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Economic Times
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Saiyaara's box office success: How minimal promotion revolutionized Bollywood marketing strategies
The incredible box-office success of mid-budget Hindi film Saiyaara has sent ripples across Bollywood at a time when fear of failure has gripped the industry after months of mostly flops, kindling hopes of a as a 'silent storm' with minimal promotion, Saiyaara has collected Rs 274 crore in just 14 days since release, sparking curiosity among filmmakers and audiences alike. The film was made on a reported budget of Rs 45 crore. Interestingly, Kannada horror-comedy Su from So that employed a similar strategy of minimal promotion, also found success, collecting Rs 17.8 crore in a week. In this context, ET spoke with film marketing experts, young adults, and a psychologist to decode Saiyaara's success and whether it could impact future filmmaking and marketing strategies. The intensity of Saiyaara's marketing campaign was much higher after its release than pre-release and it focused more on showcasing audiences' reactions (from emotional to exaggerated) than on their opinions, noted Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and cofounder of digital marketing agency TheSmallBigIdea. 'One must understand that the film's frenzy was 'captured' in non-metro areas and 'displayed' in metro areas,' he said. According to marketing experts, Saiyaara's makers hired small influencers in tier II-III cities to create videos that focused on audience reactions. As these videos became popular, many users (not hired by makers) joined the trend by creating their own short videos or reels. This added to the film's popularity and triggered a favourable algorithm on social media, experts said. Besides this, the makers piqued audience's interest in the film by not exposing its lead pair. 'The makers did not allow Saiyaara's lead pair to socialise and over-familiarise with audiences,' said Nidhi Bubna Sadhwani, head of marketing and digital at Red Chillies Entertainment. 'They held back on any promotional stuff. So, I think, there was an intrigue about the lead pair in terms of what they could do. This was exciting for audiences.'The film's music and trailer also played a critical role in creating favourable buzz, especially among young adults, experts marketing experts also believe the release time was a paramount factor in lifting Saiyaara's box-office fortunes.'You feel amazing about a familiar thing if it is given to you after a long time,' Pillai of TheSmallBigIdea said. 'There has been a romantic musical film drought period. Saiyaara's release quenched this hunger.'The film's themes also largely resonate with young adults, experts said. 'It is a cleverly made film. It seems that the makers have considered often-discussed topics on social media,' said Tejas Nirbhavane, a clinical psychologist. 'Scenes containing subjects such as nepotism, mental health, deserving people not getting opportunities, traumatic past, and commitment issues in relationships are shot as reels to appeal to young adults who have a short attention span,' he said.
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Saiyaara's box office success: How minimal promotion revolutionized Bollywood marketing strategies
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in Media/Entertainment 1. Social gaming platform STAN raises $8.5 million Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The incredible box-office success of mid-budget Hindi film Saiyaara has sent ripples across Bollywood at a time when fear of failure has gripped the industry after months of mostly flops, kindling hopes of a as a 'silent storm' with minimal promotion, Saiyaara has collected Rs 274 crore in just 14 days since release, sparking curiosity among filmmakers and audiences alike. The film was made on a reported budget of Rs 45 crore. Interestingly, Kannada horror-comedy Su from So that employed a similar strategy of minimal promotion, also found success, collecting Rs 17.8 crore in a this context, ET spoke with film marketing experts , young adults, and a psychologist to decode Saiyaara's success and whether it could impact future filmmaking and marketing intensity of Saiyaara's marketing campaign was much higher after its release than pre-release and it focused more on showcasing audiences' reactions (from emotional to exaggerated) than on their opinions, noted Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and cofounder of digital marketing agency TheSmallBigIdea.'One must understand that the film's frenzy was 'captured' in non-metro areas and 'displayed' in metro areas,' he to marketing experts, Saiyaara's makers hired small influencers in tier II-III cities to create videos that focused on audience these videos became popular, many users (not hired by makers) joined the trend by creating their own short videos or reels. This added to the film's popularity and triggered a favourable algorithm on social media, experts this, the makers piqued audience's interest in the film by not exposing its lead pair.'The makers did not allow Saiyaara's lead pair to socialise and over-familiarise with audiences,' said Nidhi Bubna Sadhwani, head of marketing and digital at Red Chillies Entertainment. 