Tag: Viacom 18

Take out masses from media, and you will have no media left’, says 21st Century Fox president Uday Shankar

MUMBAI: "You cannot take out mass from 'mass media', because then there will be no media left", said Uday Shankar, President of 21st Century Fox and former chairman and CEO of Star India at "TV Ka Dum", a daylong conclave organized by India TV in Mumbai, attended by top Bollywood and TV stars, last weekend.

Participating in a panel debate with Raj Nayak, COO of Viacom-18 and N. P. Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures Networks, Uday Shankar said: "Television shows are made to get ratings, because the viewers are the ultimate arbiters. TV shows are not made for private viewing. Whether TV shows, newspapers or films, unless the masses read or watch them, you cannot judge their popularity."

Uday Shankar added: "Ratings are only the output to judge the content that is produced. Ratings is the sum of how many number of people watched a particular show. No astrologer can predict the ratings of a show. Producers are interested only in what viewers would like to watch or know, whether it is horror, comedy or love story."

On the issue of why more and more TV shows based on superstition and horror are being produced, Uday Shankar replied: "There are serious TV shows too, like Satyamev Jayate, but to cater to a nation of 125 crore people, you cannot have a single size boot. One has to make shows according to the size of the foot of different types of people."

"TV networks have a broad spectrum of shows that include entertainment, and shows which are serious and some light. which the viewer can enjoy. When a person returns home tired after daylong work, and sits with his family to watch TV, he or she needs entertainment. You can't go on hectoring him or her all day with speeches. Give some time to speeches and some to entertainment, in the language which he or she can understand and accept.

"If a car or bicycle manufacturer can want more and more people to buy vehicles, then why not a TV producer can want more and more people to watch the show. There is nothing wrong in it. "

"Some vested interests, including some politicians, do not like to watch certain TV shows. My answer is: if the people of our country have become more conscious and they are asking questions from those in power, it is not because of consciousness spread by the political class. TV programmes, whether entertainment or news, have spread awareness among the people."

Viacom-18 COO Raj Nayak said: "My question is why do those who raise objections watch TV programmes that are negative? If some TV shows get good numbers it is because they are in demand. But one should also know that people watch shows like Satyamev Jayate, Balika Vadhu, Shakti (on transgenders), Udaan (on bonded labour). These shows entertain and also try to bring about social changes.

Nayak said: "The Star Plus show Saathiya was on women empowerment, and shows like these educate people. Shows are made to care to different tastes of viewers. If more people watch the TV show Naagin, let me say, television did not create Naagin. Already there were four Bollywood films on Naagin.

Nayak added: "Television and cinema reflect what is happening in society, they reflect what people want. Whenever we launch a new show, we never look at the TRP. No channel makes shows after watching TRPs. Shows are made only when there is good content. TRP is only a byproduct. Of course, at the end of day, the channels want TRPs because, after all, we have to run our company."

N.P. Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures Networks, said: "I agree that television is an important medium for creating social impact. Our shows did create a positive impact on society. Kaun Banega Crorepati is a very powerful and successful format, and its success was a given. It is a vehicle to create a positive and social change impact.

"We showcased stories of small town people whose work inspire others. That is why we decided that we will show the life journey of KBC participants so that it can inspire viewers."

Asked by hosts Maniesh Paul and Charul Malik as to why TV shows are pulled off the air abruptly by GEC networks, Uday Shankar replied: " It's natural that when viewers do not like a show, it is pulled off the air. What can we do? We are not running an autocratic regime where shows will continue to run by government diktat, even if viewers like it or not. Here you have to respect the wishes of the people. For us, shows are a commercial enterprise. If viewers do not watch the show, how can we sell it (to advertisers)?

February 7, 2019
Future will belong to those who can create compelling content: Raj Nayak

GOA: He’s known as the risk taker who has never been afraid to experiment. After thirty years in the media industry out of which a whopping 26 years have been dedicated to the TV broadcast sector, exiting Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak is grateful to the media business for where he finds himself in life at the moment. Speaking at Indiantelevision.com’s Video and Broadband Summit 2018 in a freewheeling chat, Nayak revisited key chapters of his journey, his best memories at Viacom18, and commented on the nature of today’s media industry and its future.

In a fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, Nayak in his usual witty and cheerful demeanour captivated the audience with insights and learning from his stellar career. The media maven described his rollercoaster ride from Star TV to NDTV and then the shift into entrepreneurship to finally settling into the corporate world of Viacom18 as exciting.

