South India-based production house Geetha Arts has partnered with KWAN, an entertainment and marketing company, to form Artist Alliance – an entertainment marketing firm focused on south Indian cinema. Artist Alliance will replicate KWAN's business model in southern cinema, working in the areas of celebrity management, movie marketing, in-film placements, casting, television and event sponsorships.
The clients managed by Artist Alliance include Suriya, Ram Charan Teja, Allu Arjun, Simbu, Tamannaah Bhatia, Shruti Haasan and Kajal Aggarwal. The management of the careers of a few more Bollywood celebrities for their work in south India is also said to be in the pipeline.
Speaking about the joint venture, Anirban Das Blah, managing director, KWAN, said, “Markets like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are large enough as economies to be among the top 75 countries in the world on a standalone basis. They also have a distinct cultural and linguistic identity that doesn't adhere to the one-size-fits-all approach that most brands follow." Stating that the housewife in Madurai is different from the housewife in Bareily, he added, "Brands are starting to appreciate this fact and demanding localised, high-impact solutions. Artist Alliance and our partnership with Geetha Arts allows brands to reach to consumers across the fast growing markets in the South more effectively than ever before."
Allu Sirish, president, Geetha Arts, reiterated, “South Indians are one of the most avid and intense consumers of entertainment. Despite that, because of the unorganized functioning of the industry, the brand endorsement market is nowhere close to capping its best potential. Artist Alliance is here to help brands and marketers navigate through this new space." He felt the other problem was that beyond the top couple of towns in each state, people don’t watch Bollywood content. "It’s essential to connect with consumers on an intrinsic level by speaking their language, knowing their customs etc. Since the present market is going to grow multiple folds in the coming years, Artist Alliance is the first and largest player in this space,” said Sirish.