'They held back on any promotional stuff. So, I think, there was an intrigue about the lead pair in terms of what they could do. This was exciting for audiences.'The film's music and trailer also played a critical role in creating favourable buzz, especially among young adults, experts marketing experts also believe the release time was a paramount factor in lifting Saiyaara's box-office fortunes.'You feel amazing about a familiar thing if it is given to you after a long time,' Pillai of TheSmallBigIdea said. 'There has been a romantic musical film drought period. Saiyaara's release quenched this hunger.'The film's themes also largely resonate with young adults, experts said. 'It is a cleverly made film. It seems that the makers have considered often-discussed topics on social media,' said Tejas Nirbhavane, a clinical psychologist.'Scenes containing subjects such as nepotism, mental health, deserving people not getting opportunities, traumatic past, and commitment issues in relationships are shot as reels to appeal to young adults who have a short attention span,' he said.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Agency of the Future: Humanised Cyborgs
By Harikrishnan Pillai Advertising will be run by cyborgs Now that you have your click-baity opening, let's shift gears from panic to perspective. For the last few months, every forum, boardroom, chai break eventually leads to that question. Wide-eyed, slightly conspiratorial, as if discussing alien sightings: 'So… what's your AI game plan?' 'Are you replacing creatives with robots?' 'Is this... the end of agencies?' Calm down, Rakesh. Every new tech wave is greeted with toddler-like enthusiasm. Everyone wants to toss out the old toy grab the new shiny object. But if you've babysat kids—or ad professionals—you know this: eventually, they go back to what's useful, not just what's new. That said, you can't be an Advertising Ostrich, neck-deep in CorelDraw and hoping the AI storm passes. So, here's my version of the origin story of the utopian ad agency of the future: The Big Bang Theory was when the AI comet crashed into creative humans in a caffeine-fuelled ecosystem—and boom—one prompt engineer started replacing every two designers. Thus emerged the Neanderthal Androids (N-androids, if you're cool): part creative genius, part prompt-whisperer, fully evolved for the algorithm age. Evolution skipped apposable thumbs and gave us opposable prompts. So Why did Prompt Engineers succeed to take over the Agency? 1. They ask better questions- They are Paresh Rawal in a cult comedy of advertising They didn't just ask, 'What's the one big idea?' Prompt engineers asked, 'Should it be funny, Gen Z-coded, emotional, meme-able, or feature a cat on a scooter?' And they don't do it cos they are naturally curious, it makes their job of chat-bot whispering easy, very very easy. Prompts are an art form. You don't get gold unless you ask the right questions. Sure, asking questions makes you look like Paresh Rawal in a cult comedy, but that's exactly the level of curiosity needed to get great AI output. 2. They are curious... and they are not cats! Those who adopted AI first didn't do it in search of a new identity. They did it because they wanted to know what happens when you 'hit this button'. Because people could say, 'Hey GPT', they're already experimenting with voice-based prompting, video inpainting, and brand-trained GPTs. Then they become the nerds we all mocked—until our phone crashed. 3. They Have Creative Brains with Process Wiring I am not against creative freedom and need for mental bandwidth to be truly creative, but that added to units that lift than tell, don't help anyone. It's 'mood' vs structure, and that's where the world will move. , build systems, because that is the only way to work with AI-tools. They build reusable design frameworks while you're still choosing between Aptos and Calibri. Traditional creatives deliver. Prompt engineers scale with process. 4. They are lazy… good lazy They realise that AI tools are slaves on subscription, who can do things at speed that one can't imagine. They push most of their work to AI, build models once they see patterns, create blocks for auto generation, all of it for that extra chai break. Lazy people make the best inventors, they want things to be done better. Prompt engineers are Edison-lite. So hence the took over. A story straight out of a Spielberg script - AI-wired humans zipping across the agency floor, churning out quantum-level campaigns at lightning speed and laughably low cost. But amidst the silicon chaos, a rare breed emerges: the select few who didn't just survive the AI carnage-but joined hands with it. The ones smart enough to bend AI to their creative will, yet irreplaceably human in their instinct. Not outpaced by machines, but amplified by them. A super-brain collective of the future—part artist, part cyborg, full genius. Hire your today! Don't wait for the big bang. (The author is the CEO and Co-Founder of TheSmallBigIdea. Views expressed are personal.)
