Managers on Heston's Mission Impossible

vyle

I never actually eat in the cinema -- I'm lactose intolerant, so have to be careful what I eat. I just eat lunch, go see a film, then eat dinner when I get home.

I understand that the store manager can't alter the practices that he has to follow as written, but at the same time, one can phrase things differently.

i.e. Rather than say: "This won't generate anywhere near the profit of popcorn. If we get this, I'll stop my staff selling it."

Say: "I like X Y Z about it, is there any way you can make it more economically feasible?"

I know it's all business, which makes it more surprising Cineworld didn't nominate a store with a more publicity friendly manager. They had a 30 minute cineworld advert slot, if they'd been smart, it could have come off as very positive. Even the NHS played it safe last week.

petecarter

This reminds me of when Heston did up the Little Chef. In that it was the MD that was the cynical 'bad guy' but Little chef came out of it a little better because the MD made it all his own personal opinion and not that of the firm, he created a bit of a gap there. Cineworld would have been better sending someone like that in to deal with Heston really, someone a bit more understanding but also hard nosed business wise.

Money_User

petecarter wrote: »

This reminds me of when Heston did up the Little Chef. In that it was the MD that was the cynical 'bad guy' but Little chef came out of it a little better because the MD made it all his own personal opinion and not that of the firm, he created a bit of a gap there. Cineworld would have been better sending someone like that in to deal with Heston really, someone a bit more understanding but also hard nosed business wise.

I think thats the only one I've seen. Is that the one where he asks about profit margins etc and the MD was refusing to talk about that on TV and it all got a bit stroppy at one point with the MD refusing to talk and the guy saying that unless the MD told him more he wasn't going to help?

petecarter

yes something like that. The MD wanted him to try and fail and therefore validate the fact that little chef was going out of business. He was surprised when heston took it all so seriously. (however, much of the show will have been pre planned anyway)

heretolearn_2

'He also said he didn't care how healthy or decent Heston's alternative food was, he'd ban his staff from selling it if it wasn't as profitable as popcorn.'

I think this is perfectly fair. They are there to make the best profit they can. The cinema isn't somewhere you go needing or expecting healthy food, it's junk, we know it's junk, we don't have to eat it, it's not like kids school dinners where the nutrition actually matters.

vyle

heretolearn wrote: »

'He also said he didn't care how healthy or decent Heston's alternative food was, he'd ban his staff from selling it if it wasn't as profitable as popcorn.'

I think this is perfectly fair. They are there to make the best profit they can. The cinema isn't somewhere you go needing or expecting healthy food, it's junk, we know it's junk, we don't have to eat it, it's not like kids school dinners where the nutrition actually matters.

Again, this is true, but it's not great PR. Working in retail, I've seen so many customers who are disgusted at the mention of anybody making a profit. You'd be surprised how many people are around who expect businesses to be a service that should operate at a loss to make them happy (one person, aghast that my shop SOLD iWork 09, rather than giving it free with macbooks, once told me that Apple aren't in it for the money, they wouldn't charge for software like MS does, and they figured I was trying it on by not giving it free so he went to the apple store and presumably had his heart broken).

Everyone knows that companies exist for a profit, but there's a difference between being overtly obnoxious about it and not.

That's the point I meant in my OP. There's PR and there's business, and sometimes it's better for a company to keep them very serparate.

Oopsadaisy

Listen, I'll let you in on a secret.........It's all made up.....take a pill and it will go away.

rozmister

trumpton wrote: »

I dare say Cineworld may be having second thoughts about being on the show now they have seen the edited version.

I work in PR and I would be absolutely flabbergasted if Cineworld didn't see the edited version before it went out and get input. Anybody with half a brain would have a contract drawn up pre-filming that stipulated that they had some level of creative input and could see the final edit before it was broadcast. And if Cineworld were stupid enough to not cover their !!!!!! with a contract they get no sympathy from me it's such poor business.

I agree about the guy being terrible; why did they pick him?! You pick someone who was lovable but firm or at least someone with a nice team like on the Alder Hey one (mean boss but sweet staff). I think they probably thought all publicity is good publicity and dived in head first with no real thought!

vyle

Oopsadaisy wrote: »

Listen, I'll let you in on a secret.........It's all made up.....take a pill and it will go away.

It's still real to me, dammit

williham

Cinemas make no money from new releases, all money is from food sales, that's just how it is.