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The changing face of film marketing

ByShuchi Bansal
Sep 15, 2023 12:58 AM IST

Shah Rukh Khan's film "Jawan" has made over ₹300 crore in its first five days, highlighting the changing face of movie marketing in India.

When Viraj Sheth, co-founder and CEO of influencer marketing agency Monk Entertainment, tweeted that Jawan should be watched in single-screen cinemas as recliner-seat multiplex viewing does not pass the vibe check, his comment resonated with film goers across the board who shared their individual theatre experience with Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster hit. Whether your cinema had loudly cheering audiences or the quiet reserved lot, the fact remains they have both contributed to making the Atlee-directed action flick a mega hit, making more than 300 crore in the first five days of its Hindi language release.

The changing face of film marketing PREMIUM
The changing face of film marketing

The film also puts the spotlight on the changing face of movie marketing in India in the recent past which relies heavily on creating a buzz on digital media. Speaking of emerging trends in marketing of films, Harikrishnan Pillai, co-founder of full-service digital agency, TheSmallBigIdea, said, of late, less is more for promotion of Bollywood films, especially, if they are being headlined by a big star. Jawan is a case in point, he said. Pillai should know since his agency works with film companies like Dharma Productions, Warner Brothers, Ajay Devgn Films and Jackky Bhagnani’s Pooja Films.

“Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) himself was the marketing muscle behind Jawan,” said Pillai. “What the actor did was go back to the basics of being a superstar and what it really means. He built enigma around himself and the film, walked in and out of airports with his face not visible and went really lean on talking to the public,” Pillai said. Even for Pathaan, released in January, he scrimped on putting stuff out on social media. The actor also only briefly engages with the public through Twitter (now X) when he opens himself to questions on Ask SRK before a film release.

“In the arena of abundance, he’s made himself scarce,” said Pillai, adding that the move worked for him as he’s a superstar. For mid-range actors, the strategy may not work as they need to put out their messaging loud and clear much ahead of their films just to register with the audiences.

It’s long been argued that the extensive presence of film celebrities on social media, sharing their daily lives with people has eroded their star power and killed public curiosity.

Yet, ironically, digital platforms remain the most popular way of promoting a film. For instance, SRK held ground events only in the south with his Jawan co-stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi. For the rest, he used the power of digital marketing, Pillai said.

Influencer-led film marketing is huge, too. Monk Entertainment’s Viraj Sheth said that actors, studios and marketing agencies want their films promoted on The Ranveer Show, a podcast hosted by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia who is also a partner at Monk Entertainment.

“The Ranveer Show has become the biggest podcast in India and we’ve had Sunny Deol, Shahid Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and others on the show,” Sheth said. The agency’s roster of content creators is also in demand. “For instance, southern star Mahesh Babu who isn’t active on Reels, created a Reel with our influencer Niharika which went viral with 80 million views. Our dance influencers were used to promote Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani,” Sheth said.

Actors are comfortable working with content creators since these are not typical media interactions. “Creators don’t approach stars with the traditional media lens and the actors are also probably familiar with their work and happy to collaborate with them,” Sheth said. However, he cautions around overexposure of influencer-led film marketing. “It’s gone crazy and needs rationing,” he said.

Pillai said actors are eschewing mainline media interactions. “One thing is clear -- artistes are going low on interviews. The film narrative during a typical media meet is often hijacked by other socio-political issues that are raised,” he said. Although ground events are back, now they are also designed to power the content engine online, said Pillai.

But just like any other product, film marketing has its limitations. “It can induce trials and ensure pre-bookings for the weekend. After that the content magic must work,” said Pillai, who views the performance of recent movies as a triumph of individual films.

“They came either with a strong legacy or as sequels of hit films. Real celebrations should happen when the period till December continues like this. For us to say films are back, the ecosystem needs to succeed,” he said.

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