ACTORS PERSONALISE FILM PROMOTIONS

Stars tweeting directly to fans is like giving them an autograph online. This is the newest promo strategy for tech-savvy actors

Imagine waking up to a personalised tweet by your favourite Bollywood actor on your Twitter timeline! Well, your day is made. That sort of frenzy was seen recently, when actor Akshay Kumar sent out personalised tweets to all his followers, sharing the trailer of Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.

Along with the hashtag #ToiletEkPremKathaTrailer, there were messages such as “Are you ready to be a part of the#SwachhAzaadi movement?” and “A token of gratitude for your support”.

Call it a strong marketing tool or a great way to have a direct connect with fans — it’s obviously a strategy fit for the digital age, and tech-savvy stars know it.

Last year, actor John Abraham surprised his fans when he tweeted to them the poster of his film Rocky Handsome, with his digital signature and a customised message for each follower.

Actor Nimrat Kaur feels it’s great to stay relevant like this. “So much of what we do is online — whether it’s the release of the first look or a poster or a trailer. Fan reaction can also be assessed instantly through the Internet. This a great move by actors.”

Omar Qureshi, Bollywood observer and film critic, adds, “Actors have millions of followers — a reach far greater than what most magazines and newspapers have. Plus, the smart stars know that they have to reach out beyond their fan base, and cultivate select influencers.”

In the past, actor Shah Rukh Khan happily ‘spammed’ the Twitter timeline of his fans when the trailer of his film Dilwale (2015) was released on his birthday (Nov 2). Whoever wished SRK got a ‘return gift’ in the form of a personalised tweet with the link of the trailer. The message read, “Thank you for the birthday wishes. Here is a little return gift for you.”

Filmmaker Onir feels that such a strategy definitely empowers lead actors, but he points out that too much of it isn’t a good thing.

“If you get overboard and too personal with these promotions, it can backfire, too,” he says. “When stars post highly customised messages, fans sometimes are clever enough to guess that it’s an agency doing it on their behalf — no actor has the time to do it for thousands of fans.”

SHAH RUKH KHAN, AKSHAY KUMAR AND JOHN ABRAHAM ARE AMONG STARS WHO HAVE DIRECTLY PROMOTED THEIR FILMS ON TWITTER

The tweet on Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (above) and the signed poster of Rocky Handsome