Movie marketing as casino game

And now lottery as the next big idea, with the spotlight on Priyadarshan's forthcoming film, Malaamaal Weekly.

It's about time FMCG marketers start learning tricks from movie marketers. After a successful beginning for Bollywood at the box office this year, yet another movie is readying itself for a marketing salvo.

Comedy king Priyadarshan's next film Malaamaal Weekly, set for release in March, is already at work to create buzz for the film "" as a brand.

"Yes," says Ravi Kiran, CEO, South Asia, Starcom MediaVest Group. It's true. "More and more movie producers have started regarding their creation as a brand "" so they take care to package it well, think of the brand's 'lifetime value' (DVDs, music remixes, TV rights and other prolonged usage ideas), use lead characters as brand endorsers (think Salaam Namaste), and quite often even do differential packaging for different audiences."

In fact, as part of its first initiative, Malaamaal's marketing team, managed by Spice Marketing, has sent out invitations to key influencers that double as lottery tickets.

"This would involve the trade and Bollywood celebrities, who will be invited to the music release party of the film and stand to win a cash prize," says Priti Shahani, head, marketing, Sahara One Motion Pictures, which is behind the production of the film.

The theme, she explains, is integrated with the theme of the movie: "sabki lottery lag gayi". This subtitle has already made its way to the film's posters to be seen at multiplexes across the country.

According to market sources, the initial lottery has a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh up for grabs, on the condition that the winner would have to share the booty with five other friends "" a theme again integral to he movie script.

The film's team is also trying to tie up with some real lottery brands, or even associate itself with game shows such as Deal Ya No Deal or Kam Ya Zyada on television.

Of an overall budget of around Rs 7 crore, as much as 20 per cent is the slice for marketing expenditure. Three brands have already signed on for schemes that involve prize giveaways at cinema theatres, where the film's tickets would "" you guessed it "" also serve as lottery tickets.

It helps that the man behind the brand, Priyadarshan, has a proven record at the box office, at least on humour flicks.

His 2000 comic caper Hera Pheri took in around Rs 11 crore, while his 2004 tickler Hulchul raked in over Rs 22 crore. Last year's Garam Masala did not quite rattle and shake the box office, but made good money.

"Increasingly," says Shahani, "it has become very important for films to generate viewer interest by creating a buzz, as at least two films vie for attention every week... and a good opening, as all of us know, makes all the difference."

Film distribution dynamics are now such that a filmmaker can actually recover a film's cost in the first four days alone, before word-of-mouth gets a chance to go around.

This puts a premium on pre-release hype, a game played to some effect by Shaad Ali Sehgal's blockbuster Bunty aur Babli, which began its prelaunch drama with a con news bulletin on NDTV, before cutting to the chase.

Often, strategic shifts and subtle turns get taken too, on response. Says Kiran, "Sometimes players relaunch a movie with a new song thrown in, for instance. That's the lesson they learnt from packaged goods brands. Now they are taking marketing to a new level, and teaching packaged goods marketers a lesson or two." Well, the betting's on.