Amit Khanna: Lights, action, hard sell

FREEZE FRAME

Until recently the advertising and marketing (A&M) of films was limited to putting up gaudy hoardings (now considered a retro art form), issuing small newspaper ads in the entertainment pages of magazines or newspapers, wall-posters or 6-sheeters in filmi jargon, radio jingles, TV promos and some in-theatre display of film stills "� photosets and show cards.

Homegrown public relations professionals handled the media, usually the film glossies, with sketchy press releases. The allocation of budgets between the producer and various regional distributors was done on a thumb-rule basis. This survived from the 1950s till the end of the century.

To be sure, some more adventurous Bollywood badshahs went an extra mile to promote their films "� they organised location trips for film scribes, lavish premieres and parties. And very occasionally, there would be a promotional tie-up with a fast moving consumer goods company.

Yet things have changed dramatically in the last couple of years. The advent of multiplexes and a younger, media-savvy generation of film makers along with increasing corporatisation have seen the beginnings of a professional approach to film promotion. Gone are the old hand-painted banners. They've been replaced by attractive backlit vinyls.

A number of advertising boutiques specialising in film advertising are churning out compelling layouts. Pre-release publicity and promotion too are now much better orchestrated. With almost all major TV news channels running movie-related shows, each new film sees a surfeit of interviews with its cast and crew.

To this, add the virtually non-stop 'promotion' on numerous music channels. Shooting special music videos for promotion is now more the norm than the exception.

We are nowhere near Hollywood in its carpet-bombing technique of film marketing, but we are taking our first tentative steps.

In-film advertising and product placement is clumsily making its appearance in our films, though it's sometimes too much in the face and too cluttered.

Major advertising agencies like the WPP group, Broadmind, Lowe-Lin Entertainment and Leo-Burnet-Leo Entertainment are targeting this lucrative and growing segment. Many large consumer product companies are discovering the merits of brand association with films and filmstars.

In a win-win situation, both the film and products are getting consumer attention.

On-line promotion and contests handled by companies like Hungama and Contest2Win are de rigueur for Bollywood today. Websites are an important sales promotion tool in the ever expanding and lucrative overseas market.

Blogs and mobile phones are also emerging as new and important media. From simple SMS-based contests to elaborate movie zones on Reliance India Mobile's R-World (big films like Koi Mil Gaya and Kal Ho Na Ho got over five million hits), films are being promoted and becoming popular both with consumers and producers.

As producers are discovering, because of the shortened release window for theatrical exhibition there is a concerted effort to push audiences into theatres in the opening weekend. So pre-release publicity is becoming loud and all pervasive.

After all, in an attention economy it is imperative to grab eyeballs from not only other films but also competing media.

Simultaneously, the awareness of the need to tap newer revenue streams like ringtones and downloads, home video and multiple telecasts has spread. This calls for specialised promotion and this is now often being planned in tandem with a film's release.

As I said, these are early days yet for A&M in Bollywood but it is heartening to note that major producers like Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai, Barjatyas and production companies like UTV, Verma Corp, Shringar, PVR, Adlabs and Kaleidoscope have dedicated marketing managers some from premier B-schools in their ranks.

If a little more effort is put in, there is no reason we cannot make Bollywood films best selling products. The huge fan following of stars and the maniacal obsession of Indians with movies (rivalled perhaps by cricket alone) needs to be leveraged cleverly both by producers as well as other sponsors.

This synergy has to go beyond outdoor ads and an odd TV commercial. The recent 360-degree promotion of Hum Tum and now its impending animated series is an interesting example of cross-promotion.

Indian films need to move out from the traditional diaspora to market abroad. For this we need to actively participate in international film festivals and film markets with specially designed screeners and brochures.

Even public relations needs to be beefed up and mainline reportage increased, both here and abroad. There is so much curiosity about Bollywood today that it would be indeed be sad if this opportunity is not monetised. Hollywood earns millions of dollars from merchandising.

In India this area is almost non-existent. While the beginnings have been made, it's time to bring in the professionals. For the advertising fraternity, movies offer a large dormant market.

For the filmwallas, it could be the springboard they have been seeking for long. We can begin with more interaction between the film industry and A&M pros. This is a show waiting to happen. So let's start rolling!

(Amit Khanna is chairman of Reliance Entertainment. The views expressed here are his own)