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News 07/11/2025

How Zoho Books Reached India’s Small Business Owners Through Movie Advertising?

Writen by Tanisha Dalmia

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Zoho Marketing
Imagine entering a crowded multiplex in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 city in India. During the movie break, a sharp 30-second commercial plays on the big screen as the lights go down. It’s a transparent invitation to use Zoho Books to streamline your company’s finances, not only for amusement. This is just what Zoho aimed to accomplish, and with One Advertising’s innovative assistance, they transformed movie screens into effective conversion tools.

Challenge

Accessing the Core of the Indian Small and Medium Enterprise Ecosystem
Famous for its extensive collection of cloud-based apps, Zoho sought to market its main accounting program, Zoho Books, to a wide range of small and medium-sized company owners (SMBs). 
They have a clear objective:
 
  • Raise Zoho Books’ brand awareness in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
  • Encourage them to download apps and join up for free trials.
  • Make Zoho the preferred, cutting-edge accounting solution for professionals, freelancers, and business owners handling their money.
Reaching this portion presented particular difficulties, though. SMB owners are frequently dispersed over several geographies, time-pressed, and busy. Print and radio were examples of traditional advertising methods that lacked the necessary visual punch and immediacy. 
Despite their effectiveness, digital advertisements frequently lacked the high-recall and local impact of movie theatre advertising.
In order to engage, educate, and convert in a highly focused, memorable manner, Zoho required a solution.

 

Strategy: Making Cinema the Business Hub

Following thorough preparation, One Advertising and Zoho’s marketing team created a six-month movie advertising campaign that would:
 
  • Focus on Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in India.
  • Utilise more than 250 screens at well-known multiplex networks, such as Cinepolis, INOX, and PVR.
  • Present Zoho Books as a cutting-edge, user-friendly money management solution.

Innovative Method: Concise, Unambiguous, and Action-focused Communications

The advertisements were positioned before popular movie showtimes and were created as 30-second videos. 
The emphasis was on:
The message is straightforward: “Powerful Software for Your Business.”
Visual Clarity
Illustrating how simple digital account management is.
QR codes and brief URLs that encourage users to download the app or register for a free trial are known as call-to-actions.
In sleek, user-friendly packaging, the creative highlighted how Zoho Books could save time, reduce errors, and help entrepreneurs grow.
 

 

The Investment: Cost-effective Local Advertising

The chain, screen size, location, and films screened all affect how much it costs to advertise at a movie theatre. For this campaign, a 10-second slideshow cost INR 103,332.60 to advertise on 30 screens for a week.
The total expenditure for the two-week campaign was around INR 206,665.20.
But what impact does that have on reach? To evaluate this, One Advertising made the following assumptions:
60% is the average occupancy rate. Every day, four shows are shown on each screen. 6,758 seats are available on all screens.
 

Campaign Execution: Measurably Impactful, Reaching Millions

Coverage & Duration
Total Campaign Duration: 24 weeks, or 6 months 
Geographic Focus
Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. There are more than 250 screens spread among the PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis multiplexes.
 

How It Worked?

Audience Reach
An estimated 3.8 million viewers over the campaign time 
Engagement Tools
QR codes on the screen that drive viewers directly to download sites or free trials.
Frequency
Multiple ad slots per day during prime movie hours
This strategy took advantage of the high visibility and immersive environment of films, making sure the message reached entrepreneurs and small company owners when they were having fun and relaxing, when they were most responsive.
 

Outcomes: Converting Viewers into Clients

At the campaign’s conclusion, Zoho Books had accomplished certain noteworthy milestones:
 
  • More than 75,000 new app downloads and registrations, a notable increase in user growth.
  • A total of 1.3 million viewers were exposed to the campaign.
  • Target audiences increased brand recall as determined by post-campaign surveys, showing a greater level of familiarity and favourable identification with Zoho as a cutting-edge business solution.
 

Concrete Results

 
This campaign is an excellent illustration of how smart, customised advertising in high-traffic, high-impact environments may provide quantifiable results for marketers aiming to reach urban teens. Being present where your audience spends their leisure time can help you leave a lasting impression when they are most receptive.
Using the power of movie theatre advertising, Mother Dairy boosted store traffic and enhanced brand awareness in Bangalore’s competitive beverage market.

 

Why Choose Only One Advertising?

More people signed up for free trials, and a lot of people scanned QR codes during advertisements, which resulted in signups.
More app downloads, this campaign successfully translated widespread exposure into quantifiable online activity.
Business impact, long-term subscription conversions resulted from the adoption of Zoho Books by several SMB owners for their accounting needs.
 

Why Zoho's Cinema Advertising Was So Successful?

Highly Targeted Reach
Millions of entrepreneurs and SMB owners were directly contacted in their free time by the campaign.
High Recall & Engagement
The succinct, visually striking advertisements left a lasting impression, which was bolstered by an obvious call to action.
Cost-Effective
Compared to other media, the cost per impression was substantially cheaper due to its wide reach over more than 250 screens.
Real-Time Tracking & Conversion
Zoho was able to assess ROI and track engagement with the use of QR codes and digital links.
Key Takeaway
Brand awareness may be converted into actual business growth through effective localised outreach.
An excellent illustration of how creative advertising, when done well, can bridge the gap between brand awareness and direct customer action is Zoho’s movie campaign. 
It proved that even software solutions, which are sometimes thought of as complicated, can profit from an easy-to-understand, visually appealing, and accessible advertising strategy.
 

What Makes One Advertising a Good Partner?

Our philosophy at One Advertising is to create distinctive, impactful campaigns that bring businesses closer to their audiences. We create plans that meet your objectives and financial constraints, whether they involve internet marketing, outdoor media, or movie advertising.
Are you prepared to turn your brand into a local sensation? Together, let’s design a campaign that resonates and yields quantifiable outcomes.
Get in touch with us at info@oneadvertising.in, and together, let’s make your idea a reality!
 

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