TIX ID Survives Amid the Pandemic, Returning with Improved Productivity

TIX ID was launched in 2018 as a cinema ticket sales platform. It is the only third party with access to sell tickets from this country's market leader, XXI cinema network. Other than that, the platform also partners with CGV and Cinepolis.

During the last two years, the business has experienced difficulties due to the pandemic and all the limitations applied by the government. This directly impacts TIX ID. The company was forced to restructure its employees for survival.Also, selling vouchers for various online streaming platforms in order to adapt to the current situation.

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

DailySocial.id got the chance to speak directly with TIX ID's CEO, Sean Kim on the company's latest business. Amidst the work flexibility trend, Sean (and family) have been working from Bali for some time now.

He said, during the pandemic, TIX ID never had any intention to pivot.

"From the beginning, I was quite sure not to pivot. TIX ID used the gap for maintenance mode. There are many plans that remain in the pipeline that we haven't launched. In the meantime, we are also starting to try to get additional income," Sean added.

Since going to the cinema was not really a basic necessity for some people, Sean and his team wished that the applications installed will remain on their phones. In order to maintain engagement, through its application, TIX ID presents information related to film developments.

In addition, they also collaborate with OTT platforms to sell vouchers for on-demand video services and drive traffic to each platform. The initiative for a drive-in theater was also an option. However, with all the considerations, the plan should be canceled.

BEP milestone

"Entering 2021, the Hollywood film industry is seemed to start recovering. However, the delta variant arrived, and the government re-applied PSBB," Sean said.

Although the pandemic has not been fully handled, several films such as Shang-Chi, Eternals, and Spider-Man have appeared to encourage the public's enthusiasm for the cinema. With quite great numbers, apparently, the excitement is still insufficient.

It was not until the release of the horror movie "KKN di Desa Penari" not long after, which actually draw massive public attention --- cinemas in various cities were filled with audiences.

This phenomenon turned out to have a positive influence on TIX ID. It was claimed due to the long queues, many people are using TIX ID app, and that becomes the moment for thousands of new users.

Sean also said that the KKN film plays a role in taking the TIX ID app to the first position on Google Play, as the most downloaded application by Indonesians.

In fact, this increasing trend has boosted the company's revenue. Sean announces that the business has reached BEP (Break Even Point) and is on its way to positive cashflow.

The shifting in people's behavior also has an impact. In the early days of TIX ID, its adoption was limited to the urban class. Meanwhile, with the current digital pace, it is getting evenly distributed, and users in tier-2 and 3 cities have started to adapt to app-based ticket purchasing instead of queuing up at the cinema.

"Before the pandemic, we projected to sell around 15-20% tickets. Today, we can sell around 40%. This is all due to the changes in consumer habits," Sean said.

TIX ID is said to be the only platform that serves around 90% of cinemas in Indonesia. Even though other giant techs such as Traveloka, Gojek, and others have started to provide cinema ticket purchasing --- it is said to cover only around 20%.

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

"When we first launched, we did a lot of promotional activities. However, we are starting to tune down these activities and the organic growth is getting better. It is not only from the number of users but also from business growth," Sean said.

The platform remains to rely on DANA as the main payment option, Sean also said this strategic collaboration provides benefits for them. It is proven by DANA's business growth among the younger generation.

Acquisition plan

TIX ID has many plans to carry out this year, one of which is the acquisition initiative to increase the ticket options for attractions and offline activities through the platform.

This plan is yet to be detailed. However, from our observation, TIX ID was involved in PouchNATION's series B funding round in 2020, which is an event management system developer -- complete with software and an RFID wristband.

The next plan to be intensified is for TIX ID to be more involved in the film production process. This agenda is yet to be further detailed.

In addition, to encourage sustainable growth, the company will optimize the use of big data to maximize ticket sales and help cinemas determine movie placement in their studios.

TIX ID also intends to strengthen strategic cooperation with OTT players, and other cinema operators in Indonesia to expand its network.

"Our advantages are user-base, data, and behavior. We still see an issue for movie theater owners to manage studios and find the right way to distribute films and fill the seats," Sean said.

By utilizing this data, they will be able to predict and measure the movie's potential before it is released, therefore maximizing profits.

TIX ID also aims to be a space for users who want to find new to old movies, which will be redirected to OTT partner platforms and various existing studios.

"In the future, we aim to not only be an online cinema ticket sales platform but also to transform the cinema industry to grow faster after the pandemic, as the situation gets better," Sean said.

–Original article is in Indonesian, translated by Kristin Siagian