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Tag: Simran Hoon

  • Ex-Google exec Mohit Jagtiani launches branded content firm NEXT NARRATIVE with Simran Hoon

    Ex-Google exec Mohit Jagtiani launches branded content firm NEXT NARRATIVE with Simran Hoon

    Mumbai: With the increasing media clutter in the digital space, consumers have more media choices than ever. In such a competitive environment, it is vital for brands, creators and platforms, to keep their narrative fresh. Next Narrative is the new age Media Company that is committed to doing so by helping creators scale their reach and grow revenue while driving business outcomes for brands. Helmed by Mohit Jagtiani, award-winning brand storyteller, ex-Google (YouTube) and Viacom18, in partnership with Simran Hoon, ex-QYOU Media and Viacom18, the branded content company aims at solving these brand objectives with relevant and compelling long and short form branded content and IPs.

    Next Narrative touches on the ABCs of Digital Storytelling:

    1   Audience: Next Narrative understands consumer preferences and motivations, and aims to help brands as well as creators connect with them meaningfully.

    2   Brands: It serves brands seeking meaningful connections through storytelling.

    3   Creators: It aims to support authentic creators with a passion for crafting emotional narratives.

    Next Narrative founder and CEO Mohit Jagtiani said, “There are too many brands vying for the same audience. This has inadvertently led to an obsession with performance marketing and immediate outcomes. Very few are focussing on building brand loyalty. Next Narrative believes that in today’s cluttered environment, a compelling attraction to a brand, brand loyalty and consistent business outcomes has to be created with the right story, the right content and the right creator(s). With the 3Cs of creator, content and commerce converging, I could not have asked for a better time to take the entrepreneurial leap and add the 4th C of connection with Next Narrative.”

    About partnering with another industry veteran, Simran Hoon, Mohit added, “They say when you start on your own, you should tag team with someone who can complement your strengths and vision. I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with Simran who is also my ex-colleague from my time at Viacom18.”

    Next Narrative partner Simran Hoon added, “Storytelling has always been in my DNA. While working at Viacom18 together, Mohit and I experienced first-hand the impact of the right story, in the right hands, told to the right audience. With our industry knowledge and the right partnerships, we always knew we wanted to create something creative and drive impact. I have had a rewarding career spanning 30+ years working with the broadcast media in its golden age and with the digital media which is today a tour de force. What remains unchanged across the years and types of media is the ability of tell great stories to solve brand challenges. ”

    Whatever the medium- episodic series, creator collaboration campaigns or podcasts-Next Narrative aims to focus on building brand loyalty. Under Mohit and Simran’s leadership, the company will drive results for brands by developing compelling content. Today, creators are media powerhouses with loyal communities. Next Narrative aims to partner with these influencers and creators- niche, big and small, who can authentically bring brand stories to life. 

  • Simran Hoon steps down as QYOU Media India CEO

    Simran Hoon steps down as QYOU Media India CEO

    Mumbai: QYOU Media India CEO Simran Hoon has decided to move on from her current role at the company. During her tenure, Hoon’s leadership as the company’s maiden CEO has been instrumental in scaling the company to new heights and spearheading its expansion. Her strategic insights and unwavering commitment have guided the growth for QYOU Media India into a dynamic brand that resonates with its audiences. Hoon’s guidance has played a significant role in shaping QYOU Media India as a brand known for its creativity, innovation, and forward-thinking approach in the media and entertainment landscape.

    Simran Hoon took the helm as CEO in 2021 and in a very short span of time, expanded QYOU Media India’s footprint across linear and digital business with the launch of channels and apps. She also oversaw the strategic acquisition of key media assets, forging partnerships that allowed QYOU Media India to reach new audiences and diversify its offerings.

    Speaking on the development, QYOU Media CEO and co-founder Curt Marvis said, “The Board of Directors and I want to thank Simran for all of her determined efforts and accomplishments on behalf of QYOU Media in India. During her time with us we have furthered the foundation and scale of our business across the board and we wish her the best in all of her new endeavors.”

