Film promotions shift focus to small towns to boost audience engagement, revenue

Bollywood and southern language film stars are increasingly dashing off to small towns and collaborating with regional celebrities to promote their films, in a change of marketing strategy and aesthetics that previously catered to niche, urban sensibilities.

While Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 kicked off its promotional tour in Patna, Rajkummar Rao and Tripti Dimri had collaborated with Pawan Singh, a popular Bhojpuri singer and actor, for their film Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video. Entertainment industry experts say the trend is driven by the need to bring small town audiences on board to bolster box office and gain a wider, pan-India viewership for theatrical films.

“Regional markets stand at the forefront of modern film marketing, reshaping how the industry connects through calculated cultural outreach,” Brijen Desai, account director at digital agency White Rivers Media, said. The success of films like Gadar 2, which did very well in small towns, underscores the growing influence of regional markets in determining box-office outcomes. This has prompted studios to deepen their engagement with tier-two audiences through innovative, local partnerships and authentic cultural integration that translate into sustained audience support and commercial success, Desai added.

This strategy mirrors international efforts where Hollywood films, such as the Avengers series, host premieres in non-traditional territories like Seoul to deepen market penetration and boost global box-office revenue, Shubham Singh, co-founder, Bcreates, a unit of Boomlet Group, an influencer marketing agency, said.

Focus on tier-II and -III markets

There is a strong focus on reaching out to tier-two and tier-three markets, which is evident through both on-ground promotions and social media campaigns, said Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and co-founder of digital marketing agency TheSmallBigIdea. “While social media efforts tend to be more targeted and frequency-driven, on-ground promotions generate scale. Celebrity visits to these towns create huge excitement, often drawing large crowds and offering great ‘fandom photo’ opportunities, which eventually generate more buzz about the artiste and the film,” Pillai added. Artistes, through these interactions, build a strong connect. “The audience know these actors, but these visits seem very personal, making a lasting impression. It is a very strong, captivated audience to whom you are communicating a very specific message,” he explained.

Beyond city tours, there’s a lot of potential in digital-first strategies, according to Chaaya Baradhwaaj, founder and managing director of digital marketing agency BC Web Wise. For instance, filmmakers could create region-specific content campaigns using local dialects or cultural references to make the promotions feel more relatable. Collaborating with regional influencers remains effective, but films can also experiment with hyperlocal targeting on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Google Ads.

Devarshi Shah, senior vice-president and business head, GCN (global creator network) at Only Much Louder, said that with big blockbuster films now catering to language and region-agnostic audiences, it’s become important for filmmakers to reach their audiences directly. On-ground marketing for films like Pushpa 2: The Rule in Patna and the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’s cast touring Jaipur, Surat, and Lucknow, make it evident that there’s a focused effort to reach target audiences that will buy tickets and watch the films in cinema halls instead of waiting for the films to drop on streaming platforms. “Regional campaigns can achieve wider reach at the same budget, as a single metro event. Collaborating with regional influencers often yields better cost-per-engagement compared to metro-focused campaigns. Regional print and radio channels also provide more prominence and visibility at a fraction of the cost of metro media,” said Rajnish Rawat, co-founder of digital agency Social Pill.

Knowing audience vital

To be sure, entertainment industry experts point out that while the strategies are about going all out for film marketing, this cannot be done vaguely without knowing your audience. Engaging with tier-two and tier-three markets often requires a more tailored approach, which can be more economical than large-scale metropolitan campaigns. Moreover, the growing demand from these regions presents a significant opportunity for filmmakers to expand their audience base without bearing exorbitant expenses, Sahil Chopra, founder and CEO of marketing agency ICubesWire, said.

Jitendra Hirawat, director, SoCheers Films, a digital agency, said small-town audiences are very important because they haven’t reached the point of saturation that city dwellers might have from watching too many films, given that they don’t have a lot of other forms of entertainment.

“While increased outreach to tier-two and three cities might require additional investment, it’s ultimately a cost-effective strategy. By expanding the audience base, filmmakers can generate higher box-office revenue. Moreover, the long-term benefits, such as building brand loyalty and creating new markets, outweigh the initial costs,” said Sandiip Kapur, founder and president of Promodome Group, a marketing agency.