Trade experts anaylse if Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’s Buy One Get One Free offer worked wonders at the box office | Hindi Movie News – Times of India

Taran Adarsh (Trade Analyst): ‘Promotional strategy works only if the content is good’

“The buy-one-get-one-free offer works only if the content is good, otherwise any incentive, discount or concession cannot salvage a weak film. The strategy of giving incentive or discount was recently observed in few cases.Everyone talks about Zara Hatke Zara Bachke for opting for this incentive from Day 1 of release. However, if you notice, Day 4 onwards, when the normal ticket pricing came into play, the film sustained very well because the strong word of mouth came into play. Conversely, if the audience rejects a film, even a free show cannot guarantee a full house. The bottomline is good content.”

Akshay Rathi (Maharashtra exhibitor): ‘Manoj Bajpayee‘s Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ would have benefitted from a Buy One Get One strategy’

“This buy-one-get-one-free or any sort of scheme involving discount for tickets will work only if it is assured that the content is interesting enough. If you put a film that the public doesn’t want to watch, even if you offer it for free, they won’t turn up at the cinemas, as the cost and effort is not worth their while. If the films are interesting and the public is not sure if it wants to watch them on the big screen or wait for them to stream on OTT, then those are films where such schemes are likely to work. Like the recent Manoj Bajpayee release Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai. Had the producers released it in theatres and offered the same buy-one-get-one-free ticketing scheme, I think it would have worked really well. The scheme worked with Zara Hatke Zara Bachke. So I really think it is predominantly the content that matters. Such schemes can only work as incentives for good content.”

Atul Mohan (Trade Analyst): ‘Shezada’s attempt with Buy One Get One Free didn’t work’

“The buy-one-ticket-get-one-free box office scheme, commonly known as a BOGO (Buy One Get One) promotion, is a new marketing strategy used by producers and exhibitors, to attract customers and boost sales. But the box office success of a film will solely depend on the content it offers. If the content is good, it works and BOGO will only elevate its prospects, just like we saw in the case of Zara Hatke Zara Bachke. In another example the makers of Shehzada too tried this for first day of the film but it didn’t work, which means that if the content is bad then even buy-one-get-five-free won’t work. And remember that the audience is too smart to fall in the trap. While the practicality and ethics of such a scheme can vary depending on the specific circumstances and context, BOGO promotions can effectively increase ticket sales by ‘incentivizing’ customers to bring along a companion. This can be especially effective during periods of lower demand or for specific movie showings that need a boost in attendance. BOGO schemes can help build customer loyalty by providing added value to moviegoers. Customers may be more likely to choose a theater offering such promotions over competitors, fostering a positive relationship with the business. And talking about ethics, businesses must ensure that the pricing structure associated with BOGO promotions is fair and doesn’t involve excessive price inflation. Customers should receive genuine value for their purchase, and the overall pricing strategy should remain reasonable.”

Girish Johar (Trade Analyst): ‘Box office numbers matter more than reviews’

“Just like we use posters, trailers, songs, PR as our marketing tools… so the new tools are now box office numbers and the latest to join this bandwagon is B1G1 tool… this only aids to build audience attraction and is like any promotional tool. This too, like all others, has a bearing and cost which is eventually borne by the producer. Audiences may get attracted to it initially but it will dwindle down if the content is not up to the mark. Just like the PR Reviews Tool was excessively used by makers to get good pumped-up reviews, now audiences does not believe much in them and prefer their own sources.”

Amod Mehtra (Trade Analyst): ‘Promotional offers should be available for offline sales, too’

“The scheme is only available on ticket booking apps and site so far. Let’s see if it can be implemented in totality. Every business organisation has the right to promote/sell as deemed fit. If it is unethical then all those huge discount sales on e-commerce shopping sites should also be banned.”