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Advertisement and Popularity

Topic started by Ravi (@ hope.cs.umass.edu) on Mon Dec 1 16:33:01 EST 1997.
All times in EDT/EST +9:30/10:30 for IST.

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Responses:

• From: Ravi (@ hope.cs.umass.edu) on: Mon Dec 1 16:38:05 EST 1997
  
  When a Hindi MD once found out that TFM doesn't spend much money on advertising their music, he asked how come people come to know of new songs. The Tamil MD (I think GA, but I am not sure whether it was a MD or a Director like Bhagyaraj) replied that songs do not need spl. advertising and that they become popular by being repeatedly played at tea shops and on stage by various troupes.
  How true is it now? Are tamil songs no longer advertised.. certainly not on the scale of Hindi movies... but I am sure there is more advertisement going on recent times than say when IR was at his peak.
  How much do people think does this contribute to the popularity of songs... ie is it easier for a song to becomea super hit now? Also are people missing fewer gems of ARR than of IR or MSV because of this? Should there be more or less hype about songs.
  
  
• From: Ravi (@ hope.cs.umass.edu) on: Mon Dec 1 16:39:26 EST 1997
  
  This is not what I wanted to ask in the first place. It came out differently when I typed it in. :-). Lets continue in this line and see if it actually comes around what I wanted to talk about in the first place... illaatti athai paththi vEra oru thread aarambikkirEN. :)
  
  
  
• From: Amar (@ worf.qntm.com) on: Mon Dec 1 17:35:31 EST 1997
  
  Ravi:
  At one time, I remember, there used to be segments in TV and in Radio that advertised the movie with its songs. I used to enjoy those segments.
  Also, the songs from new movies were allowed in "Oliyum Oliyum" long before the movie was released.
  These definitely helped to make the songs popular and thus helped the movie too. Good songs, thus, caught on way before the release of the movie. The songs being popular drove the crowd to the movie and the songs went on to become super hits( only those songs of good caliber ).
  
  For some reasons, the film industry, restricted the early release of the songs and released it just before the release of the movie. During those times, a lot of good songs went unnoticed unless people went to see the movies. But, even then, unimpressive picturization of the songs, bad situation, poor choreography, etc. could only deter the people from hearing the songs again. So, the songs may not get its due credit.
  
  All Hindi Cassettes, give a glimpse of the songs of the following movies and thus kindled the interests in the listeners. A lot of times, I was made to look forward to the songs of the movies advertised in earlier movie cassettes. I have seen some Tamil cassettes start doing that.
  
  People are very skeptical and prudent in spending the money until they know for sure the songs are good. But, if everybody did that and if the movie flopped, even good songs won't get an opportunity to be heard enough number of times to become popular. But, if people get to hear the songs free of cost, through advertisement or such, then the quality of the songs can do the job to become popular.
  
  So, IMO, advertisement, early release, etc., do help in popularizing the songs but the songs, of course, should have stuff to sustain the momentum provided by these things.
  
  
• From: Aravind (@ 202.42.152.9) on: Tue Dec 2 00:46:40 EST 1997
  
  Ravi
  
  I agree with you that people miss very few songs these days. I have already mentioned this in another thread, but I repeat it as it is relevent here.
  
  Almost ALL songs of ALL movies are shown atleast 3 times a week by the three Private channels in TN. For eg. Sun TV has programs like 'nIngjaL kEtta pAdal', 'puthup pAdal', 'ungkaL choice', 'Top Ten (Twice a week)'. These encompass 90% of the songs.
  
  These are indirect advertisements to the movies/cassettes. So it has become the regular practice of distributors to popularise the most catchy song of their movie. So even very ordinary songs do become more popular nowadays.
  
  But still, it is nothing compared to HFM. Apart from similar programmes in Zee TV for Hindi movies, there are special programmes exclusively for advertisement, Ghalak for instance. These are still not happening in TFM.
  
  But I personally feel that too much of these make you get fed up. Recently TF producers have come up with an idea of not giving any such rights to TV until 3 years after the movie release. Though 3 years is too long a period, I think it is a good idea.
  
  
• From: Kanchana (@ ww-ta05.proxy.aol.com) on: Tue Dec 2 14:22:16 EST 1997
  
  Ravi:
  Agree with what Amar & Aravind have said above.
  
  With today's big budgets for movie production & marketing, it's not a surprise that songs receive more exposure since they are one of the key vehicles for advertising the movie. Factor in the marketing budgets of independent multi-national audio distributors along with the multiple media channels available today to execute their advertising/publicity campaigns, and you have the whole equation. So, awareness of selected songs from these big-budget and/or marketing-savvy ventures is higher today. Note that savvy marketing is not just a big $ budget but also using any uniqueness in the movie to work the publicity machine.
  
  The second part of your question deals with the role of these marketing & PR in making a song a super-hit or popular. I do think that the heightened awareness plays a role in making some songs more acceptable than they deserve to be. But, the song needs to have some baseline attributes which can appeal to the audience, which then can be "played up" by creative marketing to dial up sales. Note that this does not imply all super-hits owe their status to slick marketing.
  
