Media research companies dealing with data and analytics have found acceptance in entertainment industry. Beyond media research, they can also do image consulting and audience research. These agencies must take a holistic view of the impact of various media, say social media, TV, Outdoor, You Tube etc. The impact is collective impact of the marketing effort. Media should not be isolated to measure the impact.

These media research agencies in entertain field have developed various tools for content testing, e.g. Ormax Media has developed Ormax Moviescope, Ormax Stream Test and Ormax True Value. Ormax has tested more than 1000 pieces of content by now. Still the market is untapped, since less than 10 per cent of South Indian films or shows are being tested. The number should rise to 25 per cent in the next 2-3 years.

The content should stand out in the crowd. More than 80 per cent of films and shows do not have any impact on the market. At an early stage, contest testing is done for the synopsis, or screenplay. At a later stage, it is done for post-shoot product. We gain insights on decisions such as greenlighting a script, casting, screenplay rewriting, edit changes, reshoots etc. Test research generates useful data to position the product to optimize the returns.

Cinema is an out-of-home medium. OTT is a personal consumption medium. These two can co-exist. At times, they fuel each other. Good content can fuel interest in both the mediums. At times, the product that does well in one medium may be a flop in the other medium. The audience behaviour of both the media must be studied.

In-theatre advertising is good since you get the captive audience, with high attention span and engagement.

The theatres must provide the socio-economic profile of their audiences. The exhibitors must think on these lines.