Answering Wanvari’s question about his evolution as a professional, Nayak shared how exciting it was to join satellite television from print media back in the 90s. He considers himself lucky to be at the right place at the right time. However, joining the TV industry then was considered a wasted opportunity until the satellite boom, he added.

He further went on to say that the future will belong to those who can create content that is compelling because the challenge on the distribution front will eventually disappear. So, everybody will find a way to get their product out but there will be a taker at the end of the pipe only if it is compelling.

The experienced professional said broadcasters got so used to making same patterned shows at Rs 8-10 lakh budget that it took Amazon and Netflix to come to change that habit. The quality of content has to go up now, he feels.

According to him, linear TV has to change its style of narration and content. He cited the example of how ratings and viewership for individual shows are going witnessing a decline despite the increase in overall viewership. However, he is quick to add that the change is happening faster.

“Content cost is going up, it’s not going down, it’s going up across broadcasters. I know of a broadcaster who tried to change that by restricting producers’ budgets but they lasted for not more than six months and now they are spending money more than ever,” Nayak said.

The admirer of “Subhash ji” (Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra) while talking about distribution repeats what Chandra said 20 years ago that if the content is king then distribution is God.

While his seven and a half years at Viacom18 comprised of several landmark moments, he shared the ones closest to his heart with the audience. Nayak spoke about 24 which was a trendsetting show, Naagin and changing the time slot of Bigg Boss to 10.30 pm as defining moments of his tenure.

“One of the things I was very happy to do and had the freedom and opportunity to do is a variety of content. We are the only channel in India who did so, where nobody expected to do we did the recordings of Yuvraj Singh when he was in cancer and Zindagi Abhi Baaki Hai,” he added.

“Whatever I have achieved is because of this industry. If you don’t give back to the industry that has given you so much, I think you are doing a disservice,” the passionate veteran commented. He also named Star’s Uday Shankar and ZEEL’s Punit Goenka as leaders who he admires.

Nayak says he draws motivation from the media industry and how it has evolved, given birth to so many entrepreneurs, created millions of jobs and helped individuals build glorious careers. The entry of Facebook and YouTube has made the system more democratic creating more opportunities, Nayak believes. Although, the absence of a common industry voice upsets him.

“I can guarantee no one of you has watched more than three per cent of Netflix content yet you subscribe. House of Cards changed the trajectory of the game for the streaming service. Sacred Games increased the subscribers. All you need is 2-3 golden nuggets and that’s enough to change the whole dynamics of your business,” Nayak said.

Sharing his vision for the industry in the next five years, he is certain that OTT will go big. But he also adds that from an ad sales model, monetisation will be a challenge so companies need to promote the SVoD model. Nayak also feels that TV will also continue to grow as big screen experience is never going to lose its charm. TV will turn into a box with Facebook, Google and everything available on it, Nayak predicted.

December 3, 2018
VBS 2018: Media & entertainment industry leaders address pressing issues on Day 1

GOA: Rapid advance in technology and infrastructure, entry of disruptive forces and changes in consumption habits have led the Indian media and entertainment industry to major conversion. The interesting developments are attracting international players to invest in the market, with traditional domestic players adopting new strategies for growth. Where the industry is heading in the next few years is something everyone wants to know.

To seek answers for several concerning questions, Indiantelevision.com brought together industry doyens on the first day of the Video and Broadband Summit. The conference dedicated to industry issues has been supported by esteemed broadcasters, technology companies as well industry bodies. All the speakers agreed that the VBS platform is the perfect stage to discuss relevant issues as well as to gain new insights while sharing their experience.

Indiantelevision.com founder and CEO Anil Wanvari set the tone for the day with his welcome speech. He spoke about how demonetisation and GST put pressure on business in last couple of years. He also highlighted how the burgeoning OTT industry is throwing new challenges to traditional TV, cable and DTH operators along with the new tariff order that is likely to reshape the trajectory of the sector. He also added how a disruptive force like Jio FTTH is fueling the transformation.

