Shemaroo's digital evolution: OTT, telecom, and marketing insights

Shemaroo's digital evolution: OTT, telecom, and marketing insights

The conglomerate has continuously adapted to technological advancements.

Saurabh Srivastava, Anuja Trivedi

Mumbai: Shemaroo Entertainment has emerged as a trailblazer, seamlessly navigating the realms of broadcast, OTT and FTA platforms. With a rich legacy spanning decades, Shemaroo has continuously adapted to technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences, cementing its position as a leader in the industry.

Last month, the conglomerate took a significant leap in its expansion in the global telco, ISP (Internet Service Provider), and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) landscape by collaborating with four international telecom operators to extend its OTT platform, ShemarooMe.

In this move, partnerships with Zain, STC, and Mobily in Saudi Arabia, along with Vodafone in Qatar, facilitated by DCB (Direct Carrier Billing) partners, 3A net and one97 communications, showcase Shemaroo's commitment to delivering diverse entertainment experiences worldwide.

Furthermore, effective marketing strategies are essential for capturing audience attention and driving user engagement. For broadcast platforms, Shemaroo adopts a multi-faceted approach, utilizing traditional advertising channels such as television, print, and outdoor media to create awareness and generate buzz around its content offerings. Strategic partnerships with broadcasters and syndication agreements further amplify the reach of Shemaroo's content, ensuring maximum visibility among viewers.

On the other hand, marketing strategies for OTT platforms focus on leveraging digital channels to target specific audience segments. Through targeted online advertising, social media engagement, and influencer partnerships, Shemaroo effectively promotes its OTT offerings, driving subscriptions and maximizing viewer retention.

Indiantelevision.com caught up with Shemaroo Entertainment - Digital Business COO Saurabh Srivastava along with CMO Anuja Trivedi. Srivastava explained in depth about the plans for OTT app-ShemarooMe, telecom business expansion and YouTube channels milestones whereas Trivedi emphasised on Shemaroo’s marketing plans for broadcast & OTT platforms.

Edited excerpts

Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd COO- Digital Business Saurabh Srivastava

We are focused on increasing regional content offerings on our OTT platform, ShemarooMe, considering cost rationalization and improved evaluation metrics to achieve sustainable growth. We are actively investing in content and marketing, exploring opportunities in both SVOD and AVOD subscription models. Looking ahead, we aim to enhance user experience through personalization.

Expanding our telecom business, our goal is to provide entertainment across borders. By the year’s end, we aim to reach around 29 telecom providers across Southeast Asia, SAARC, and the MENA region, providing high-quality content to meet diverse viewer preferences.

Through our YouTube channels, Shemaroo Entertainment engages millions of fans daily by offering diverse content. With the two YouTube channels surpassing 50million subscribers and a cumulative base of over 138 million subscribers across all channels, we see a substantial audience there. We're optimistic about our digital platforms' future and through our content strategy and offerings, we remain committed to providing high-quality entertainment to our audiences across the globe.”

Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd. CMO Anuja Trivedi

Our marketing strategy at Shemaroo Entertainment for both broadcast and OTT platform revolves around building awareness and fostering engagement while showcasing our unique offerings. With our OTT platform, ShemarooMe and broadcast channels- Shemaroo Umang, Shemaroo TV, Shemaroo MarathiBana and Chumbak TV, we aim to directly cater to our audience's preferences.

Recognizing the immense potential in the Gujarati market, we are proud to position ShemarooMe as the premiere Gujarati-first platform. This emphasis is a crucial aspect of our marketing efforts.

Our past campaigns have focused on building our brand and establishing a strong presence in the industry. And with our recent collaborations like partnering with Balaji Telefilms for the new show ‘ChaahengeTumheItnaa’ on Shemaroo Umang and our extensive collection of Gujarati movies on ShemarooMe, we are poised for further growth.

We understand the impact of influencers and AI in content marketing and have implemented the same in our campaigns. Recent initiatives like for the promotion of the movie ‘Shubh Yatra,’ an AI-generated news reporter was created who describes the protagonist’s journey and collaborations with relevant influencers for our other projects on ShemarooMe have been successful.

Our marketing approach for all our brands emphasizes building awareness first, followed by consideration, to maximize our impact in the market.