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Film studios rethink marketing strategies

Recent hits like Pathaan and Drishyam 2 have gone easy on traditional marketing. There has been a paradigm shift especially after covid. Prior to the pandemic, it was about the perception of the film and now it’s about the positioning of the film
Film studios rethink marketing strategies
Recent hits like Pathaan and Drishyam 2 went easy on traditional publicity. (Photo: Twitter @ajaydevgn)

Last Updated: 05.42 PM, Mar 01, 2023

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New Delhi: Film studios and production houses say it might be time to junk older marketing strategies, given that recent hits like Pathaan and Drishyam 2 went easy on traditional publicity, with hardly any media interactions and public appearances.

“It isn’t that costs have consciously been brought down, it’s just that the marketing strategies have changed. It’s about making a cautious and educated decision to not splurge money but direct that money to the right mediums. There has definitely been a paradigm shift especially after covid. Prior to the pandemic it was about the perception of the film and now it’s about the positioning of the film,” said Shivam Chanana, assistant vice-president of media, marketing and publishing (TV), T-Series. Chanana added that the company decided to price tickets for horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 at 150 because it gave them a strategic advantage.

There are times when restrained and silent promotional campaigns work wonders as eventually the content speaks for itself. Whereas some others, especially massy entertainers, are required to have extensive and elaborate campaigns because that works better for them, Chanana pointed out.

Digital media is now a strong part of film marketing strategies and filmmakers are expanding to trending and innovative ideation of content rather than taking just the conventional route, said Mitesh Kothari, co-founder and chief creative officer at digital agency White Rivers Media. “With the steep rise in OTT, many brands are leveraging influencers not just for advertising, but also to be part of the film or create content around it to better connect with the audience,” Kothari said adding that the agency’s campaign for the movie Anek used AI that enabled lead star Ayushmann Khurrana to personally interact with those who bought the tickets for the movie to provide a unique experience for the consumers.

Less marketing can work when the film stars bigger names but ultimately filmmakers are still looking to tick all boxes when it comes to creating the right buzz before release, said Siddharth Anand Kumar, senior vice- president of films and events at Saregama India Ltd, which owns boutique studio Yoodlee Films. While there is a lot of debate on the viability of city tours, digital marketing is up and here to stay. “Influencers are critical to create word-of-mouth as is advertising on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook,” Kumar said.

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