The first session moderated by Anil Wanvari was about the future of digital delivery platforms where Tata Sky chief content officer Arun Unni, PwC India partner Raman Kalra and One Take Media founder and CEO Anil Khera participated. As the influence of video and broadband has become unmistakable now, Tata Sky recently rolled out a broadband service. While he was asked about how it stands out, Unni said customer centric nature of the business makes their service different. While broadband and telco players are throwing a challenge for distribution, Khera thinks India still has potential for DTH and cable growth owing to almost 90 mn households still unpenetrated by TV. Kalra said while pay-TV and OTT platforms will stay together, there will be a constant battle among players to stay relevant to consumers with proper content.

In a fireside chat with Anil Wanvari, COAI director general Rajan Mathews spoke about various issues in the telecom industry. He said consumer choices are changing rapidly today, hence the model which is working at present, may get disrupted in future. He also spoke about the high cost of utilizing satellites in the country despite them being produced and launched at very low cost. Talking about 5G, he said it will take a while to be rolled out and added that it would be focusing on education, health, traffic management, smart cities and agriculture.

Anil Khera who has now ventured into the value-added service space after spending considerable time in the DTH industry, explained the importance of this vertical and how DTH players are utilizing it.

Another engaging session where audience also took an active part in the discussion, was about monetising TV in times of transition. ZEEL chief growth officer Ashish Sehgal, KMPG India media and entertainment partner and head Girish Menon and TAM India CEO LV Krishnan spoke on the issue. “Only thing TV can't do is engagement which digital platforms allow but you cannot build your brand without TV,” Sehgal made a very important comment.

The eventful day ended with a fireside chat between Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak and Anil Wanvari. Nayak shared glimpses of his inspirational journey in the industry and Viacom18 where he was the brainchild of several successful endeavors. Talking about the future, he said it will belong to those who can create content which is compelling. Moreover, he also said content cost is not going down but it's going up across broadcasters. Giving the example of Netflix’s change of fortune with House of Cards, he added that for changing the trajectory of the business, delivering two-three golden nuggets every year are enough.

For more insights stay tuned for the updates from the second day of video and broadband summit 2018!

November 29, 2018
Viacom 18 adds ThinkAnalytics personalized multi-language recommendations to VOOT

Pay-TV and OTT content discovery and viewer analytics vendor ThinkAnalytics™ today announced that Viacom18 in India has gone live with ThinkAnalytics on the ad-funded OTT service VOOT. VOOT’s 37 million monthly active users now have personalized recommendations in seven languages on the home screen, making it quicker and easier to find content they want to watch.

Viacom18 has also deployed the ThinkComposer UX engine and ThinkEditorial, integrated with the ThinkAnalytics Recommendations Engine, enabling its editorial team to automate and streamline content curation and promotions to better meet KPIs and business goals.

The ad-funded VOOT service offers over 50,000 hours of original, domestic and international content for free. Content includes: COLORS TV, MTV India, Nickelodeon India, a wide range of Bollywood movies, and VOOT Original shows.

The ThinkAnalytics Recommendation Engine uses machine learning and predictive analytics to understand individual viewer preferences and broader viewing trends in real-time and suggests new content, personalized to each viewer. As a result, operators see a substantial uplift in viewer engagement and loyalty.

Mohit Srivastava, Head – Product and Engineering, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, said, “When we saw the data showing how much ThinkAnalytics boosts viewer engagement, we knew it was the right service for VOOT and for our viewers. Having ThinkAnalytics intelligent search and personalized recommendations on the main UI makes it easy for viewers to discover more exciting programs from the wealth of content available on VOOT.”

Peter Docherty, Founder and CTO, ThinkAnalytics added, “ By adding ThinkAnalytics personalized recommendations to the VOOT home screen, Viacom18 is once again staying ahead of the innovation curve and offering its large and loyal customer base the ability to find suitable content fast. This represents the very best in personalized entertainment on a significant scale.”

For over 15 years ThinkAnalytics has grown to become the leader in content discovery and viewer lifecycle management. By applying advanced machine learning technology and analytics to content discovery, editorial curation, ThinkAnalytics increases viewer satisfaction, boosts engagement across all TV and video content platforms and increases operator ARPU. Viewers’ interests and previous viewing behaviour are analyzed using advanced AI and machine learning techniques to help them find new content they want to watch quickly and easily.

About Viacom18

Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India’s fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of TV18, which owns 51%, and Viacom Inc., with a 49% stake, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema.