    Looking back at her journey at QYOU Media India, Simran Hoon said, “It has been an incredible journey leading this company along with a team of talented professionals who are truly committed to pushing the boundaries of media and entertainment. I am grateful for this opportunity and shall cherish the learnings in leading India’s youngest and fastest-growing media and entertainment company.”

  • QYOU Media India’s Q TV launches new original series ‘Viral Hua Re’, deploys an AI anchor

    QYOU Media India’s Q TV launches new original series ‘Viral Hua Re’, deploys an AI anchor

    Mumbai: Recognising the burgeoning need for innovative and compelling content, QYOU Media India’s leading Hindi general entertainment channel, Q TV, continues to successfully strike a chord with its audiences. Further bolstering its ‘Zara Hatke’ proposition, Q TV, in a first-of-its-kind initiative, they announced a new original series, ‘Viral Hua Re’, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that launched on 20 August 2023.

    In a pioneering move that unleashes a completely new approach to content creation, ‘Viral Hua Re’ aims to transport the ubiquitous mobile phone experience of scrolling through multiple short format videos, onto the living room television set, through an engaging and hilarious lineup of short videos. Led by a sassy animated AI anchor, ‘Viral Bhabhi’ with her witty one-liners and anecdotes, the show features viral videos sourced from social platforms spanning various sub-genres including comedy, pranks, gags, falls and fails. Combining creativity with cutting-edge technology, the channel aims to revolutionize the way audiences engage with content with the introduction of an AI anchor.

    Speaking on the launch, QYOU Media India CEO Simran Hoon said, “At QYOU Media India, we have always been at the forefront of delivering exceptional and wholesome entertainment to our viewers. We believe in the power of innovation and thus the introduction of the new AI-driven show adds a revolutionary dimension to our programming. ‘Viral Hua Re’ exemplifies our commitment to curating content that resonates with our cherished viewers. With the launch of the new AI-driven show, we remain steadfast towards harnessing the power of technology to redefine entertainment experiences. We look forward to embracing the future of television, where creativity meets technology and storytelling transcends conventional narratives.”

    QYOU Media India senior VP – programming & strategy Ashutosh Barve further added, “At Q TV, we believe in pushing the boundaries of entertainment, and our new show reflects that commitment. The unconventional ‘Viral Hua Re’ truly embodies the spirit of being ‘Zara Hatke.’ In a first-of-its-kind initiative, with the AI anchor-driven show, we aim to take our viewers on an exciting journey of entertainment that challenges conventions and sparks creativity. The show is unique and operates at the cusp of user-generated content, and will surely capture the hearts of our viewers. We look forward to innovating and creating more such content that connects and resonates with our loyal viewer base while attracting new viewers to the channel.”

    Q TV’s latest content line-up underscores its commitment to embracing user-generated content and harnessing the power of AI to deliver fresh and captivating entertainment to viewers across India. 

  • Q Marathi announces its new show ‘Q Marathi YouthFull Mahakarandak’

    Q Marathi announces its new show ‘Q Marathi YouthFull Mahakarandak’

    Mumbai : QYOU Media India’s channel Q Marathi has announced first-of-its-kind non-fiction programming initiative Q Marathi YouthFull Mahakarandak.

    Mumbai: The maiden non-fiction offering will showcase more than 25 handpicked One Act Plays popularly known as Ekankika. Q Marathi YouthFull Mahakarandak will premiere on 7 October and air daily at 7:30 p.m.

    The show is presented by Veet and co-presented by Lizol and Garnier along with the short-format app Chingari as a digital partner.

    In Maharashtra, theatre is a popular storytelling format, and this post-pandemic initiative is designed to encourage and provide a platform for emerging talent to present entertaining, relevant, and thought-provoking plays.

    Q Marathi conducted city-wise judging and screening of the semi-final rounds across key cities of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Aurangabad to bring the best of the plays and received a tremendous response of over 70+ entries across young theatre groups of multiple colleges and independent theatre groups. The handpicked plays will be judged by eminent marathi veteran actor Dr Girish Oak; Director, Writer, and Actor Chandrakant Kulkarni and renowned Marathi actress Aditi Sarangdhar, allowing the youth of Maharashtra to present their stories.

