Menu
There was a time when one had to wait until Friday to find out about a new film. Full-page advertisements in newspapers, large hand-painted posters adorning city walls, songs on the radio, and trailers only in theaters, before any other film (and yes, the interval samosa was also part of that package). Filmmakers used to decide what audiences would see, when, and what they would hear about the film. स्रोत
Today, that trailer is on your phone as soon as it’s released, songs start playing in reels before the film, and after the first show, people themselves decide whether the film is worth watching. Digital marketing hasn’t just opened up a new way to sell films; it’s changed who has the final say. And in our opinion, that decision has gradually shifted to the audience.
The film gets released before its release.
While songs used to be a part of a film, now they’re the gateway to a film. People first create a reel based on a song, then, listening to it, they memorize the film’s name, and by the time the trailer arrives, half the work is already done.
“Saiyaara,” released in 2025, is a prime example of this. Yash Raj Films largely avoided interviews, mall events, and influencer promotions for both newcomers, focusing solely on the songs, which spread widely through Instagram reels. A film that initially had low expectations received a strong opening for a film starring newcomers. Imagine, people were desperately searching for tickets on the first day for a film starring actors who hadn’t even been interviewed.
We’ve all seen the opposite. The star appeared on every channel, danced on every reality show, and the film was exhausted by the first Monday. The result? Half-empty halls. Excessive publicity and proper publicity are two different things.
A small film, a whole country
It used to be difficult for a Kannada or Telugu film to break outside its home state. Now, word of mouth on social media becomes its ticket. “Kantara” was made in Kannada, but it reached the entire country thanks to videos and word of mouth. “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” had people making reels around the world, and then the same song even won an Oscar.
It’s like a sweet shop in a small town, once known only in that neighborhood. Someone posts a video, and the next week, people from other cities start coming asking for directions. But remember one thing: a video may bring people to the shop for the first time, but it’s the sweets that bring them the second time. It’s the same with a film; marketing may bring crowds for the first show, but not for the second week.
From theaters to phones: How distribution has changed
Distribution has also changed a lot. Previously, a film’s journey depended largely on how many theaters it received, and once it left theaters, it was practically over. If it ever made it to TV, it was. Now, on platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar, films find a second life, and many are released directly there.
The biggest difference is that marketing doesn’t end on release day. The platforms monitor what you watched, where you stopped, and what you missed, and accordingly present the next film to you. Still, we believe that phones will never completely replace the big screen, because no app can match the fun of whistling at the same scene with hundreds of people in a dark hall.
| First | Now |
| Trailer in theaters, before any other movie | Trailer on phone, as soon as it is released |
| News of the film from newspapers and radio | From Reels, YouTube and friends groups |
| When I came out of the theatre, the story was almost over. | Second Life on OTT |
| It took weeks to form an opinion. | Opinions are formed after the first show |
First show, final decision
Previously, news of a film’s success or failure spread slowly through friends and neighbors. Now, the first show on Friday morning ends, and by noon, the entire internet knows how the film is. There’s no hiding place. It works both ways: a good film can be a hit even without a big star, and even a big budget can’t save a weak film.
That’s why creating a fake hype is more dangerous than ever. Audiences are quick to pick up on these things:
- “Reviews” with similar text, appearing from multiple accounts in a single day
- Trailers that promise a different film
- The star appears everywhere, but no one reveals anything about the film
And once people catch on, they not only abandon the film, but also distrust the same team’s promotions next time.
This is not just a movie story.
If you look closely, the entire game of digital marketing for films hinges on one thing: people trust what real people say more than advertising. That’s why studios now work with creators, fan pages, and small YouTube channels because their audiences listen to them.
And this raises a new question, one rarely asked in films before: how many people actually bought tickets from which creator, which post, which link? To answer this, methods like promo codes and different links are now used, which reveal where each viewer came from.
This idea comes from a segment of digital marketing called affiliate marketing. Where companies don’t pay for advertising money upfront, but rather, partners receive a commission based on the number of people they actually bring in. For example, programs like Pin-Up Partners in iGaming provide partners with a personal account where statistics for each campaign are clearly visible, allowing them to see which methods are working and which aren’t. Just keep in mind that iGaming regulations vary from country to country, and in India, online gaming is legally prohibited, so be sure to check your country’s laws before engaging in such activities.
We suspect that film makers are gradually starting to think similarly. Ultimately, they face the same question: where did the money go, and how many people actually came to the theaters?
