Once a supporting tool in a film’s promotional mix, social media is now commanding centre stage — both in budget and in strategy. In the post-pandemic entertainment economy, digital chatter isn’t just amplifying a movie’s release, it’s shaping its entire lifecycle. From meme drops to fan fiction campaigns and long-tail influencer collaborations, platforms like Instagram and YouTube are as vital to a film’s marketing as the trailer itself. A decade ago, the digital slice of a film’s print and advertising (P&A) budget hovered at a modest 20%. Today, it can command anywhere from 40% to 60%, and in some cases, even more.
A report by EY reveals that Indian Media and Entertainment sector reflects this trend, with digital media overtaking television to become the largest segment in 2024, contributing 32% to overall revenues . This growth is mirrored in the influencer marketing industry, projected to reach INR 3,375 crore by 2026, highlighting the increasing reliance on influencers to drive brand awareness .
But with this rise comes a dilemma that marketers in other industries know all too well: visibility without transparency. A paid influencer endorsement for a film often lacks the kind of disclaimers one might expect in traditional media. When a newspaper runs an ad for a new cola brand, the reader knows it’s an ad — and filters it accordingly. But when a popular content creator gushes over a new film without disclosure, the audience may mistake it for genuine enthusiasm, not a paid post. In essence, we’ve entered the age of the ad-for-an-ad, where promotions for promotional content are quietly embedded into social feeds, making it harder to separate authenticity from strategy.
Shrenik Gandhi, CEO and Co-Founder of White Rivers Media, has seen this shift unfold up close. “Five years ago, if a film had a P&A budget of ₹1 crore, just ₹20 lakh might have gone to digital. Today, the digital spend often ranges from ₹40 to ₹60 lakh, sometimes even more,” he says. And for big-budget, pan-India releases, digital spends can go as high as ₹5 to ₹7 crore.
This money isn’t just going into Instagram posts or YouTube teasers — it’s building ecosystems. “Social media now includes everything from meme pages to paparazzi handles. It’s not just Facebook and Instagram anymore. It’s internet chatter,” Gandhi explains. Campaigns are tailored based on the film’s size — a small film might run a three-week campaign, while legacy franchises like Jawan or Baahubali start laying breadcrumbs up to a year in advance. These long-tail strategies come with built-in spikes: teaser drops, poster reveals, influencer trailers, behind-the-scenes leaks — all spaced out to build a steady hum.
The effort is intentional. “Getting someone to go to a theatre is a ₹1000-₹2000 decision,” Gandhi says, “It’s a five-hour commitment. You’re asking for someone’s time, money, and effort. The marketing has to work that much harder.”
The content, of course, matters. “If the film has no big stars, we make the story the hero,” he adds. “If the story isn’t strong, then the director becomes the hero. The marketing strategy shifts based on what you’re selling.”
Aditi Shrivastava, CEO and Co-Founder at Pocket Aces, adds another layer to this equation — authenticity. “When a show doesn’t have A-list actors but features strong OTT-first or YouTube talent, we’ve seen audiences respond just as positively,” she says. “The social media audience today is sharp. They know when something’s force-fitted or when the story feels genuine. If it’s good, they’ll engage. If not, they’ll troll.”
This clarity has led to a shift in influencer marketing itself, which Shrivastava describes as having grown into a standalone vertical. “Every brand and agency now has a separate influencer team. Budgets have grown, and influencer content is often prioritized over even content marketing in many cases,” she says. Their own creator agency, Clout, manages over 250 creators and regularly partners with studios to craft campaigns that feel native and fun rather than salesy.
But does social media make or break a film? “Not entirely,” she says. “If a piece of content is very good, word-of-mouth will travel — organically. Memes, reviews, clips — they’ll all get shared. Social media amplifies what already resonates.” She references recent cases like Adhura or White Lotus, which didn’t need much marketing budget because the content did the heavy lifting. “On the flip side, if a film is bad, no amount of influencer fluff can save it. If it’s mediocre, however, smart marketing can help it find its niche audience.”
She brings up Nadanaa and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan as cautionary examples — both got tons of social chatter, but the former went viral because it was so bad people were hate-watching, and the latter just fizzled out with a shrug. “You can’t force virality. You can nudge it, sure, but the Internet always knows,” she adds.
In this high-stakes environment, marketers are playing a delicate game — creating visibility without alienating trust. While influencer buzz can generate noise, audiences are increasingly skeptical. Without proper disclosure, influencer endorsements can blur the line between opinion and ad, and as media literacy grows, so does the backlash.
Still, the digital-first mindset is here to stay. Film marketing today is built not just for reach but for relatability. From actors making vlogs to films launching interactive Instagram filters, the campaign is the content. And with every scroll, share, or swipe, the box office inches forward — or falls apart.
Film critic and trade analyst Fenil Seta speaks about how social media can become a make-or-break factor in determining a movie or show’s success today “Absolutely it does. A show like Black Warrant dropped without any noise on Netflix. But it was the noise on social media that added to its viewership. The same goes for Adolescence. On the other hand, Nadaaniyaan didn’t get the required viewership as it was slammed heavily on social media. At the same time, however, we have seen vested interests crowding social media. They might try to create a perception that a particular film is not working, while the ground reality can be opposite. It happened with Brahmastra. Hence, if the public reports are positive, a negative social media might have little or zero impact.”
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