    Q Marathi will present awards in categories such as Best Ekankika, Best Actor Female and Male, Best Writer, Director, Light, Set Design, and Music to promote these Ekankikas and encourage young talent.

    Furthermore, to increase viewer engagement, the channel has launched ‘watch & vote,’ which will award one of the finalist’s plays as the ‘viewers’ choice winner.’

    Speaking on the launch of ‘Q Marathi YouthFull Mahakarandak’, QYOU Media India’s CEO Simran Hoon said, “At Q Marathi, we have always innovated to launch new and meaningful ways of entertaining and engaging our viewers. Theatre takes one back to their culture and the Marathi theatre industry is rich in culture and storytelling. Through our first non-fiction show, Q Marathi YouthFull Mahakarandak, we aim to empower the real storytellers and the youth creators of Maharashtra by creating a platform that sets benchmarks and captures the ethos and love for dramatics at its best. We are very happy to have already earned Veet as the presenting partner on this initiative along with Lizol and Garnier as co-presenting partners. True to our unique approach to engaging brands, this show will offer an integrated solution for advertisers to target youth on multiple platforms, be it television, digital, radio, on-ground, and curated branded content to leverage the power of upcoming digital creators in the Marathi space.”

    Q Marathi business head Neeta Thakare, said, “At Q Marathi, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to connect with our audiences across interesting and engaging initiatives. The launch of Q Marathi’s first non-fiction show, Q Marathi YouthFull Mahakarandak provides an opportunity and platform to the young creator economy, making it a notable value-driven property. Staying true to our core DNA, we are delighted to rope in Chingari as our digital partner for this show, as we look forward to leveraging the might of digital creators to further amplify and promote this initiative to take it to a wider base of youth audiences. With this launch, we are hopeful to create new benchmarks in entertaining and engaging our existing viewers as well as captivating new audiences.”

  • Weekend Unwind with: QYOU Media’s chief executive officer Simran Hoon

    Weekend Unwind with: QYOU Media’s chief executive officer Simran Hoon

    Mumbai: In this week’s edition of ‘weekend unwind series’, we have QYOU Media chief executive officer Simran Hoon opening up her heart and mind to us, by sharing her nuggets on life and mantras to deal with the curveballs that life throws.

    Hoon leads one of the fastest-growing general entertainment networks and leverages her experience & insights to provide strategic direction to create new opportunities for the company as well as drive organisational growth. During her career, she has been associated with well-known media companies including Viacom18, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Star India, Sony Entertainment Television & Times of India group. Hoon has two and a half decades experience in the media industry and is one of the youngest women in a senior C-level leadership role in India.

    The lesser-known facets of her life include being a proud pet mom and member of pet & animal shelter forums. She is also a keen traveller and sportsperson with an interest in marathon-running & horse-riding. 

    Let us hear it from her: 

    -Your mantra for life
    Be grateful for all that you have.

    -A book you are currently reading/plan to read
    ’48 Laws of Power’ by Robert Greene.

    -Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic
    Yoga and walks with my dog.

    -Your comfort food
    Rajma chawal.

    -When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going
    There is a God up there, watching over.

    -Your guilty pleasure
    Jalebi.

    -When was the last time you tried something new?
    Like most lockdown first-time chefs, I made my first dal ever and was pleasantly surprised!

    -A life lesson you learnt the hard way
    Never judge a book by its cover.

    -What gets you excited about life?
    The next travel plan.

    .-What’s on top of your bucket list?
    A trip to Japan.

    -If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
    Don’t be tough on yourself, life has its plans chalked out for you.

    -One thing you would most like to change about the world
    Fake people with big egos.

    -An activity that keeps you motivated / charged during tough times
    Music and meditation.

    -What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
    A cup of chai with close ones.

    -Your go-to stress buster
    My dog!

  • QYOU Media forays into regional market with Q Marathi

    QYOU Media forays into regional market with Q Marathi

    Mumbai: In a bid to expand into the regional market, QYOU media is all set to launch a family-oriented Marathi GEC ‘Q Marathi’ on 15 March. In line with the network’s core DNA, the new free-to-air Marathi channel will curate to showcase a mix of content from leading Marathi digital creators on national television.

