Breaking the Mould: Stories Social and Katha's Collaborative Journey

Stories Social is a Marketing and Communication Agency based in Kochi, founded in 2020 by Sangeetha Janachandran, an experienced professional with over 15 years of expertise in Branding, Communication, and PR. Stories Social believes in conveying unique stories, whether it's for brands, movies, or individuals. Stories Social started off its journey with Uyare (2019), a film that explores the story of women fearlessly pursuing their dreams.

Stories Social has managed PR for Superhit Movies across genres, such as Virus (2019), a medical thriller film directed by Ashiq Abu; Joji (2021), a crime drama film directed by Dileesh Pothan; Nayattu (2021), a political survival thriller film directed and co-produced by Martin Prakkat, Neelavelicham (2023), an adaptation of Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer’s Novel, directed by Aashiq Abu, and Thrishanku (2023), a comedy flick by Achyuth Vinayak among others.

At Stories Social, their passion lies in the art of storytelling across different platforms. They are dedicated to crafting narratives that inspire and engage, whether it's for a brand seeking to establish its presence, a movie aiming to captivate viewers, or an individual looking to make a significant impact.

THE EVOLUTION OF PROMOTION METHODS USED IN THE MALAYALAM FILM INDUSTRY

Do you still have memories of a Jeep, covered with vibrant film posters, with loudspeakers announcing the latest movie releases in nearby theatres, passing through village roads?

The business aspect of filmmaking has witnessed a significant shift in promotional strategies, transitioning from traditional offline methods to innovative online approaches. Previously, advertising relied on popular TV Channels, Magazines, Newspapers, and Printed Posters to reach the audience. However, the rise of the internet opened new ways to connect directly with the audience, convert them into ticket buyers, and engage them. For instance, the movie "Chappa Kurishu" (2011) introduced a promotional music video that wasn't part of the actual movie but helped set the mood. It was also one of the first movies that released teasers on YouTube. Similarly, the Facebook page for "Salt N' Pepper" (2011) was created a year before the film's release and regularly updated with location stills, videos, and eye-catching posters to build anticipation. "Bangalore Days" (2014) targeted the youth through platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, accumulating over a million likes on Facebook.

"Oru Adaar Love" (2019) utilised the internet and the popularity of actress Priya Varrier's wink to create a nationwide frenzy, and the film "C U Soon"(2020) released during the pandemic relied on cast and crew appearances in interviews across popular channels, resulting in positive word-of-mouth and pan-India viewership. They even proved to give a new face to the industry considering the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.

Another trend observed in Malayalam cinema is actors utilising their official social media handles to promote their movies. Other popular approaches in modern promotion methods include campus promotions, the creation of Instagram reels hook steps from the movie, and interviews with online channels, all of which play a significant role in engaging fans and building a buzz around the movie.

By using these modern techniques, filmmakers can effectively promote their movies and capture the attention of audiences in innovative and engaging ways.

Stories Social has been a pioneer in using out of the box methods to promote movies. One interesting approach they utilised was to promote Neelavelicham, directed by Ashiq Abu, that evoked a sense of nostalgia. The film was a remake of Bhargavi Nilayam (1964) by Baba, based on the story Neelavelicham. They adopted the old-school Jeep announcing method, wherein a microphone was attached to a jeep, and movie information was announced through it. Additionally, they distributed notices containing details about the film to the local audience. By using this nostalgic promotion, they aimed to connect with the audience and make them curious about the film.

STORIES SOCIAL x KATHA

Stories Social's partnership with Katha aimed to leverage the power of User-Led Advertising to:

• Generate excitement and buzz about films among the audience.
• Gain organic reach among the movies’ intended audience by utilising the potential of word-of-mouth marketing.

1744 വൈറ്റ് ആൾട്ടോ (2022)

"1744 White Alto" is a 2022 Malayalam movie. It's a comedy crime drama directed by Senna Hegde and starring Sharafudheen, Rajesh Madhavan, and Vincy Aloshious. Stories Social used Katha to share the pre-release notification across Kerala.

ബി 32 മുതൽ 44 വരെ (2023)

"B 32 Muthal 44 Vare" is a Malayalam movie released in 2023. It is written and directed by Shruthi Sharanyam, and produced by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation. This movie pays a heartfelt tribute to women and brings a fresh perspective on body politics. With the support of Katha, Stories Social successfully ran week-long campaigns for the trailer release and booking opening notification.

നീലവെളിച്ചം (2022)

"Neelavelicham '' is a Malayalam movie directed by Aashiq Abu and featuring Tovino Thomas and Rima Kallingal. It is based on the story "Neelavelicham '' written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The movie tells the tale of a young, enthusiastic writer who decides to live in a lonely mansion that is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who tragically took her life after being betrayed in love. Katha was used by Stories Social, in association with OPM Cinemas, to launch Ekanthathayude Apaara Theeram, a yester-year classic song, the movie trailer and the booking opening notification.

Smaranayil Video Launch (2023)

"Smaranayil" is a music single produced by Joy Music, featuring the composition of award-winning producer Paul Vimal. Katha helped launch the Tamil Single in Kerala market, through organic, peer–to-peer sharing.

ചതുരം OTT Release (2022)

"Chathuram" is a Malayalam film directed by Sidharth Bharathan and features Swasika, and Roshan Mathew in the lead roles. Through Katha, Stories Social successfully conducted multiple campaigns to promote the movie’s release on popular Malayalam OTT Platform Saina Play.

Moving Beyond Traditional Promotional Strategies

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, filmmakers have started to recognize the need to iterate and improve. "777 Charlie'' (2022), for example, ran campaigns targeted at pet lovers, considering the rising pet adoption rates during the lockdown. By tailoring their materials to this audience, they received great response from their intended audience. Like “777 Charlie”, every movie brings about new learnings, and ways to improve promotional strategies.

But what has not changed is the power of Word-of-Mouth. We rarely go for movies alone - it’s almost always with friends or family. Katha is built around this concept - your audience should hear about your movie from their friends and family, because no other source has the impact that a person we trust intimately has over us. With over 1.8 Crore audience across Kerala, Katha is revolutionising the way movies reach its intended audience, through Digital Word-of-Mouth.

The Client Speak

“Stories Social has used Katha for multiple projects so far, and the outcomes have been consistently exceptional. Authenticity and scale that Katha provides makes it unique, and a must use for anyone trying to drive promotions organically. Katha has made possible something that is hard to achieve for the movie industry - make our audience speak about our movies in their personal circle. The impact of peer-to-peer sharing goes beyond existing traditional and social media marketing tools”

- Dr. Sangeetha Janachandran (Founder, Stories Social)