With each passing year, marketing a movie, before and after, is becoming more crucial in how well a film is running commercially. The perceptions on it are changed, for good or bad depending on the promotion. Here are three examples from 2019, where the ‘marketing’ was so detrimental in their final commercial outcome or the initials.
Maharshi:
The biggie starring Superstar Mahesh Babu was undoubtedly the most promoted Telugu movie in the first half of the year. It all started as usual, but the real promotions got kick-started as soon as the film hit the cinemas. It continued all through the summer with something or the other planned every few days.
Ala Vaikunthapurramulo:
The Stylish Star Allu Arjun starrer has been in news ever since it was announced. The long gap since the last film of Allu Arjun was enough to generate heat among fans. But, the publicity team went up and beyond with the promotional activities centred on the music. The S Thaman work for Trivikram is sensational. Among the four songs out so far, three are chartbusters. One more is expected to be on the way.
The fact that Ala Vaikunthapurramulo can stand tall against a mightly opposition is due to the fantastic marketing strategies. Now, it will be all up to the theatrical trailer.
Marketing Blunder Of The Year
Sye Raa:
If the above two films can be termed as marketing wonders, then Megastar Chiranjeevi starrer Sye Raa is a marketing disaster. The fact that Ala Vaikunthapurramulo began its promotion around the same time as Sye Raa and generated greater buzz tells us the terrible situation. It was a nightmare for fans at that time.
The makers seemed clueless when to start the promotions, for starters. Even if they were not, that is the impression given out. There was a teaser almost a year ago. A new teaser came out a year later. There seems to be confusion about whether to promote the movie as a pan-India one or concentrate on Telugu original? In the end, Sye Raa lost the initial interest. If it weren’t for the holiday release, things would have been much worse.
