Movie Promotion Strategies

A movie is declared a hit when it earns revenues which equals at least twice the sum total of the following costs:

1. The cost of promotion
2. The cost of production
3. The cost of distribution
4. The cost of exhibition

A lot of money is at stake for various people such as the producer and the movie promoters. So, promotion activities are extremely important to help the movie in generating revenues.

Let us have a look at how various movie promotion activities are carried out:

Movie Trailers: In these, the interest-arousing portions of the movies are highlighted. These are shown as short audio-visuals on televisions and in movie theatres during breaks or before the scheduled movie show begins. They give the audience an idea of what they are likely to expect from a new/forthcoming movie with an attempt to highlight the central theme of the movie.

 Trailer of Star Trek



Internet based promotion: Via the medium of the internet, a buzz or a hype is created around a forthcoming or new movie in the form of previews, early reviews, blogs and bulletin boards on online public forums. The main advantage of this channel is its cost-effectiveness and it is estimated that around 90% of regular internet users surf the net for movie related information. So this medium gives high visibilty at a low cost.

FM Radio: FM Radio is prominently used as a media partner to conduct on-air contests, to broadcast interviews with movie stars and for promoting songs/music of movies. The medium of radio generates a good deal of awareness about the forthcoming/new movies.

Merchandising: T-shirts and toys pertaining to  action movie heroes such as Superman in Hollywood and Krrish in Bollywood have served to generate greater brand recall among target segments such as children. This also serves as a connect between movie fans and apparel/ toy brands.

Print Media: This includes advertisements in magazines and newspapers, with articles associated with the making of movies so that movie-goers get an idea of "behind-the-scenes" action. Though this may be an expensive medium depending upon the publication and their advertising rates, it has the advantage of allowing the viewer to consume the advertised content at his/her own pace.

Billboards/Hoardings: These are displayed in prominent locations so that people can see them on a regular basis. The huge size of billboards/hoardings also help in conveying a larger-than-life image of movie stars.

Press Releases: These are statements aimed at the general public with the intention to convey that the movie is definitely worth watching. It also tries to communicate that all those connected with the making of the movie have put in their best efforts to make the movie a success.

Actor Visits: This is an emerging trend with actors trying to get close on a personal front with viewers so that their fans have a better emotional connect with them. (Aamir Khan attending weddings and mingling with the common public is an illustrative example.) The aim, however, is mainly to promote their movies and boost revenues from cinema-goers.