The film industry is one of the biggest players in the entertainment field. Every year, close to 600 feature films is released in the US, with India leading the numbers by a massive 1200-odd feature films per year. The figures fluctuate every year, but that does not take away the massive competitiveness of the film industry.
Along with the advertising and marketing campaigns handled by the films, Public Relations is slowly becoming a major part of the promotional activities in the film industry.
Why Public Relations is important?
So you have finished making your film. But now what? How do you make the audience come see your film? And how do you pique the interests of your distributors? The answer is Public Relations.
Public Relations help bring the spotlight to the films. They help create the anticipation and excitement which draws the audience to the nearest theatres. Stellar cast, award-winning directors cannot always garner the best interest from the audience. You need a strategy, which generates interest around your film, and use the right medium for it and that’s what PR assists in.
The biggest advantage of Public Relations remains its media connection. PR Agency brings the news to the people and through the most powerful medium, the Media. Public relations have important contacts with the media and they know how to deploy the film’s message. They understand how to take the elements of the film and make them newsworthy, or in today’s terms, trend-worthy. They ensure that the film receives maximum media exposure, which will translate into more audiences at the theatres.
Also, the other advantages, such as cost-effectiveness, image building skills and crisis management skills, of Public Relations play a huge advantage in the film industry. With advertising and marketing campaigns costing quite a fortune, more filmmakers are includingmore of PR campaigns in their promotional strategies.
How does PR work in the Film industry?
The most effective way to connect with the audience is rich content. PR agency deploys the central message of the films through numerous mediums to garner interest.
Among the other PR tools, press remains a huge communication point for the films. From holding a press conference to announce the new cast, releasing a teaser/trailer to organizing a photo-op, public relations involves the media to help create the buzz surrounding the film. The more your film is talked about, the more interest it garners. Publicists also promote films on different platforms, such as appearance on TV shows and social events.
Social media has always played a pivotal role in spreading a message through its viral effect and word-of-mouth referrals. The filmmakers choose to release engaging content on the social media where the message travels quicker and to a larger audience.
Apart from promoting the film to the audience, PR agencies also help in promoting the films to distributors, film festivals, influencers and bloggers.
Nowadays, filmmakers have set their promotional budget almost equal to that of the film budget. And even before the pre-production for the film starts, public relations strategies kick in to keep the audience’s interests alive. With the industry growing expeditiously, filmmakers should start realizing the influence of PR and bring out innovative public relations campaigns to garner larger profits.
White Water PR 