B-Town is making different moves to woo netizens as movies try to cash in on the publicity buzz that social media provides
How many hits or views has a song or the trailer received so far? For that matter, how many netizens have liked what you have posted on the net? These are the questions that B-Town seems to be busy pondering over.
With getting noticed on the social networking platform having become ubiquitous, everyone - taking from production houses to music labels, filmmakers and actors - is banking on the 'networthy' social media.
Dedicated websites for films prior to the release apart, it has become imperative for filmmakers and music labels to upload the movie trailers, trivia, high resolution wallpapers stills and songs on sites like YouTube, Facebook and also on Twitter. This has certainly led many to grab more eyeballs. The latest example being the song Kolaveri Di which till now has received more than 26 million views on its video blog and is still counting.
Kolaveri Di is not the only trendsetter so far as gaining a strong foothold on social media is concerned. B-Town has it made it a point in 2011 that the net advantage is well utilized for film publicity.
The objective, industry personnel say is to always be present on various touch points to stay connected with the consumers. "These new online and digital mediums act as innovative and interactive platforms to connect with the consumers," says Anand Gurnani, general manager - digital and new media, of a leading production house. "We aim to give every film immense attention before its release to create a space in the audience's minds that does not merely create awareness but instead goes a step further to ensure a 'buy-in' to the film by creating a sense of anticipation and excitement," adds Gurnani.
While blockbuster movies like Bodyguard, Singham, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Murder 2 and Dirty Picture not only sizzled at the Box Office, they equally created ripples across the new media. Song Teri Meri Prem Kahani from Bodyguard and also the title song Bodyguard struck a chord with millions of netizens. Not to lag behind are songs Chammak Challo from RA.One and the first look of Ooh La La Tu Hai Meri Fantasy from Dirty Picture which became headturners of the sorts on social media.
The potential of new media is immense, say many. Actor Prakash Raj says, "The online world has played a major role in popularizing songs like Kolaveri Di." And when there is potential in a song or a movie, it certainly gets good number of views online. "Look at the song! It is so simple yet catchy," adds Raj.
"Today, digital marketing has moved beyond just movie websites and blogs, to using the medium to connect with the stars and movie concepts. The migration to more sophisticated digital marketing methods outbid the marketing strategies using other channels," says Gurnani.
Innovation plays an important role too, feel many. Movies like Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl exploited the potential of web through video blogging. The video blog Ricky Ke Tricky Tarikey included 20 short video bytes by Ranveer Singh (who played Ricky Bahl in the film) on how to trick women. And how actor Shah Rukh Khan and director Farhan Akhtar went about using social networking with their 3D movie trailer online is one thing every movie buff knows about.
At the same time actor-director Deepa Sahi feels it is too early in the day to say that the digital era of entertainment has arrived in India. "Even today television comes as the best platform for movie publicity. Many in the industry feel that the word of mouth publicity works in favour of a movie, but I think it is at its nascent stage in India," says Sahi.
While some in the industry believe that the age of digital consumption of entertainment is not far away. "There will be a time when movies are only going to be released on the Internet. People will prefer watching movies at home rather than visiting a multiplex," says filmmaker Nalin Singh.
With everyone vying for a fair share from the entertainment pie, the online world has found a willing taker in B-Town.