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Business Standard
18-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
WhatsApp Status ads to help brands reach more audiences in smaller cities
WhatsApp Status advertisements are expected to boost brand and advertiser reach, especially in Tier-II and -III markets, with some industry experts anticipating an increase in advertising budget allocation for Meta Platforms. This comes after Meta — the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp — added, for the first time, a feature that allows businesses to run advertisements directly on WhatsApp. In contrast, Instagram and Facebook have long offered advertising features. According to advertising industry experts, brands in sectors such as direct-to-consumer (D2C), fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), microinsurance, education technology (edtech), healthcare, and quick commerce are expected to benefit from WhatsApp Status advertisements. In the near term, Harikrishnan Pillai, chief executive officer and cofounder of TheSmallBigIdea, a creative digital marketing agency, anticipates most brands will allocate 5–10 per cent of their existing Meta budgets towards experimental spending. Saheb Singh, director of strategy at Agency09, an advertising agency, expects budget reallocations from local and regional ad spends, especially by brands or advertisers targeting Tier-II and -III cities. Meanwhile, Uday Mohan, chief operating officer (COO) of Havas Media Network India, said it's less about reallocating budgets across platforms and more about unlocking a highly addressable new segment within the same user base. The messaging app will feature sponsored labels on channels that pay to boost visibility among users, said Sandeep Goyal, chairman of Rediffusion. Status updates have become popular among WhatsApp users, and he explained that the platform is clearly positioning this as a new way to push advertisements to subscribers. 'It's particularly compelling for regional, vernacular, and trust-based categories like D2C, BFSI, and edtech, and early tests show it delivers 20-30 per cent lower cost per mile than Instagram Stories in these clusters,' said Pillai. He also said that WhatsApp Status advertisements offer brands a powerful new surface — especially for reaching users in Tier-II and -III cities, where WhatsApp enjoys over 90 per cent penetration and deep daily engagement. He emphasised that with more than 500 million active users in India and over 80 per cent viewing Status updates daily, the platform provides unmatched access to audiences who are either underexposed or under-engaged on Instagram and Facebook. 'WhatsApp's entry into the advertising ecosystem is a natural evolution, especially considering its scale, daily utility, and stickiness in India,' said Mohan. 'However, this doesn't necessarily mean a shift or cannibalisation of advertising spends from Instagram or Facebook. After all, these platforms — along with WhatsApp — belong to the same Meta ecosystem.' He added, 'This makes it a strategic addition to Meta's overall offering, helping brands reach audiences in a more direct and contextual manner, particularly in Tier-II and -III markets.' On similar lines, Singh agreed with others on the potential exposure in Tier-II and -III cities, and said that WhatsApp Status advertisements create an opportunity to tap into one of the largest and most connected user bases in the country. 'While using other social media is often a choice, being on WhatsApp is almost a compulsion — this fills a massive targeting gap. Also, unlike Instagram or Facebook, WhatsApp users often engage more attentively with content from close contacts. This gives brands a chance to stand out, particularly with hyperlocal campaigns,' he said. At the same time, experts cautioned that brands must tread carefully when advertising on WhatsApp, as it is largely seen as a private digital space used to chat with friends and family. 'User perception is the make-or-break factor here. The biggest asset WhatsApp holds is trust — it's where people talk to family, close friends, and conduct sensitive transactions. If advertising disrupts that sanctity, it could face backlash. Therefore, brands must tread carefully. Consent-led marketing, relevance, and non-intrusiveness must be the pillars. Brand safety and data privacy frameworks need to be clearly communicated by Meta, and we expect that to evolve quickly with advertiser feedback,'
Mint
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
AI, identity and drama: Why everyone's turning into a character
