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SMG India wins Gold at the 5th edition of I-Com global summit 2014
MUMBAI: Starcom MediaVest Group has been awarded the prestigious I-Com Data Creativity Award for their media analytics work on Axis Bank in India. I-Com received more than 80 award submissions from various agencies across the globe and ten shortlists were invited to the Global Summit in Seville for the final round. SMG India was represented at the 5th I-COM Global Summit 2014 by Aarti Bharadwaj, VP, SMG India Data &Analytics.
“This win is a milestone for the analytics practice within SMG,” said Malli CR, CEO, SMG India.“SMG India has emerged as a center for product development and thought leadership in analytics that is then scaled across the globe. The India team has executed complex marketing analytics projects for SMG offices in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia.”
SMG India is focused on digital, content and analytics at the core of what it offers to its clients with a belief that precision marketing, scaled content and innovation fueled by real time data and analytics are central to the future of the industry.
SMG’s pioneering work in this area provides a possible measurement system that helps brands evaluate all media, traditional and offline using the same metrics. This addresses a major gap in the media industry: marketers are familiar and comfortable with the measurement metrics of traditional media using GRPs, reach and frequency. Digital, as a medium, is highly measured, and with a great level of accuracy. However, the measurement metrics of digital are not comparable with the metrics of traditional media making the comparison of efficiency metrics across media highly challenging.
SMG’s winning work with Axis Bank used advanced attribution modeling techniques to derive a framework that captures the impact of paid, owned and earned media on business, be it sales or salience, in a mesh of direct and indirect effects. The framework, therefore, evaluates the role of all media investments by the brand in terms of effectiveness in driving business. All media, be it traditional or digital media, are evaluated in terms of their relative contribution toward business, enabling comparison across media.
Speaking of their future forward signature POEM approach, Bharadwaj said: “The well-researched consultancy rendered to our clients has helped allocate investments so as to optimize paid media while also amplifying owned and earned media content. We are extremely proud to have won GOLD at an esteemed global platform like I-COM Data Creativity Award this year for Axis Bank.”
Delighted at the win, Mr. SagnikGhosh, Head Marketing, Axis Bank extended his compliments to the team stating, “ There were some very interesting observations &learnings that came through the POEM analysis done by SMG India. For a Bank of our size and presence, it is important to understand the attribution that goes towards the Owned Medium Vs. Paid or Earned. We have a large presence on ground through over 2,300 Branches and over 12,000 ATMs, which is itself of tremendous media value. We also have a robust digital presence through our website, online banking and social media assets. It was important to understand what contributes towards building the brand. We have taken some of the learnings on board and are in the process of making some changes to our media mix. “
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Lessons from global media markets on building enduring content franchises
Rose Audio Visuals COO and CFO Mitesh Patel.
MUMBAI: The global media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. Success today is no longer defined by a single hit show. It is defined by the ability to build intellectual property (IP) that travels, evolves, and compounds over time.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this shift is central to how we think about content pitching and creation. We are no longer in the business of just making shows. We are in the business of building IP ecosystems.
From Hits to Franchises
Globally, the most successful content is designed to extend beyond its first outing. It travels across: Seasons, Platforms (TV → OTT → Digital), Formats (series → spin-offs) Shows like Stranger Things and Money Heist are not just successful series they are multi-layered franchises with global recall, fan engagement, and long-term monetisation. The key learning is simple: If content cannot scale beyond one season or one platform, it remains a project not a franchise.
Local Stories, Global Impact
One of the most powerful global trends is the rise of culturally rooted storytelling. Platforms today reward local authenticity combined with universal emotion. Stories that are deeply regional are no longer limited by geography they are amplified by it. Consider the global impact of Squid Game or India’s own Sacred Games. The takeaway is clear: The more authentic the story, the greater its potential to travel if the emotion resonates universally.
Monetisation Begins After the First Window
A critical global learning is that the true value of content is not realised at launch, it is realised over time.
Strong franchises unlock multiple revenue streams: Licensing, International remakes, Brand integrations, Digital extensions , Events and immersive experiences
Global players like The Walt Disney Company have mastered this approach, turning content into long-term ecosystems that extend far beyond the screen.
The first window is just the beginning. The real value lies in what follows.
At Rose Audio Visuals, we increasingly evaluate projects not just on commissioning value, but on their long-term franchise potential.
The Rise of Creator-Led Franchises
An important global shift is the emergence of creator-led IP ecosystems.
Creators today are not just content producers they are building full-scale franchises across platforms, formats, and businesses.
A powerful example is MrBeast. What started as YouTube videos has evolved into: Multiple content formats, Global audience scale , Brand extensions and businesses, High-impact experiential content This is a fundamentally different model digital-first, audience-owned, and infinitely scalable.
This model is still in its early stages in Indian but it represents a massive opportunity.
The next wave of Indian content franchises may not come from traditional studios alone but from creators who think like media companies.
Balancing Data with Creative Instinct
Streaming platforms today are deeply data-driven. Data helps Identify emerging genres, Predict audience behaviour , Inform commissioning decisions However, global experience shows that data alone does not create hits. Data informs scale, but storytelling creates impact.
Talent is the Foundation of Franchises
Enduring franchises are rarely accidental they are built through long-term creative partnerships. Globally, there is a clear focus on nurturing Actors, Writter, Show runner and director. Franchises are not built on scripts alone they are built on creators. This is an area where we continue to invest deeply building long-term relationships with talent rather than project-based collaborations.
Multi-Platform Thinking from Day One
Content consumption today is inherently multi-platform. A successful show must be designed not just for its primary platform, but for: Short-form extensions, Social media amplification, Digital-first engagement. Every show today needs a second life beyond its original format.
India: A Market at an Inflection Point
India today stands at a unique moment in its content journey.
We are seeing significant opportunity in Regional markets (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and others) Emerging formats such as micro-dramas, Scalable, franchise-driven fiction IP
India does not lack stories. What we have historically lacked is structured franchise thinking something that is now beginning to evolve.
The Way Forward
The biggest lesson from global markets is this: The future belongs to companies that do not chase hits, but systematically build franchises. Because while hits may deliver immediate success, franchises create long-term value, recall, and compounding growth.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this belief shapes how we develop, greenlight, and scale content across platforms.
For content companies today, the question is no longer “Will this show work?” It is: “Can this become a franchise?”
A Personal Note
Having worked across content, business, and strategy, one thing has become increasingly clear to me, the most valuable companies in our industry will not be those that create the most content, but those that create content that endures.
Building a franchise requires patience, conviction, and a long-term lens something that the industry is only now beginning to fully embrace.As we continue this journey at Rose Audio Visuals, our focus remains simple: to move from volume-driven creation to value-driven storytelling. Because in the end, stories may start conversations but franchises build legacies.
