Dream Houses

Representational pic

Screen Annual Survey 2014

Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment has bagged the top position as a production house with the best marketing strategy with 43 per cent. Ever since it was set up over 10 years ago, the actor, together with his marketing team has been taking active interest in the promotions of his films. Initially, the promotions may not have been as aggressive as they are today, looking at the way Ra.One or Chennai Express were marketed, or how Happy New Year is being promoted but there were many innovative promotional ideas that were used. Main Hoon Na, the studio’s first release was promoted through brands like Pepsi which Khan was endorsing, and the television commercials featured him in the character he was playing in the film. Om Shanti Om, his next, once again had brand related promotions. As for My Name Is Khan which he produced with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, the film was pushed in India through print and television advertisements and billboards. Smart moves earned the company, whose marketing team comprises Bhavna Keshwani, Bela Mulchandani and Sonali Walia and headed by Manish Kumar, brownie points.
“Mr Khan mentors and guides the marketing team and the marketing strategies are their collaborative vision with contributions from the director,” said Karuna Badwal, who headed the marketing for Ra.One and Chennai Express and is the co-producer of Happy New Year.
“When Shah Rukh started Red Chillies, his marketing mantra was that his films should be visible in every corner of the world, and it has been happening,” says trade analyst Komal Nahta.
Second in line is Yash Raj Films with 30 per cent votes. YRF, which was founded in 1970, has to its credit, an enviable film catalogue with some films being the highest grossers in the entertainment business. Rafiq Gangjee, Vice President, Marketing and Communications at Yash Raj Films, who has been a part of extensive campaigns on film marketing, is of the opinion that YRF has some very innovative campaigns to its credit—the recent Daawat-e-Ishq food yatra with lead actors Aditya Roy Kapur and Parineeti Chopra trying different cuisines in various cities and the Mardaani tribute to the women police force of our country by way of the specially shot National Anthem with Mumbai Women Police, being examples. But he strikes a cautionary note saying that everyone would do well to remember that noise does not necessarily convert into footfalls at the movie theatre. And then again, the audience has to like the content. He cites Chak De! India which had a quiet no-fuss entry and a slow start as an example. The film, of course, went on to become a hit and a cult film at that.
“It is rare for a film (promotion) to go beyond the artiste. Dhoom 3 is one such rare example which besides an A-list star cast, also rode on the strength of the franchise. And yet their importance can never be undermined,” stated Gangjee.
And as a director once told him, “the weekend success goes to the voice and noise that marketing creates. Monday is more relevant to the value of the content!”
“YRF has a very good, dedicated in-house marketing team which is always coming up with new strategies,” is what Nahta has to say about the production house.
Aamir Khan Productions, founded in 1999 and which kicked off with Lagaan, ranked third on our list with nine per cent votes. Known for its out-of-the-box promotional strategies one remembers the flip book in the film’s kit during Taare Zameen Par and some innovative web marketing especially the eye blaster technology which saw leading man Imran Khan coming right up to you on your screen during Jaane Tu …Ya Jaane Na. For Delhi Belly, a film loaded with expletives and toilet humour, Khan used the forbidden fruit syndrome, thus arousing curiosity about the film. “When it comes to Aamir Khan Productions, the star puts his team on the job and he always thinks of something unique and doesn’t like to copy someone else. Though marketing was not as aggressive as it is today from Lagaan to Taare Zameen Par, he took interest in every aspect of the film, including marketing,” stated Nahta.
Even as marketing strategies grab headlines today, it is interesting to note that one of the pioneers in this aspect was producer Boney Kapoor. He recalls how for the Anil Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit-starrer Pukar, he travelled all over the country with his actors to promote the film. He was also the first producer to create merchandise to promote films – stationary like erasers and pencils for Mr India and dolls for Roop Ki Rani Chooron Ka Raja.
“Prakash Mehra and Manmohan Desai were at their peak at that time, so I had to make this kind of noise to create an impact. Today when I see everyone doing it, I feel something has taken a proper form. But it was an expensive exercise those days for producers, as marketing then was dependent more on distributors and less on producers. I did this kind of promotion on my own,” said Kapoor.