About ThinkAnalytics

ThinkAnalytics’ flagship solution is the ThinkAnalytics Emmy® award-winning Content Discovery Platform, the most widely deployed real-time, personalized content and recommendations engine worldwide. More recently, the company has broadened its reach with ThinkInsight, the industry’s first Viewer and Video Insight Platform built specifically to meet the needs of TV operators. ThinkInsight incorporates the ThinkAnalytics Content Discovery Engine, ThinkBigData, ThinkCpmposer UX engine, ThinkEditorial and ThinkVoice marketing suite of products. It gives TV players a holistic view of their business, with full viewer lifecycle management enabling them to better address key industry KPIs that will help to boost loyalty, ARPU, customer experience and develop new revenue streams.

The company’s customer base of over 80 video service providers serves more than 250 million subscribers worldwide. Customers include: Liberty Global, BBC, Proximus, Cox, Rogers, Sky, Swisscom, Astro, Singtel, TataSky, Viacom18 and Vodafone. The ThinkAnalytics Content Discovery Engine now serves over 3 billion recommendations per day and is available as a cloud service or on premise.

ThinkAnalytics is a private, employee-owned company with offices in UK, USA, Singapore and India.

September 17, 2018
Mayank Dayal joins SPN’s sports side

MUMBAI: Mayank Dayal has joined Sony Pictures Networks India as associate vice president, where he is responsible for handling the sports cluster’s marketing and communications strategies as well as overall branding and imagery. He also handles the annual marketing plans, creating a calendar of campaigns and events, setting the marketing budget and analysing the market and competitors. Dayal replaces Murtuza Madraswala who quit the organisation in April this year.

Previously, Dayal was working with Viacom18 as director, marketing of kids’ cluster. He joined the organisation on December 2012 and worked for more than nine years and held several positions. Before handling kids cluster, he was director marketing – Comedy Central and Vh1. Prior to that he was senior manager marketing for more than four years and before that, he worked with the organisation as manager – marketing.

Dayal started his career with Linterland Rural as an executive trainee and also worked with Star India for more than seven years. Before joining Viacom18, he was working with Star India as an assistant manager. In the past, he has also worked with Bharat Petroleum and served the organisation for four months as a trainee in marketing.

Also reads:

Viacom18 celebrations: Mukesh Ambani sets the roadmap for next 10 years

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to telecast the India Tour of Ireland 2018 live and exclusive on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3 channels

July 1, 2018

Exclusive political debate with Chief Minister creates huge media buzz at Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards 2018

Mumbai: Lokmat, Maharashtra’s and Pune’s Number 1 newspaper, hosted the 5th edition of its highest platform of recognition – ‘UPL presents Lokmat Maharashtrian of the year Awards 2018 powered by Money Trade Coin Group. This initiative by Lokmat honored the most exceptional work done by individuals in their respective sectors. Power packed with eminent political bigwigs, it witnessed 1st time Shri Devendra Fadnavis in an explosive interview with Mr. Sanjay Raut, Executive Editor, Dainik Saamna. The event with 360 degree marketing is one of the sought after and well attended events in Mumbai which boasts of 70 nominees, 17 winners, 15 jury members, 4500 audience backed by 1st of its kind unique content in the presence of people as Piyush Goyal, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ravi Shastri, Shreya Ghoshal amongst others. The event got a multimedia presence amplified in print, digital, outdoor, PR and TV. The awards received an overall 360 degree media reach of 150 MN and online voting of 2.2 MN. #MaharashtrianoftheYear was trending for 24hrs with a reach of 20 MN on Twitter. The event was executed by Taplight.

Winners of 2018 –

Sr. No.	Category	Winner
1	Maharashtra Bhushan	Piyush Goyal
2	Power Icon	Kareena Kapoor
3	Social Influencer	Akshay Kumar
4	Maharashtracha Abhimaan	Ravi Shastri
5	Lifetime Achievement	Dr. D. Y. Patil
6	Social Service	Dinkar Kamble
7	Social Service	Shantilal Muttha
8	Sports	Aakanksha Hagawane
9	Theatre (Male)	Chandrakant Kulkarni
10	Theatre (Female)	Rutuja Bagwe
11	Film (Male)	Sumeet Raghavan
12	Film (Female)	Sonali Kulkarni
13	Film (Female)	Sumitra Bhave
14	Performing Arts	Shreya Ghoshal
15	Medical	Dr. Milind Kirtane
16	Business	Rahul Dhoot
17	IAS – Promising	G. Sreekanth
18	IPS – Promising	Abhinav Deshmukh
19	Powerful Politician	Dhananjay Munde
20	Powerful Politician	Poonam Mahajan
21	CSR	Procter & Gamble

