The UK’s largest cinema chain, Odeon, has made its move into f-commerce by launching a fully-transactional Facebook app, its first, that enables movie goers to book tickets without leaving the social network, says Marketing Magazine’s Sarah Shearman.
The app – labeled the Odeon Event Organiser – is scheduled to be unveiled later this week. Through it, users can choose films, view screening times and purchase tickets, all from within the confines of Facebook. Users can also create a Facebook event around the film and invite their friends on the network to join, states Shearman.
This is not Odeon’s initial foray into Facebook. With over 50,000 fans, the chain already has a substantial presence on the social network with apps that allow fans to view movie trailers, win prizes, discuss and rate films.
Odeon is not the only UK cinema chain to launch such an app. A competitor, Vue Cinemas, did so earlier this year. However, its app lacks full transactional capability within Facebook and shifts ticket buyers to its website to complete the purchase. That presents a potential liability in that Facebook users are adamant about remaining on the network once they’ve logged in. Odeon’s app resolves that dilemma.
Odeon’s ticket purchase app follows those provided by brands such as Delta Airline, whose Ticket Counter app allows users to purchase airline tickets on Facebook. Similar brands include ASOS, Best Buy, Gibson Guitar, and UK cider brand Mangers.
It also provides further evidence that Facebook no longer functions merely as a social network, but has, indeed, become an Internet portal that supports a variety of activities, f-commerce included. In fact, I now refer to the network as a “21st century version of AOL.” It also lends credence to the fact that Facebook has largely become the nexus of social commerce activity, a topic we cover routinely here at SCT.
(Editor’s Note: As soon as the app goes live, I will update this post with new screenshots and additional information as needed.)
