Promotion, Marketing, Strategies – Indian cinema too using these tools to maximize collections.

Planning, strategies, promotion and marketing, these are some terminologies for all businesses whether it to be services, telecom, hospitality, FMCG or else. How cinema can be behind to use these tools for success? Apart from script, story, direction or star casts, which are the internal procedures of cinema industry, film makers have now started planning and strategically marketing movies to attract maximum crowd and make the movie commercially successful.

Indian cinema’s history is around hundred years old and there have been very successful movies in history of Indian cinema. Till 2000, star casts, movies posters, radio and newspapers had been source of publicity and promotion. Movies like Maine Pyar kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Karan Arjun, Aankhein earned huge success but promotion of these movies were done by traditional sources only. One of the biggest commercial hit movie, Sholay too was released with traditional method. This trend was changed by Yash Chopra who promoted and marketed his movie Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jayange on television by inviting star cast and crew members of the movie. Various shows were organized on TV and result, DDLJ became all time super hit movie of cinema industry. Now filmmakers like Yash Chopra, Yash Johar, Vinod Chopra had understood the increasing factors of the success and stared implementing some strategies in movie’s pre, during, post production and release date.

Earlier movies were released on Fridays only and not strategic dates were chosen. But now movies are released on national holidays like Diwali, Dusshera, Gandhi Jayatni, Eid or any long weekend followed by national holiday. Most of the producers like to release movie in festive season and results are favorable. Even a weak movie opens well due to publicity, star cast and crowd due to holiday. Veer Jara, Dabang, 3 idiots, PK, Kick, Krish series, Kabhi khushi Kabhi Gham, Bajrangi Bhaijaan are some movies which were released on festival occasion and earned handsome profits. This is the reason various films stars like SRK, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar have tuned a producer now to have a profit share in the income of the movie.

Another strategy by producers or film stars is to promote movie on any famous and popular event. Celebrities are seen promoting movies at various reality shows like Dance India Dance, Nach Baliye, Jhalak Dikhlaja, India’s Got Talent, IPL matches and at any concert. Such activities spread the information among fan clubs of the celebrities. Comedy Nights with Kapil has set landmarks in all TV shows and all movie stars never miss chance to promote movie on Comedy Nights. Amitabh Bachan, SRK, Salman, Deepika Padukone, Varun Dhawan and others have made repeated appearance on the show. This is nothing but strategic moves by stars to promote the movie and inform the release date of the movie.

Indian cinema has seen different phases and various fluctuations in profit making. Industry got worst hit due to piracy and crowd getting repelled to cinema halls. But film makers changed strategies and once again cinema industry has come on profit making point. With growth of cinema industry, new multiplexes are coming in major cities and towns of the country and boosting industries like real estate, retail, food & beverages etc. Hope this interrelation continues and people continue to get sources of entertainment, services and employment as well.