What makes a film? Actors? Writing? Story? Cinematography? Lights? Set design? Plot twists? Humour? Suspense? Budget? Marketing?
As much as it costs to make a film, it also takes to market a film. A good movie can be lost because of poor marketing. A mediocre film can be overhyped because of it. In many ways, marketing is just as crucial—if not more—than the film itself in determining its success.
With new films hitting screens every week, the marketing demands—and budgets—are substantial, whether for OTT releases or theater showings. A brilliant film like Laapata Ladies could have easily slipped under the radar without effective promotion, leaving audiences to miss out on an exceptional cinematic experience.
When examining the price-quantity relation in OTTs, viewers are often willing to pay more for services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, trusting that higher-quality content justifies the cost. In contrast, many subscribers choose JioCinema primarily for its lower price point, even if its content quality doesn’t quite match that of its premium competitors. This dynamic has led to content inflation, causing high-quality shows and films to get overshadowed and lost amid the sheer volume.
For good films and shows to survive, they have to spend more on marketing.
Platforms like Netflix and Prime clearly stand out by investing heavily in marketing and promoting their shows, often through creative collaborations with actors, influencers, brands, and extensive ad campaigns. This approach sets them apart from competitors like JioCinema, which takes a less intensive approach to it.
One must think JioCinema’s marketing efforts fall short due to budget constraints, but that’s not the case. It appears they simply aren’t investing the necessary effort into effective promotion.
If JioCinema aims to compete with top-tier OTT platforms, it needs to elevate its marketing and promotional efforts. Leveraging influencer partnerships and implementing strong, impactful marketing strategies could be essential for JioCinema to thrive and sustain in the long term.