#NewsBytesExplainer: Looking at different film promotion techniques employed by makers
What's the story
After a film is completed and the final edits are locked, there remains only one last aspect that needs to be taken care of: the marketing of the movie.
While posters, songs, and teaser/trailer do the job to a good extent, what works best is the active involvement of the movie's actors during the on-ground promotion.
How are projects promoted?
Let's find out.
1
Visiting reality shows is the most common technique
Speaking about the movie on famous reality shows such as Indian Idol and The Kapil Sharma Show is the most common idea employed by the makers since these shows are consumed by a large section of viewers in India and abroad.
In fact, TKSS, hosted by Kapil Sharma, is structured in a way that each week, a new film is promoted on its sets.
2
Interviews are lined up before release
Another way in which makers can build hype around their project is through interviews: both digital and print.
Generally, the PR teams of the actors/directors schedule interviews with journalists, film critics, and YouTubers, and they become a solid avenue for the cast to speak about their motivation behind the project.
At times, these conversations also reveal unknown trivia about the movie.
3
Social media conversations with fans
Often, actors converse with their fans via social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.
For instance, Shah Rukh Khan does it quite often before and after the release of his films, when he asks Twitter users to send him questions using the hashtag #AskSRK.
It is also not uncommon for actors to do an Instagram live and answer fans' questions.
Unconventional ways
At times, makers even go the extra mile for promotions
While the aforementioned ways are conventional, makers don't hesitate in opting for some unheard ways, too.
When Daawat-E-Ishq was about to release, Aditya Roy Kapur and Parineeti Chopra visited several parts of India to try different cuisines—an activity in sync with the title.
Similarly, Vidya Balan went to the Khar Railway Station and asked people about her [fictional] missing husband's whereabouts before Kahaani's release.