Esteemed jury for the 2018 award ceremony included Mr. Prakash Javdekar (Union Minister), Shri Prithviraj Chauhan (Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra), Padma Shri Dr. Abhay Bang renowned social worker, Dr. Rajendra Bhadwe (Oncologist), Mr. Vikram Shroff (Executive Director, UPL), Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar (Former MP, Economist & Ex-Vice Chancellor), Mr. Prasoon Joshi (Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification), Mr. Raj Nayak (CEO Colors-Viacom 18), Mr. Anu Malik (Music Director), Mr. Ajay-Atul (Music Director-Composer), Mr. Rahul Joshi (Group Editor, Network 18), Ms. Nivedita Saraf (Marathi Actress), Mr. Ravi Jadhav (Film Director) Mr. Ayaz Memon (Sports Journalist) and Mr. Vijay Darda, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (1998-2016) & Chairman – Lokmat Media Group).

Founder of LMOTY – Mr. Rishi Darda, Joint Managing & Editorial Director, Lokmat Media Group said, “Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards is a true testament of the dedication and sheer hard work of people who emerge winners due to their contribution in that area. With a huge round of expectation from our readers and partners, this event brings people from sports, lifestyle, cinema and politics on one platform bringing out the best in each one of them through candid conversations. The interview of Shri Devendra Fadnavis, prior to elections, has been one of the most viral videos from the event and has taken the social media by storm. Content and great engagement with readers is something that Lokmat stands for. ”

“I am extremely delighted that we have honored the eminent personalities who are drivers of change in Maharashtra through Maharashtrian of the year. The awards are a testimony of the positive impact made by individuals to promote Maharashtra on the national and global platform and from UPL we are happy to be part of this uniquely prestigious property that involves great level of public voting as well as a jury shortlist process. Apart from print of Lokmat, the property is amplified in other media and through noteworthy alliances which gives us a widespread visibility.” said Mr. Jai Shroff, Global CEO, UPL – Presenting Sponsor.

Partners of the event were – Presenting partner – UPL, powered by Money Trade Coin Group, investment partner – IIFL, realty partner – Sai Estate Consultant, jewelry partner – Goodwin, outdoor partner – Bright Outdoor, associate partner – New India Assurance, intellectual partner – Crossword, radio partner – 92.7Big FM, mobility partner – Ola and TV news partner – ABP News and ABP Majha. The TV partners of the event – ABP News and ABP Majha telecasted a special episode on April 15th to show the highlights of the event for a larger TV audience.

April 23, 2018

Rahul Sarangi – Greymatter Entertainment @ Mip Formats

Mumbai, April 6, 2018: Co-founder & Director, Rahul Sarangi is the First Indian invited to be on the panel of Spot the Talent (Formats) @ MIP Formats – 7th April & 8th April 2018 at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres de Cannes in Cannes, France. Rahul will be a panelist amongst renowned industry experts like Matt Steiner, MD, Primal Media, UK; Assaf Gil, CEO, Gill Formats, Israel; Roy Aalderink, Concept Street, Germany, David Flynn, Co-Founder, Youngest Media, UK; Meredith Chambers, MD, Electric Ray, Sony Pictures, USA; Ed Waller, ED, C21Media, UK.

MIPFormats is the incubator for big ideas, the next wave of must-see formats. Taking place two days before MIPTV, MIPFormats is where the world’s leading producers, commissioners, buyers and distributors discover the very best in entertainment formats.

Spot the talent – Indies Around The World – A platform to discover exciting formats that have just been commissioned (or are about to be) in this special spotlight, featuring independent format creators and producers from around the world.

About US

Greymatter Entertainment is a young media company that offers 360 degree media solutions. We produce LIVE sports, TV shows, digital content and focus on IPR creation. One of the few Indian companies to have sold original formats globally. Our energetic core team brings to the table over 60 years of corporate experience with companies like IMG, TWI, Sony Entertainment Television, MTV, Ten Sports & Viacom 18. With significant knowledge and experience of having produced shows all over the world, we thrive on pushing the evelope!

