Bookmyshow.com gives Facebook users some Faltoo Flicks

BigTree Entertainment, the company that launched the online movie and events ticketing portal, BookMyShow.com, has launched an interactive application on social media site Facebook.

The application, called Faltoo Flicks, was launched in a beta testing phase last week. Facebook members can add it to their profile page. Faltoo Flicks lets users choose from a bagful of what may be termed B-grade movies, encompassing action, horror, drama, romance and comedy, and send a virtual ticket for the movie to a friend on Facebook. The concept is to share movies such as Bichhoo, Bhookha Sher and Adi Manav and have a laugh with friends. The application is created and designed by the digital agency, Webchutney.

Hemrajani expects about 10,000 active users on the application within a month’s time. In the beta stage, the application has garnered 500 active users.

Sidharth Dhandha, business head, emerging platforms, Webchutney, says, “The basic idea was to capitalise on the six lakh users on Facebook in India and help BookMyShow get more eyeballs. It’s a fun application of a viral nature.”

Webchutney created an iGoogle (Google’s personalised home page) and Google Desktop widget for BookMyShow a fortnight ago. The widget can be added to the iGoogle home page for updates on the latest movies and shows running in India and to buy tickets for them.

Elaborating on the opportunity in branded applications on social media sites, Hemrajani says, “The beauty of such applications is that they automatically snowball and do not require marketing. It is not very effective to go and talk about these applications. It’s best that users discover them and engage with them on their own.”

Many branded applications have flocked to Facebook after May 2007, when the Facebook platform was opened for third party developers to build and serve their own applications. Recently, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) website launched a Facebook application called SeenThis?, which lets users share interesting news stories, including those on WSJ.

MakeMyTrip.com, the online travel portal, also launched its own application, Kat Le (again created by Webchutney), which allows Facebook users to send their favourite and not so favourite friends on virtual trips to Goa or even to Kala Paani (exile)! The Kat Le application is used by 2,000-3,000 people daily on an average, claims Dhandha.

Most branded applications are built by companies to create an impression about the brand and do not have any transactional angle to them. They facilitate the brand building exercise and can create a buzz about the brand. If applications are interactive enough, users tend to share it with their friends, making it a pure opt-in viral marketing medium.