    “Q Marathi will serve fresh, unique and original-to-TV content to the FTA universe across genres including comedy, animation, drama, and more,” said the media company in a statement. “It will also innovate and curate to bring local influencers on TV, thus deepening synergies with the creator economy and generating opportunities for digital talent on television,” it added.

    Speaking on strengthening the networks offering in India with the launch of Q Marathi, QYOU Media CEO Simran Hoon said, “The Marathi market and audience is among the most evolved ones in India and is an attractive market to be a part of, especially for a young network brand like QYOU Media that is willing to experiment, innovate, and take risks.”

    “Our unique storytelling, programming and content strategy have set benchmarks in the industry. Q Marathi is a reflection and an extension of our DNA; it is our effort to bridge the existing content gap and provide viewers with a fresh and new consumption experience. We are sure the channel will have an immediate connect with viewers,” added Hoon.

    “Q Marathi is designed to redefine Marathi GEC Entertainment and usher in a ‘New Era’ in television. The channel has a robust programming line-up with content cutting across multiple genres like comedy, drama, romance, horror that young Maharashtra will connect with,” said Q Marathi channel head Neeta Thakare. “The channel will engage with leading digital influencers and create opportunities for them on mainstream television.  It is our endeavour to deliver a young fresh dynamic bouquet of truly disruptive and path-breaking content for our discerning Marathi viewers while building Q Marathi as a destination for wholesome family entertainment.”

    Q Marathi will be available across leading cable and DTH operators.

  • The Q’s maiden short film festival ‘Ek Dastaan Aisi Bhi’ premieres 21 Feb

    The Q’s maiden short film festival ‘Ek Dastaan Aisi Bhi’ premieres 21 Feb

    Mumbai: Hindi GEC The Q has announced its maiden short film festival ‘Ek Dastaan Aisi Bhi’ on national television. Spread across seven days, the event will showcase nine critically acclaimed Hindi short films across genres, themes and subjects from 21 to 28 February at 8:30 p.m. 

    The initiative will showcase one short film with a unique narrative on weekdays, followed by a ‘Weekend Bonanza’ of two back-to-back films on 26 and 27 February.

    The nine titles include “Aapka Amitabh,” “Rishtey,” “Kesar,” “Le’vish,” “The Guide,” “You Changed Me,” “Kashi,” “Lunch Stories,” and “The Last Order.” “Aapka Amitabh” and “You Changed Me” have won global acclaim at leading film festivals, said the channel in a statement.

    “The Q’s journey over the last year has been about excitement and innovation. Having received so much love and appreciation from our viewers across India, we firmly believe the onus rests upon us to ensure they are provided with content that is relatable in its true sense while fostering a culture of appointment viewing on the channel,” said QYOU Media CEO Simran Hoon. “‘Ek Dastaan Aisi Bhi’ echoes our proposition to offer our viewers ‘Hatke Digital Creations’ which are Original-To-TV-content. It is also one of the many firsts for The Q as well as the Hindi GEC category. We look forward to rewarding our viewers through constant innovation while cementing our leadership in the FTA universe.”

    “We kickstarted 2022 with a distinct yet poignant strategy with the launch of ‘Hasi Ka HAHAkaar’- a first-of-its-kind show on TV. ‘Ek Dastaan Aisi Bhi’ is an extension of this strategy that targets viewers from rural and urban markets,” commented QYOU Media COO Krishna Menon. “The nine short films that we have acquired as a part of this programming line-up are simple and yet meaningful and are sure to create intrigue. All these films are socially and personally relevant thus helping us develop a deeper relationship with our viewers. We will continue to invest efforts and energies in a bid to attract more viewers across all platforms while expanding our presence and reach.”

  • QYOU Media to launch The Q Marathi on 31 January 2022

    QYOU Media to launch The Q Marathi on 31 January 2022

    Mumbai: QYOU Media has announced that it will launch its second channel in India The Q Marathi on 31 January 2022. The new channel will join The Q India, the company’s Hindi language general entertainment channel.

