Mumbai: As we bid farewell to 2023, various companies are looking back at their journey this year. Amongst them, OML Entertainment stands tall, not just as one of the market leaders but as a profitable entity with a turnover exceeding 300 crores. From influencer marketing prowess to a rich legacy in artist management, OML’s two-decade journey unfolds with tales of global acclaim for talents like Zakir Khan, Janice Sequeria, and Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju. At the forefront of this evolution are interconnected verticals like Hypothesis, GCN, and 1862, weaving a narrative of innovation and success.
Indiantelevision.com in conversation with OML Entertainment COO Tusharr Kumar spoke on their key USPs, their different approach in artist management, their journey in 2023, resolutions for 2024, and more…
Edited Excerpts:
On the journey of OML Entertainment since its establishment, and its key USPs
Over the last 22 odd years, OML has been at the forefront of building and impacting POP culture in India.
Our story began with managing independent music artists. We were one of the first to recognise a shift towards online consumption in the music scene and capitalise on it to challenge the traditional model where musicians had to rely only on record labels. We also gave India its first real music festival with the Bacardi NH7 Weekender establishing our live experiences business – going on to produce some of the biggest live experiences in India in India. Over time, OML expanded our artist roster beyond musicians to diverse genres like comedy, writing, directing, and more, alongside building unique IPs to enable different live and content platforms for our talent
In our journey to multiple media & entertainment businesses and over 300 crores revenue in F23, some key USPs that have helped us see this tremendous growth
Artists at the core: We’ve always thought artist first and this has helped us build some of the most amazing live experiences like the Bacardi NH7 Weekender, produce the first Indian YouTube FanFest, create award winning shows like the Dewarist and Comicstaan.
Power of digital: We’ve believed in the power of digital distribution since we started working with artists and have always recommended digital as a way to grow audiences. Whether 15 years ago it was recommending our artists to start giving away their music on YouTube to grow their community or building the largest slate of Indian comedy specials on OTT platforms
The OML group ecosystem today spans business verticals across OTT content, artist management, three branded digital agency businesses and a martech product suite.
On OML Entertainment approaching artist management differently in today’s ever-evolving entertainment landscape, and this approach contributing to the continued success and relevance of the talent under its representation
One key differentiator is OML’s early engagement with artists. While managers generally sign artists at a later stage, OML gets involved early in their journeys and plays a crucial role in shaping their journey, expanding their fan base, and guiding their career trajectories from the outset. It also provides its artists with greater financial and artistic control – encouraging them to concentrate on their craft. Our proactive artist-first approach underscores OML’s commitment to keeping artists at the core of its business.
The collaborative process between OML and its artists aims to bridge the gap between artistic vision and the resources needed for success. This is further demonstrated by the development of Hypothesis, a platform to help businesses and creators manage and optimize in the fast-paced and evolving influencer marketing space. It reflects OML’s dedication to staying on top of industry trends and contributing significantly helping brands and businesses succeed.
On OML Entertainment leveraging technology to stay at the forefront of the entertainment industry
OML recognised the synergy between brand awareness and audience connection, driven by social media proliferation and the vast number of active influencers globally. To capitalise on this and streamline the process of identifying the right creators aligned with brands, it strategically introduced its flagship technology, Hypothesis. Hypothesis is a comprehensive end-to-end solution to address the challenges of the creator economy and revolutionise it. The technology has further evolved with its latest cutting-edge feature, DiscoveryOS, designed to facilitate unparalleled brand collaborations, content creation, and genuine audience interaction.
As an industry pioneer, OML intends to push the boundaries of influencer marketing by embracing new-age technology. With Hypothesis, it envisions a future that sets new standards for brands and creators to coexist and grow together.
On Hypothesis distinguishing and partnering with individuals who not only cut through the noise but also genuinely connect with their audience, ensuring impactful collaborations for brands
To navigate social media where so many people now are creating great content and reaching unique audiences, Hypothesis utilises advanced analytics and algorithms beyond mere follower count. It considers audience engagement metrics, including likes, comments, shares, and overall engagement rates. This cutting-edge platform offers a data-backed approach to influencer discovery, ensuring brand safety and authenticity. Brands identify trending and upcoming influencers based on their growth rate, previous brand collaborations or audience affinity, fostering impactful and result-driven marketing campaigns.
The platform also goes beyond quantitative measures to focus on qualitative aspects of content. It assesses the content by potential influencers to ensure it aligns with a brand’s values and target audience and resonates with the brand’s messaging and goals. This enables brands to nurture meaningful and impactful collaborations in the ever-evolving landscape of social media influence.
On OML Entertainment’s journey in 2023 and the key milestones or special moments that it captured this year
In a nutshell, 2023 was an exciting and eventful year for OML Entertainment and we were able to achieve milestones in various areas. It’s very difficult to list everything we’ve done but some great moments for us include:
- Dr Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju starring in the two shows: Made in Heaven Season 2 and Rainbow Rishta Season 1
- Dolly Singh attended the Cannes Film Festival 2023
- Our digital agency business Global Creator Network (GCN) has grown to become one of the leading digital agency businesses in India in just two years
- 1862, our branded content and influencer marketing vertical of OML Entertainment which is active in 22 countries, forayed into first North American with our first every campaign for the launch of Santa Teresa Rum
- Half Pant Full Pants, an Amazon web-series produced by OML Studios won multiple awards at ITA Awards 2023.
- Zakir Khan performed Mannpasand at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall, making him the first Asian Comedian to Perform at Royal Albert Hall, London. Zakir Khan also won 2 awards at ITA Awards 2023 for for ‘Tathastu’ and ‘Farzi Mushaira’
- Larissa D’Sa won the Travel Creator of the year award at The Myntra Glammys Powered by Grazia.
- We launched Hypothesis – our influencer marketing and analytics martech tool
On OML Entertainment’s forecast and resolutions for 2024
We will continue to drive the pop culture narrative for fans and consumers working together with our artists and brands partners. Our resolution is to keep the world entertained, our clients at the core, artists at the centre – all while making sure we’re doing cool things that make all of us at OML happy and proud!