MUMBAI: First it was dreamy Ghibli-style portraits. Then came Barbie-fied posters. And now, social media feeds are flooded with boxed action figures of everyday professionals, complete with accessories such as coffee mugs, laptops and clever titles like 'Deadline Warrior' or 'Chief Meme Officer'. What began as playful experimentation with AI tools has snowballed into a cultural moment. Consumers aren't just taking selfies anymore but are creating avatars, crafting narratives and in the process, redefining self-branding. And, for marketers, it's a playground filled with promise and pitfalls. 'AI-generated self-portraits are the item numbers of the digital world—flashy and viral, but rarely central to the plot," said Harikrishnan Pillai, chief executive officer and co-founder of TheSmallBigIdea. 'They may not decide the fate of the film, but they sure get the audience's attention." Also read: 'We love big, hard challenges': Nvidia's Richard Kerris on Indian content market Prachi Bali, executive vice president and head of Saatchi Propagate, sees this trend as part of a larger behavioural shift. 'What this shows is how everybody wants to be a creator of some sort. Technology just feeds off this desire, with a layer of novelty and engagement that is active and allows us to parade as self-expression," she said. These visual trends driven by tools such as Midjourney, Canva, DALL·E, Epik AI and Lensa tap into a craving for personalization, fantasy and social relevance. People are turning themselves into animated heroines, retro dolls or workplace-themed action figures. Often, these are less about vanity and more about signalling who we are, or want to be, in a curated digital world. 'Egocentric processing lies at the centre of consumer psychology," said Priya Narayanan, assistant professor of marketing at IIM Kozhikode. 'Such self-representation indicates a desire to be part of a social conversation, to express oneself and to be talked about." Among Gen Z and young professionals, this AI-fuelled self-expression is especially potent. For many, it's not just a toy or a trend, it's a tool to articulate personality and build visibility in a crowded digital space. 'We haven't even seen the tip of the user-generated content strategy iceberg yet," said Bali. 'As tech democratizes expression, we'll see more courage, sharing and participation. And, the brands that invite this 'play' will garner attention, recall and communities the fastest." But this is not just aesthetic experimentation. It's also brand strategy. 'While these trends may appear short-lived, the underlying behaviour, interest in interactivity and instant gratification is here to stay," said Bali. 'Short-lived is the new normal. In a thumb swipe, in 10 minutes, instant is what the narrative is. Multiply that with personalisation and bang! That's the engagement fodder all brands need." Still, agencies are cautious. 'At Saatchi Propagate, strategy defines our action. Trends are fun to chase, but how it adds up matters. The real AI action lies in enabled tech that impacts brand experience," Bali added. Also read: Creative agencies must kill the nostalgia: FCB's Dheeraj Sinha Pillai echoed the need for intentionality. 'Everyone's playing the game, but the ones who understand why and how to show up tend to leave a stronger mark," he said. 'If the trend is interesting, relevant and big enough… we jump on it… shamelessly." The business side of the avatar boom is also raising questions around IP ownership and brand licencing. 'People don't just want to wear a brand or watch a film anymore. They want to live inside that world," said Bhavik Vora, founder of Black White Orange Brands. 'Turning yourself into a Ghibli-style character is a way of saying, 'This story is part of who I am.'" Vora sees the trend as both a risk and an opportunity. 'On one hand, it's amazing free marketing. On the other, if used commercially without permission, it can cross into infringement territory," he said. But if approached smartly, the upside is huge. 'People want to be in the story now. They don't just want a Stranger Things tee. They want to exist in that universe," he said. He cites LEGO Ideas as a model: 'Fans submit concepts. If selected, they become official products. Indian IPs could adopt similar models." In fact, Vora believes we're entering the age of 'reverse licencing." 'Digital creators are building careers through avatars and characters. The next step is formalizing that into co-licenced products and experiences. But both sides must see value in it." 'We've spent years guarding IP. But the Internet, and now AI, has changed the rules. Fans and creators aren't waiting for permission. They're creating. The question is: do we push back, or do we build a system that brings them in?" he added. 'Because the truth is, a story becomes more powerful when more people help tell it." Narayanan agrees that marketers must now learn to separate fads from durable trends. 'Predictive social media intelligence can help. Once that's clear, brands can align their digital moves with core values to ensure authenticity." Even users are finding emotional value in these virtual makeovers. 'I turned myself into a Ghibli character just for fun, but then realized it reflected how I actually wanted to be seen online," said Neha Verma, a Bangalore-based product designer. 'It's not about beauty, it's about fantasy." Also read: The cult of Lollapalooza and the fault lines in India's events infra The avatar trend also signals a deeper cultural shift. In a time when identity is constantly curated online, from bios and playlists to Pinterest boards and story highlights, AI has given people a way to visually manifest their inner narrative. For some, it's playful. For others, it's aspirational. But for everyone, it's intensely personal. Whether these avatars are passing distractions or the future of self-branding, one thing is clear: the consumer is no longer just a buyer, but a builder of worlds. And, in that world, brands don't just have to show up, but they have to play along. Because when everyone's a character, only the most creative narratives stand out.