    The Q Marathi will target a native Marathi audience of over 84 million people. It will focus on the young Indian demographic among Marathi speakers. Content and programming will tap into the world of social video and feature content from Marathi digital creators and social media stars, said the media company in a statement.

    “We could not be more excited about the opportunities ahead for a new version of our Q style programming and formats to reach the Marathi speaking masses in India,” said The Q India CEO Simran Hoon. “This is among the most sought-after language groups for advertisers in India and we expect our current ad partners to quickly join the party on The Q Marathi. Non-Indians often do not realize that the number of native Marathi speakers in India is comprised of more people than the largest countries in Europe! This is a very large market that we will pursue aggressively across all TV, digital, mobile and app-based outlets that currently carry The Q Hindi language channel.”

    The company conducted extensive research to identify the Marathi audience as the leading target to begin to expand its channel offerings. Maharashtra, the principal region for Marathi speakers, has a vibrant youth culture with distinct content consumption. The Q Marathi will connect the best premium digital content with these youth across TV, OTT, mobile and apps. Pre-marketing of the channel will commence in early January of 2022 in advance of the launch at the end of the month.

    “Our goal in India continues to be the creation of a multi-pronged media company that is anchored in the world of social video and driven by the young creators and consumers who engage with this new content daily,” said QYOU Media CEO and co-founder Curt Marvis. “This requires creating and launching a variety of products and platforms to expose us to the widest possible audience and ultimately maximize our revenue generation and brand exposure.  The Q Marathi is a strong move for us to kick off 2022 and followers of QYOU Media can expect us to continue this trend throughout the upcoming year.”

  • The Q unveils first brand campaign ‘Sabse Alag, Sabke Liye’

    The Q unveils first brand campaign ‘Sabse Alag, Sabke Liye’

    Mumbai: Hindi General Entertainment channel The Q has launched its maiden brand campaign titled ‘Sabse Alag, Sabke Liye.’ The integrated marketing push is aimed at deepening awareness, increasing reach, and driving inclusivity for the channel while strengthening its ‘Zara Hatke’ proposition as it embarks on to the next phase of growth.

    Actor Ravi Dubey has been roped in as the face of the campaign to leverage his popularity among existing and new viewers, especially in the hinterland.

    The campaign comprises two brand films conceptualised and executed by Mumbai-based integrated communications agency Blitzkrieg. Currently on air on The Q, the ad films will be extensively promoted beyond the network as well. The films are complemented by a catchy brand song that will be promoted strongly in key markets through radio and music apps.

    Besides the on-air promotion, the campaign will be amplified on digital, social media, print, and radio. In addition to targeting consumers, it will also address stakeholders and advertisers by showcasing the channel’s promise, strength and wide variety of offerings. said the channel in a statement.

    In a bid to keep viewers engaged following the brand campaign launch, The Q will run a ‘Watch & Win’ contest titled ‘The Q Dekho Sona Jeeto.’ Specifically timed around year-end, the contest will be integrated into the channel’s prime time to give the viewers an opportunity to win gold, daily.

    “2021 has been exciting and rewarding for us at The Q. We have not simply brought the best of digital on to television, but have also given digital talent an opportunity to be on television,” said The Q CEO Simran Hoon. “We have partnered with platform and creators to offer content that keeps our viewers engaged and entertained while building a robust library of content cutting across genres. Our storytelling style has created a distinct position for us in the industry and this helps us win over not just new viewers but also advertisers. Our latest campaign ‘Sabse Alag, Sabke Liye’ reinforces our commitment to our viewers to provide differentiated content while we embark on our next phase of growth in a ‘Hatke’ style.”

    “’Sabse Alag, Sabke Liye’ is well integrated and is sure to strike a chord with viewers. It is an ode to our existing viewers, thanking them for their constant support and a warm welcome to new viewers encouraging them to be a part of our growing family,” stated The Q COO Krishna Menon. “Ravi Dubey’s popularity is equally commendable in rural and urban markets and by leveraging it we are certain of attracting a new set of viewers to The Q. Our Watch and Win contest are also designed to drive engagement while offering viewers a chance to win gold.”

