Hirav Shah reveals 7 movie marketing trends that are going to rock in the coming years

Entertainment is everywhere these days. People may not be watching cable or going to the cinema, but they are consuming more entertainment than ever. One can see that in the rise of streaming sites and mobile video viewership, especially after the lockdown was imposed.

The Astro Strategist cum Business Astrologer Hirav Shah has also recently forayed into the world of films after proving his mettle in business, sports & politics. Recently he spoke on what it takes to market your film or product to get the maximum attention from your target audience.

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Hirav Shah says, “With so many options, it’s becoming difficult for the entertainment producers to make sure they grab as many eyeballs as possible. That’s where entertainment marketing comes into the picture.”

He adds, “Of course, just as people’s viewing habits are changing, so too are the marketing tactics they respond to.”

“Marketing is simply attracting those you want and repelling those you don’t want,” adds Hirav Shah.

In this column, Hirav Shah lists down the best marketing trends in entertainment for 2020. Discover a better way to captivate your audience by adopting one or try them all.

How To Think Like a Fan?

What’s your favourite film? Mughal-E-Azam, Sholay, DDLJ, or 3 Idiots? Can you think of a TV series you love to watch over and over? Breaking Bad, The Game Of Thrones, or Mirzapur?

Hirav Shah says, “Chances are, you’re a fan of something and that means you have good knowledge about the kinds of content that get fans fired up over their favourite franchises.”

Thinking like a fan is actually one of the biggest trends in entertainment marketing for that reason. You want your marketing campaign to get people excited. What better way than to give them the sorts of content you know you want as a fan?

As per Astro Strategist Hirav Shah, “Trailers, teasers, Q&A sessions, and so much more, the scope is huge once you start thinking like a fan. Trust me, there’s no shortage of entertainment marketing ideas.”

How To Go For The Emotional Connection?

Hirav Shah bluntly tells, “Stop thinking about advertising and marketing as advertising and go for an emotional connection.”

“Your viewers want to be entertained, and they want to feel an attachment to your film or show. The goal of any marketing endeavour should be to make your audience feel. Using your marketing efforts, start evoking those emotions early among your target customers. Get people excited and make them anticipate seeing something that will make them laugh or cry. They’re much more likely to remember the campaigns that do,” adds Hirav Shah.

All Aboard The Interactivity Train

Interactivity is the next big trend to focus on entertainment marketing in the coming years.

This isn’t exactly a new trend. Pokemon Go brought augmented reality into the public spotlight a few years ago, and marketers have been using it since Ready Player One cleverly adopted virtual reality for its marketing campaign.

Hirav Shah points out, “Your fans want to interact with your film or TV series, and you have more tools than ever to create the immersive experiences they crave. People will click on an ad, which they find interesting, to learn more, sign up for a service, or start watching right away. An ad for your movie could direct them to a page that helps them find local showtimes.”

With Augmented reality, you could create a game for your audience to participate in. You could also team up with popular apps like Instagram and Snapchat to offer custom filters.

Keeping An Eye On Ad-Supported VOD (Video on Demand)

Online viewership is almost synonymous with subscription-based streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix but there’s a problem. Unlike traditional TV or YouTube, they’re not supported by ad revenue. In fact, one of their strengths is letting viewers watch “without all the ads.” That can make it tough to promote your show or film, even if it’s on the platform. If you can’t tell them it exists, how will people find it?

Hirav Shah tells us, “One of the OTT platforms, Hulu, has been experimenting with a different model. These video-on-demand and streaming services are available with no or little cost to the end-user. Instead, they’re supported by advertising revenue. AVOD is a boon for marketers, and it may even come to dominate the market in the coming years.”

Audio Streaming Services

Music-streaming services like Spotify are in direct contrast to video streaming services that offer users free account options. The catch is that the users have to put up with ads. A podcast is another arena for audio ads. Hirav Shah predicts that the advertising market for the many podcasts available will soon break wide open.

The most important thing to note is platforms like Spotify, unlike radio, have options that can also serve graphic and video ads.

That brings us to the biggest audio/video platform of all: YouTube. According to Hirav Shah, approximately 5 billion videos are being watched every day on YouTube.

YouTube, similar to Spotify, offers most of its accounts for free where users may have to watch a few ads before they can watch the video they actually want to watch.

How Social Media Is Most Vital To Entertainment Marketing?

YouTube is the king when it comes to video content. YouTube ads may get your campaign in front of more people, but uploading exclusive videos, interviews, behind-the-scenes trivia, and more to your channel can also help you promote a new film to your fans.

Hirav Shah says, “Entertainment industry marketing can also make use of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Some marketers are even looking at how they can leverage newer platforms like Roposo, Chingari, and Mitron Apps.”

He adds, “Social media platforms allow you to connect directly with your fans and some Q&A sessions, “backstage passes,” teasers and clips will keep them engaged and coming back for more.”

Entertainment Marketing In The Era Of AI

Hirav Shah reveals, “New technologies, like artificial intelligence(AI), are reshaping how entertainment marketing teams work. With the right tools, you can harness the data that exists in your own catalogue and You can also discover long-tail metadata to help you even find your target audience. Having those numbers to crunch can help you target your audience and even craft better campaigns to grab their eyeballs.”

The Story Of Marketing Success

Hirav Shah who is a media strategist as well in his conclusion says, “People have more choices than ever before, but the right entertainment marketing strategy can help them find your productions. Marketing is simply attracting those you want and repelling those you don’t want…NICHE MARKETING IS THE KEY. Clarity on marketing niche, Specificity, and Certainty is where Astrology can help you tip the scales in your favour. Instead of the ones who look back and analyze, be the one who foresees in advance and plans for better productivity!”

Also Read: Astro-Strategist Hirav Shah forays into the world of films after proving his mettle in business, sports & politics