INTERVIEW: We have fantastic strategies to market gospel films across the nation- Marketer

Christian films in Nigeria as known is not receiving proper marketing. Many film marketers in the country usually reject christian films due to one reason or the other. Very few companies collect gospel films for distribution, but the table seems turning as a new marketing outfit, GMLink start operation purposely to matket gospel films and musics. In an interview with Gospel Film News publisher,Oluwafemi Dosu, the head of GMLink, Dayo David disclosed the starategies they have put on ground to market gospel films across the nation. Excerpt:

Can we meet you sir?

My name is Dayo David

What’s GMLlink about.

GMLink means Godis Media Link. It’s the marketing arm of THE MYSTERY OF THE WORD DRAMA MINISTRY (MYWODRAM).  MYWODRAM is strictly ministry while GMLINK is strictly business.

What’s the Gospel films and songs marketing all about?

I’ve been to many secular movie marketers to market my film, but their responses are not always easy encouraging. They want to see their star faces in the film. Well too bad, we don’t use their actors, we have our own great actors too. I know many of us face this same problem. We have great films but lack the strategy to get it to the consumers. It’s done on me, why can’t we market our films ourselves? Why can’t we have marketers who will sponsor Christian productions? Somebody needs to start a great vision, though we have some of us in the line already but too few. And the returns are not that encouraging. So, GMLink is established to carry Christian films and songs to every nooks & crannies of the earth with branches and workers worldwide.

What are your strategies of marketing?

We are not only marketing gospel films and songs, we are also solving the problem of poverty and joblessness in the country. We are employing marketers who are to create awareness about Christian films in our neighborhoods and sell or deliver to potential customers doorstep. We will also establish our marketers in different towns or areas. Ones you are a trusted marketer after watching you for a period of time, we set you up in your area with a film marketing outlet. You then employ marketers in your area, replicating what we do in the main office. It continues like that till gospel films are easily accessed anywhere in the world. Mind you, we are very much aware that VCD or DVD watching is fading gradually. We are working on how to have online sales of our films. Soon, GMLink too won’t be collecting CDs but soft copies of films and songs. Working on that.

What’s the proceedure for bringing in films or songs for marketing?

To bring film, make sure you have a well packaged and attractive finished product. Bring it to our office. There we collect your company details after spelling out our terms and conditions to you.

What’s the financial implications for film or song marketing through your marketing platform?

You give us your films at a bit cheaper than wholesale price because we sell in wholesale too. From the sales, we get our commission. And we advise our potential producers should take it calm with profit. There’s this believe that Christian films are costly. I want to correct that notion too. We expect our producers to think like Igbo when it comes to this area. Little gain and sell fast.

In what form do you expect the film or song to be before you can accept it?

Well packaged and attractive jackets. With posters and 30s to 50 seconds advert bcos we are pushing the advert online too.

Is it a must that whoever want to market the film or song appear in person to submit?

You can send anybody to submit your films after you have done the first appearance yourself or someone who knows all about your production.

From your laid down plan how many people /state will each film reach on the average.

We are still a baby growing, but from this scratch, 3 states Lagos, Ogun and Oyo… We are looking for a contact in Abuja already

What’s your take on marketing of gospel films and songs in Nigeria?

Well, i think it’s not easy to market Christian films but I tell you it’s easy. I have done one man marketing before in Mile12 around 2008 to 2009 before I secured managerial job with CHRISTOLINE then and that made me handed by store over to someone who never understand the vision. Thank God I’m going back to it. It was lucrative then, I know it will be more lucrative now because I know my customers and how to get them buy my product. Watch out for God’s grace in GMLink marketing House.

Thanks.