  • OACT 2021: Bringing the digital ecosystem to linear TV

    OACT 2021: Bringing the digital ecosystem to linear TV

    Mumbai: “We see linear TV more like virtual linear TV because it is so easy to plug and play and join the digital ecosystem,” said The Q India, chief executive officer Simran Hoon at the OTT Advertising and Connected TV Summit 2021’ organised virtually this year. “Today, delivery is not important, remarks Hoon, everything is platform agnostic.”

    Technologies like free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) have become ubiquitous in the North American market with players like Pluto, Roku, and Samsung+ seeing their revenues double year on year. The FAST industry revenues grew from $2.1 billion to $4.2 billion in a year and the trend is happening in India as well where connected TV users are at 5-7 million growing fast to touch 40 million in 2025, according to a report by E&Y.

    Hoon is a media professional with 27 years of experience in ad sales with some of the biggest TV networks including Sony, Star, Zee, and Viacom18. She joined most of these media companies when they were at the launch phase and has worked across functions in the broadcast media industry. Now, she is leading the Hindi general entertainment channel The Q in India.

    Speaking at the two-day event organised by Indiantelevision.com, and co-powered by mediasmart, an Affle company and summit partner – The Q, Hoon shared her views on ‘Driving new synergies between linear TV and digital ecosystem.

    The Q India is pioneering unique TV initiatives by driving synergies with the digital ecosystem. The channel recently announced a syndication deal with the OTT platform MX Player to bring their popular web series “Aashram” to TV viewers. The channel had earlier partnered with short video platform Chingari to hold the auditions for its crime series “Crime Aur Kanoon”.

    Bringing “Aashram” to TV required the broadcaster to convert nine one-hour episodes into 18-episode length series after editing the content to make it more appropriate for TV audiences, said Hoon. The channel is also in talks to bring another OTT series to TV in November and “Aashram 2” in December.

    Its main proposition has been to bring the best of digital content to TV. According to Hoon, there is a vast young free audience on TV that has been migrating to digital because they are not being served on TV. The soap opera fare that is broadcast by traditional free-to-air channels is not catching the fancy of these audiences where the mean age is 28 years old. The Q India brought youth media creators, starting from content creators and influencers on YouTube, and amplified their reach by bringing their content to the TV.

    “A YouTube creator with 10-12 million audience reach, can be exposed to a whole new audience on TV. That’s the biggest kick for influencers and the value proposition of The Q,” noted Hoon.

    Last year, the channel was rated by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India and crossed the 45 GRP mark over a span of 19 weeks.

    “The Q reaches to Tier II, III young family audiences that are watching the channel’s content across platforms, whether it be connected TV, OTT, or linear TV,” said Hoon. “We are available in 100 million homes, but there are still 210 million TV households to go. 70 million households are yet to buy a TV. Even though India is a smartphone market, today there are smart TVs that are selling cheaper than smartphones. We want to be omnipresent because we believe great content pulls viewers and hence advertisers, creating a virtuous cycle.”

    The channel is available on DTH providers like Tata Sky and D2H and also on the big Cable operators such as GTPL Hathway. It has partnered with connected TV manufacturers such as Samsung TV+ and Mi India. According to Hoon, the channel is available on 700 personal machines.

    The Q India is a part of the North American media company QYOU Media that was co-founded by Curt Marvis and Sunder Aaron. The company has also roped in TV veteran Andy Kaplan to be chairman of The Q India. It has three big verticals – its broadcast channel, an influencer marketing company Chtrbox, and its distribution arm.

    “Chtrbox is one of the largest influencer marketing companies in India with 3.50 lakh influencers in its network. We have started doing integrated sales, where brands also look at influencers and their YouTube channels when buying advertising on The Q India TV channel. Chtrbox uses AI to match the brand and the influencer depending on the region or target audience the brand is looking at,” explained Hoon.

    This is much harder to do than it seems, from a technology perspective, maintained Hoon. The channel is still experimenting with this approach and expects to see giant strides being made in this space in the next six to nine months. “Today, it is so easy to be digitally connected to your TV. The opportunity to be more targeted and programmatic on virtual TV will drive more advertising dollars compared to linear TV,” said Hoon.