  An unasked but logical third part to your question is whether such marketing can create longevity of a particular song in someone's heart & soul. Here, the answer is "NO" as we all know. There is a fundamental difference between a catchy hit song which is transient and an evergreen classic which is eternal. Only time can tell the difference.
  
  Having said all that, I'm curious as to what it is that you started to ask originally. :))
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 205.218.142.217) on: Mon Aug 10 17:04:21 EDT 1998
  
  I'm reviving this thread to get another chance to discuss TFM from a socio-cultural angle. Go at it guys.
  
  
• From: Bharat (@ isdbsd1-inet.ci.mil.wi.us) on: Mon Aug 10 19:02:24 EDT 1998
  
  I think it was 1992... I'd gone with a friend to see "SingAravElan" at Udhayam. The show was sold out, and there was a scalper selling tickets. I asked him "padam eppidi" and he said "reNdu paattu irukku saar". After seeing the film, I realized that these songs were probably its only saving grace. Even in the 80's, the Vividh Bharati programs used to hype up songs ("ungaL naNban LR Narayanan" and "Prabhu... Prabhu... Prabhu").
  
  Of course, this is nothing like what's happening today! Songs definitely become popular much faster IMO. When something is played so frequently, the impact on listeners is also greater. Even then, I doubt if people rush out to watch a film just on the basis of one song! Also, film is a medium that cuts across all demographics. So fledgling channels, in order to beef up viewership, show film-based programs all the time, and songs are a huge part of this. Another reason for the hype over songs is the number of films being released these days. Films have less "window-space" and songs help to make them more visible amidst the clutter.
  
  So, coming to Ravi's questions:
  "How much do people think does this contribute to the popularity of songs..." I doubt if people actually think about this, as for many song-listening and viewing is mostly a background activity.
  "Is it easier for a song to become a super hit now?" Definitely. The chance that a great song will be missed is much less now.
  "Also are people missing fewer gems of ARR than of IR or MSV because of this?" Yes, yes, yes!
  "Should there be more or less hype about songs." I'd settle for the middle road. On the one hand, I hated having to wait for a half-hour program once a week where there was no guarantee whether a good song would be played or not. OTOH, what's happening now makes me tire of songs very quickly.
  
  I do feel grateful that none of IR's gems of the '70s and '80s were broadcast this frequently other than in the occasional Oliyum Oliyums. They were almost uniformly drably picturized, and, at least for me, the aural pleasure was infinitely greater than what the visual overload would have been. For starters, imagine "pOOvE sempOOve" being telecast non-stop on TV :-)
  
  
• From: vetti (@ horus.erlm.siemens.de) on: Tue Aug 11 05:47:32 EDT 1998
  
  Thanks to Udhaya for reviving a lovely topic!
  Advertising TF Music was very little till to date I feel. IMO, during MSV days (early 1970s), mostly LP records were present and not everybody could afford it. So advertising was not much easy as they had to rely on All India Radio (with their own crazy rules & regulations) and magazines!
  
  During IR days (1980s), yes.. Radio Cylon was serving TN people to a great extent as our own TN radio stations failed to live upto our expectations. But during his days, cassette recorders became popular! Almost most of our homes could afford one and many cassette recording shops (though, its not legal) mushroomed! Hence, the reach of film music to the masses were increased; but again advertising and popularising film music couldnt go on expect for the 'thirai isai' of radios and mega-mix of 'tea shops'! But, certain cine magazines started dedicated pages for previews of movies in general to create some hype! And other methods were 'trailors' in the theaters themself! But most often, they are aimed at making the movie a success and played very little role in promoting/popularisng the music! Its upto the music themself to promote, once they are released!
  
  In 1990s, tamil satt. channels gives a nice platform to advertise/popularise the TF music! And the reach of TF music to people is very wider! Film makers can easily popularize their movie thru them!
  
  Alas..but howmany of them really utilized it to advertise TF Music?!! If we compare with HFM, none our satt channels promote TF Music exclusively!, Infact, these satt channels, being a visual media, doesnt seem to be created any impact on TF music lover! Most often they list the songs and screen some scenes, but IMO, they seem to be oriented more towards the 'visuals' than the musicals!
  
  I am NOT denying the fact that we have a greater chance to listen anysong almost! But, as far as advertising is considered, nobody is exclusively aiming at popularising the music! Also with various top 10 programs, any song which has good visual seem to be picking up well with viewers!
  No body advertises saying that SPB/Hariharn/ARR combination or something of that sort! Neither do they say, great Background score!
  
  Advertising for a whole movie is present, but not for TF Music alone!
  
  May be if we have more FM Radio stations in our place, our startegy might change! As far as I remember, only 'mudhal mariyaathai' was advertised with songs in AIR regularly. There could be few others too..
  
  Well, like Ravi, who digressed to something else n the topic itself, I also was carried away and was digressed frm wht I wanted say! So some time later...hopefully! ;-)
  
  
• From: no jalra (@ ) on: Fri Nov 23 00:59:06 EST 2001
  
  'kasi' audio releasing tomorrow.
  and raaja is composing music for a new film called 'music'.
  
  

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