and serving offers were promoted through Frogner Cinema’s own channels, including newsletters and regular posts on Instagram and Facebook, as well as through in-house promotion at the cinema itself. In addition, the concept was supported by a limited paid partnership with Filmweb in the form of a competition, which extended reach beyond the cinema’s existing audience.
The concept also received editorial coverage in Kinomagasinet, Vårt Oslo, and Mer av Oslo. These articles framed DINE-IN as a distinctive part of Frogner Cinema’s identity and helped introduce the concept to a broader local audience.
The purpose of the communication was to establish DINE-IN as a visible and recognisable part of the cinema experience over time, rather than to optimise individual campaigns.
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Wine courses as an alternative to alcohol promotion
Norwegian regulations on alcohol advertising placed clear limits on how wine could be promoted in connection with cinema programming. Traditional forms of thematic wine promotion used by international boutique cinemas were therefore not applicable within this regulatory framework.
As a response, we developed wine courses as a parallel format. In collaboration with Aftenposten’s A-kort, we arranged wine courses with guided tastings, followed by film screenings with thematic relevance to the grape varieties or regions discussed.
They functioned both as a way to introduce new visitors to the cinema and as a method for strengthening the role of wine as part of the overall cinema experience, and were followed by increased sales of both wine and tapas.
Pandemic Adaptation
During repeated shutdowns, the challenge shifted from filling seats to creating new reasons for people to choose the cinema at all. I led the development and launch of a new on-demand cinema concept, “Din Kino”, allowing audiences to book private screenings within the prevailing restrictions. The work combined concept development, positioning, and audience communication, and was built around pre-booking, audience choice, and demand-driven operations.
From a marketing perspective, this meant introducing a new value proposition, activating owned channels, and maintaining close dialogue with the audience around a cinema format that had not previously existed.
The launch was supported by a press release and resulted in editorial coverage in industry and cultural media, including Rushprint, Kinomagasinet, Cinema (cine.no), and Vårt Oslo. Aftenposten also supported the initiative through targeted promotion to its members.
During the period, revenue increased by 82% compared to the same period the previous year. Enquiries related to rentals and private screenings rose significantly, and rental income grew by more than 200%.
Closing summary
Key outcomes
From 2019 to 2021, Frogner Cinema built an owned audience of approximately 11,500 followers across Facebook and Instagram, with consistently high engagement relative to category norms. Food and beverage sales generated over NOK 3.1 million in revenue, with wine accounting for nearly 50% of total sales, and wine and beer combined representing more than 60%. Average spend per kiosk customer increased from NOK 115 in 2020 to NOK 129 in 2021, despite reduced attendance during the pandemic. During lockdown periods, the Din Kino (“Your Cinema”) initiative resulted in a 200% increase in rental income and an 82% year-on-year revenue increase, maintaining both cash flow and audience relevance while much of the market was inactive.
What I learned from this work
Much of the audience growth at Frogner Cinema was built through direct, hands-on work. I shaped the editorial voice, adjusted programming based on close audience response, and worked without heavy tooling or large paid budgets. This approach was effective in building trust quickly and translating attention into attendance and spend.
At the same time, it made the limits of this way of working very clear. Parts of the success were dependent on proximity, intuition, and manual effort. That created momentum, but it also highlighted what does not scale by default.
Looking back, the most valuable outcome of the project was not just the results themselves, but the clarity it created around structure. I became much more precise about which mechanisms in audience development can be systematized and supported by clearer KPI hierarchies, and which depend on editorial judgment and must be protected rather than automated away.
If I were to approach the same challenge today, I would introduce clearer measurement frameworks and division of responsibility earlier, not to replace editorial thinking, but to make it economically legible and repeatable at scale. Strong engagement and secondary spend are powerful signals, but they only become strategically useful when they are tied to a clear acquisition and retention logic.
This tension, between intuition and structure, proximity and scale, is not a weakness of the Frogner Cinema case. It is its central learning, and it continues to inform how I approach audience strategy, content, and marketing work today.
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