The Ster-Kinekor App has been available for download across all mobile platforms for just under a year. This past week it recorded its one millionth download, a milestone believed to be a first for an app across all platforms in South Africa.
“Achieving the magical milestone of one million in such a short period of time is something of which we are extremely proud,” says Doug Place, marketing executive of Ster-Kinekor Theatres.
Since September 2012, the Ster-Kinekor app has been available for the iPhone, Android Samsung, BlackBerry and Nokia handsets as well as tablets. As one of the only cinema exhibitor’s in the world and the only
one in South Africa to offer its app across all platforms, the company and its digital agency, Prezence, are currently investigating the business case to develop the Ster-Kinekor app for Windows phones.
“We believe that the success of our app is as a result of its constant redevelopment and evolvement to keep up to date with new operating systems and handsets. Also, because of the constant change in the movie business, such as new titles released every week, the need to be nimble and remain relevant is immense,” states Place.
“We have learnt over the past few months that, once you go down the app route, you need to be in a position to maintain the app and introduce new upgrades. This is a dynamic market and we need to ensure that the app we offer is at the forefront in terms of development and usability.”
As such, the Ster-Kinekor app is one that is constantly evolving. The functionality of the app is an area that requires most of the focus. The cinema chain recently launched push notification to replace SMS, to ensure that users receive relevant and personalised notifications regarding new movie releases.
The advanced functionality enables users to update their calendars with their movie bookings, and broadcast to their favourite social network sites which movies they are most looking forward to viewing.
“As the country’s leading cinema chain, Ster-Kinekor is at the forefront of cinema technology, both on the big screen and on the mobile screen. With the massive digital conversion project that we are currently rolling out across all our sites, movie-goers are now able to enjoy an enhanced cinema experience with a crisp, clear picture and quality surround sound.
“With the Ster-Kinekor app, we also offer the most user-friendly way to get information about, and to book for, your movie of choice: we are putting the power of cinema in the palm of your hand.
“The positive reaction to the Ster-Kinekor app to date has been extremely encouraging, and the million downloads is testament to it offering a great user experience. There are a number of exciting new developments in the app pipeline that will be rolled out over the next few months. All we can say is watch this space,” concludes Place.