Surviving in the Midst of a Pandemic, TIX ID Returns with Better Productivity

TIX ID launched in 2018 as a cinema ticket sales platform. He is the only third party who has access to sell tickets at the XXI cinema network, the market leader in this country. Apart from XXI, they also partner with CGV and Cinepolis.

During the pandemic in the last two years, the cinema business has experienced difficulties because this sector was not allowed to operate in conjunction with various restrictions imposed by the government. This directly impacts TIX ID. They were forced to restructure the number of employees to survive. The company then adapts to sell various voucher platform online streaming. 

In 2022, they bounce back, along with the rise of the cinema industry.

DailySocial.id had the opportunity to chat directly with TIX ID CEO Sean Kim, about the latest developments in the company he leads. Amidst the trend for work flexibility, Sean (and family) have been working from Bali for some time now.

Sean said that during the pandemic, TIX ID had no idea what to do pivot.

"From the start I was sure I didn't want to do it pivot. [TIX ID] used this moment to maintenance mode. There are still lots of plans going on pipeline which we haven't implemented yet. "At the same time we also started trying to get additional income," said Sean.

Realizing that people's activities to visit cinemas are not a priority, Sean and the team hope that the application that many users have used will remain on their cellphones. For the sake of being able to defend engagement, through the TIX ID application, it provides information related to film developments.

Apart from that, they also collaborate with OTT platforms to be able to sell voucherservice video on-demand and drive traffic to each platform. Plan to present options drive in theater I also wanted to make it happen. However, looking at the existing conditions, they did not develop this plan.

Has reached BEP

"Entering 2021, I saw that the Hollywood film industry was starting to recover. But then the delta variant came and required the government to carry out PSBB again," said Sean.

Despite Covid-19 not being completely under control, several films such as Shang-Chi, Eternals, and Spider-Man have appeared to revive people's enthusiasm for enjoying films in cinemas. Even though it is stretching, interest in watching cinemas is not yet optimal.

Until finally the horror film "KKN in Penari Village" was released not long after, which actually received extraordinary attention from the public --- cinemas in various cities were filled with spectators.

This phenomenon turned out to have a positive influence on TIX ID. It was noted that due to the high queues, the TIX ID application was widely used again, and it even became a momentum for the presence of thousands of new users.

Sean claims that it was the KKN film that put the TIX ID application at number one on Google Play, as the application most downloaded by Indonesian people.

In fact, this increasing trend is also boosting it revenue company, Sean claims that the business has succeeded in reaching BEP (Break Even Point) and on its way positive.

Changes in people's behavior also have an influence. At the start of TIX ID, adoption was still limited in urban areas. Meanwhile, now, with digital rates becoming more even, users in tier-2 and 3 cities have also begun to adapt to the new habit of buying tickets via applications, instead of queuing at the cinema.

"Before the pandemic we predicted we could sell around 15-20% of tickets, now we can sell around 40%. This happens because of changes in consumer habits," said Sean.

TIX ID claims to be the only platform that serves around 90% of cinemas in Indonesia. Although platforms like Traveloka, Gojek, and others have started to provide the option of buying cinema tickets --- it is estimated that this has only reached around 20%.

As a platform that quite dominates cinema ticket sales online, purchasing tickets directly to the cinema is considered to be TIX ID's only competitor.

"When we first launched, we carried out a lot of promotional activities. However, now we are starting to minimize these activities and organically growth is getting better. Not only in terms of the number of users but also business growth," said Sean.

Still relying on DANA as the main payment option at TIX ID, according to Sean, this strategic collaboration provides benefits for them. This can be seen from DANA's increasingly good business growth among the younger generation.

Platform acquisition plans event

This year there are many plans that TIX ID wants to launch, one of which is make acquisitions which aims to increase the choice of purchasing tickets for attractions and activities offline via the platform.

There is no detailed information regarding this plan. However, one thing that can be related is that in 2020, TIX ID was involved in a round PouchNATION series B funding, namely a management system developer startup event -- complete with software and RFID wristband.

The next plan that TIX ID wants to intensify is to start involved more deeply in the film production process. The details of this agenda cannot yet be explained.

In addition, to encourage sustainable growth, there will be usage optimization big data to be able to optimize ticket sales and help cinemas determine the placement of films in the studios they own.

TIX ID also wants to strengthen strategic collaboration with OTT players and other cinema managers in Indonesia to expand its reach.

"Our advantage is user-base, date, and behavior. "We see that in this business it is still difficult for cinema owners to manage studios and find the right way to distribute films and fill the number of seats sold," said Sean.

By utilizing this data, they will be able to predict and measure the potential of films before they are released, so they can maximize profits.

TIX ID also wants to be a recommendation platform for users who want to search for and enjoy new films to old films which can then be directed to OTT partner platforms and various existing studios.

"In the future, we don't just want to become an online cinema ticket sales platform, but want to change the cinema industry to grow faster post-pandemic, as current conditions improve," said Sean.