Rahul Sarangi, Co-Founder & Director, Greymatter Entertainment

Rahul has nearly a decade’s experience as a television professional. He has worked for top-of the-line media brands like Synergy and Contiloe in production and Colors and MTV Networks India. Rahul has been associated with shows like Roadies – India’s no.1 youth reality show, Fame Gurukul, Bluffmaster, Splitsvilla, MTV On the Job, MTV Style Awards, Music Awards Asia and many more.

Apart from producing shows, Rahul also directs live events and has directed international events like the Shakira Concert, Roger Waters Live, the Standard Chartered Marathons, IIFA Celebrity Cricket Live, IPL Funfeed – Live on Youtube and Horse Racing among others.

April 20, 2018
Hailed as indian media’s highest creative honour, Promaxbda awards celebrate

MUMBAI: PromaxBDA, the leading international association that honours excellence in marketing, design and promotions kicked off the 2018 awards by announcing Memory Makers as this year’s theme.

PromaxBDA, Country Head (India, Hong Kong and Phillipines), Rajika Mittra said, “This year’s theme Memory Makers is dedicated to our audience, the content creators and their journey to create traces of intangible consciousness around them. Technology evolves every minute but ideas and creativity remain ours, and we are the architects that build and shape the memories of our audiences.”

Speaking about this year’s theme, Promax India Conference Chair and COO Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd., Mr Raj Nayak said, “As content creators we are constantly challenged as Television has morphed into a multitude of portable devices. The future’s technological trends remain unpredictable and endless possibilities may unfold. But we create content that that will be remembered down the road and not fade with time. We are not a sausage machine, we are the memory makers.”

PromaxBDA has always been at the forefront of innovation and therefore last year, it rolled out new categories including Best Branded Content Promotion and Best Online/VOD Service Promo.

While PromaxBDA Awards 2018 is yet to announce its speakers, the line- up promises to host the Global Television and Digital industry’s top brass. Like each year, this time PromaxBDA India conference will push the envelope by being the only ones to bring creative professionals together to discuss future trends and challenges facing the Television and Broadcast Industry. In addition to the conference, the awards will felicitate different professionals and organizations across segments through a wide range of categories.

PromaxBDA represents more than 10000 companies and promotion and marketing professionals at almost every major media organization.

Rajika Mittra, in speaking about the contribution PromaxBDA has made to the industry said, “Each year, we keep building the Promax community through experiences and engagement. We are proud to say that the dedicated workshops/boot camps that we started 2 years ago have helped develop and produce fantastic work from companies.

This year, we hope to bring in more disrupters who’ve changed the rules of the game across platforms.”

PromaxBDA India 2018 is inviting entries for all categories.

February 27, 2018
Voot sets its sights on regional & premium ad-free content

MUMBAI: It’s time for Voot to woot because the 18-month old digital venture from the Viacom18 stable witnessed four fold the growth in video streaming in November.

According to App Annie’s November report, Voot is at third position with 7.5 billion minutes of total time spent. The top two slots were taken by Hotstar and Jio TV. For 2018, Voot’s focus is on original and regional content with Tamil in focus. Kannada, Marathi and Bengali are also on the radar. “We will create originals and also dub content into other regional languages,” says Voot COO Gaurav Gandhi.

The first quarter of 2018 is dedicated to regionalisation while the next three months are dedicated to international expansion catering to the global Indian diaspora. Simultaneously, the second quarter will see Voot’s focus shift to premium ad-free content such as original series and movies. Gandhi says that there are 30 million Indians living overseas and the expansion will be to the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Indonesia, etc.

The year also has something for kids with 30 new shows. There will be 20 shows in six languages that is a part of Voot’s aggressive ‘going regional’ plan. Last year it won the innovation award for content distribution for its progressive web app (PWA) at the International Broadcasting Convention 2017. This year, it wants to make video available offline on its PWA.

Voot is getting a makeover with a new logo, refreshed packaging and a brand film that shows Voot as the ultimate entertainment destination. Says Voot head – marketing and partnerships Akash Banerji: “To connect with the audience, we need to connect with them on a thought level. #WHYNOT is not just an expression or a phrase, it is a belief system, a philosophy and a mindset that Voot as a brand aims to foster and encourage in this country.”

The new brand campaign for Voot, created by Mullen Lintas, is designed to gratify the dynamic media consumption patterns of a new age user, seeking entertainment on their own terms.

