But this begs the question: is the Imax brand being watered down in the pursuit of short-term profits? Some, like Hyder, think so. He compares Imax’s strategy to Coca Cola’s ill-fated shift to New Coke, when the beverage giant altered its tried-and-true formula after conducting extensive consumer research. Three months later customer backlash forced it to scrap the new drink and bring back the original as Coke Classic. To avoid a repeat in the theatre world, Hyder says the company should brand the smaller theatres as Imax Digital or Imax Multiplex.
Yet, for all the online histrionics spawned by Ansari’s blog post, the fallout hasn’t reached the box office. The small-screen scandal got lots of press, says Harriss, but “people are still lining up outside the door on these big movies to see them in Imax.” That could be because they have never seen an Imax movie in all its seven-storey glory. But as the company is desperate to point out, even its stripped-down theatres outshine regular cinemas. The screens may be smaller, but under the company’s patented theatre layout, they give the effect of being larger than they really are. Imax uses dual projectors, instead of just one, to throw a brighter picture on the screen. And its theatres are outfitted with Imax’s powerful audio system, built right into the screen.
Still, O’Reilly says the company has taken note of the criticism and is working with theatre operators to “educate” moviegoers about what they’re getting in return for their Imax ticket. Because even as Imax tries to reposition itself from the company known for its giant screens to one offering an overall premium movie experience, it knows its future hangs in the balance. “The most valuable asset we have as a company is the value of the brand,” says O’Reilly. Lose that, and Imax could be back for a repeat engagement as a corporate box-office bomb.
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