Weischer.Cinema acquires S&L Research

The acquisition takes film market research in Germany to a new level: In the future, market research data from S&L Research can be combined with that of Weischer.Cinema. This will allow for a comprehensive view of the entire cinema industry for the first time.

Hamburg, November 10, 2020 – Weischer.Cinema enhances its expertise in cinema market research significantly. The cinema advertising marketer has acquired the market research company S&L Research, which has been regularly supplying the industry with data, facts, and studies on cinema, film, and home entertainment for more than 17 years. Customers include film distributors, film producers, cinema operators, organizers of film fairs, and film festivals. Through the acquisition, Weischer.Cinema can complement its own research with highly relevant market data, thus providing its customers with a scientifically grounded perspective on the entire cinema landscape. “In future, we can combine the market research results of S&L Research with our own data and offer our customers completely new insights,” says Stefan Kuhlow, CEO of Weischer.Cinema. “The merger creates a comprehensive research offering for all stakeholders in the cinema industry.”

S&L Research’s range of services in online market research includes weekly film tracking and ad-hoc surveys on all cinema- and film-related issues, such as advertising material analyses and positioning surveys. In addition, surveys on cinemas and movie theaters, as well as an annual touchpoint study to collect real-time contact points with films, are conducted. In terms of offline market research, the company conducts test screenings, group discussions, and surveys of cinema-goers at the point of sale. In collaboration with the trade magazine Blickpunkt:Film, the much-noticed study series “Cinema after Corona” has been conducted since April 2020. In total, S&L Research employs five permanent and several freelance employees. The department is headed by Gaby Hardt-Voß, Head of Market Research. “The entire team at S&L Research is very excited to have found a new home at Weischer.Cinema,” says Gaby Hardt-Voß. “Together, we can now elevate film market research in Germany to a new level.”

The acquisition of S&L Research by Weischer.Cinema is a result of new ownership structures at the S&L Medien Gruppe, which was acquired at the end of October by a consortium led by Cologne publisher Timo Busch. As part of the planned realignment of S&L, the spun-off market research segment will be integrated into Weischer.Cinema. “From the remaining S&L companies, an integrated agency for content creation, digital marketing, and public relations will be emerging under the brand PUBLYC,” says Timo Busch. “We are very pleased to have found a partner in Weischer.Cinema who can meaningfully develop the market research segment for all stakeholders, and we look forward to the future collaboration.”