Mullen Lintas national creative director Shriram Iyer says that the campaign is about people who, unhappy with current content choices, moved to Voot. He says, “The idea of any new technology is to question the status quo. And Voot’s new campaign is all about that. The current campaign is about them and their question to the world ‘Why not’.”

Voot, as a part of both AVOD and SVOD model, has bagged 175 advertisers and 350 brands trust in the year 2017. Gandhi says that this year advertisers have excitedly taken part in participating in various digital offerings, which eventually increases the revenue of content providers.

Refering to the highlights of the year 2017, Gandhi says that Voot has gained 32 million monthly active users, six million plus daily active users, and 50 minutes time spent per viewer per day. Its daily time spent has taken it to the second position after Netflix, according to App Annie report. Colors’ flagship show Bigg Boss has given Voot 550 million views till date and 60 minutes average time spent per viewer per day. Even a show like Splitsvilla, which has male viewership of 52 per cent, got 150 million views.

Voot has grown exponentially during the year by banking 10 original serious in the account till date. The next step is to break the regional barrier.

Also read:

Our work culture fosters leaders: Viacom18’s Sudhanshu Vats

Bigg Boss Season 11 garnered 70 mn views on Voot in 10 days

Voot originals’ strategy of disruptive shows unfolds with ‘Yo Ke Hua Bro’ from 18 Aug

December 21, 2017
Want Colors Infinity viewers to experience the brand: Viacom18’s D’Souza

MUMBAI: Indian audiences are refining their taste for content, giving rise to several niche genres. The best way for a niche channel can make itself visible through the clutter is by creating an impactful brand image.

Launched two years ago, Viacom18’s niche English entertainment channel, Colors Infinity, promised a range of exciting never-before-seen shows for die-hard Indian viewers of American and British TV series. Some of its best shows include Arrow, Orange is the New Black, iZombie, America’s Next Top Model, Humans and Fargo.

In an exclusive interview with indiantelevision.com, Viacom18’s English entertainment marketing head Sabrina D’Souza shares insights on the challenges of marketing a niche channel to the country’s youth and how the channel stays at the top of its game.

How have your marketing initiatives helped the channel so far?

Through our campaigns and brand initiatives, we have always focused on building brands and not just TV channels. Colors Infinity has successfully carved a place for itself in the competitive English entertainment landscape, thanks to a groundbreaking launch campaign, innovative show campaigns and relevant initiatives consistently through the year. We are confident of maintaining our distinction with many more forward-thinking campaigns and initiatives.

How has your messaging evolved since the launch in 2015?

The launch campaign of Colors Infinity was focussed on driving awareness and creating a favourable position in the viewers’ mind. Over the last two years, Colors Infinity has proven its pedigree with class-leading international and original content. We are tapping into new markets and expanding our viewership base, as English entertainment becomes more widely accepted in India. Thus, we are evolving from driving awareness to enhancing engagement, to enable our consumers to experience our brand. Our increasing direct engagement makes shows more memorable in an otherwise cluttered environment.

What are the key points to consider while forming marketing plans?

The primary objective of our marketing plans is to expand the viewership and target group in our priority markets, guided by research. Beyond the basics, we innovate to build a favourable perception and positioning for the brand in our consumers’ mind.

Whom does your initiative target – existing viewers or new ones? Who are the new audiences and how do you target them?

Our initiatives are targeted at our existing viewers as well as potential viewers. Since the English language is increasingly becoming mainstream in India, we believe that there will be growing demand for English entertainment in the following years. We expect more youngsters to take to international shows going forward, due to their access to the internet and social media. Hence, we are actively exploring many youth connect initiatives to stay in sync with our consumers.

Do marketing efforts on some shows add more value?

While the campaign’s contribution to the overall brand image of the channel is a crucial factor, this also depends on our prevailing business priorities.

What are the marketing campaigns undertaken to promote The Stage S3?

With the launch campaign, we set with the challenging task of drawing new viewers and simultaneously excite the fans with this year’s talent repertoire. The marketing campaign has managed to successfully stimulate viewership by mounting a holistic multi-media campaign spanning over 20 cities, with a combination of above the line and below the line methods.

Which medium works the best? Which location or demographic is your focus?

Each media in our marketing mix serves a specific purpose. We do not evaluate media choices in isolation but assess the cumulative campaign effect. While we are constantly pushing our boundaries to include more viewers, currently the demographic focus is to consolidate our position in 15-40 age group of socioeconomic classes A and B in metros.

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November 17, 2017