The movie cinema has remained virtually unchanged since it was first introduced over a century ago. And, until recently, cinemas were the only way to watch a film. The basic idea of a movie cinema and how it provided its services have remained largely the same. There is a dark room with an illuminated screen, rowed seating, surround sound, food and drink concessions and a group of people collectively absorbed in a story.

However, the growth of online streaming, with its quality and availability, has caused changes in most people’s viewing habits, with many people using technology to consume film content. The implication of this is that films available at the cinema are no longer a key point of differentiation. There are alternatives to view content. For example, video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, such as Netflix or Amazon Prime are real competitors.

How could cinema chains design their customer experience to compete against VOD services?