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Sufei’s Diary posts 15.3 mn online interactions in China
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has announced that its youth series Sufei‘s Diary has generated over 15.3 million online interactions. The series was produced by SPTI through its joint venture with China film group, Huaso Film/Television Digital Production Company Limited (Huaso). |
The series debuted across China in mid-December 2008. The 40-episode multiplatform series follows the adventures of 18-year-old Sufei as she adjusts to her new life in Shanghai with her father and stepmother after moving there from Beijing to attend university. According to SPTI, Sufei‘s Diary is viewed online daily via portals such as Sina.com, online video-sharing site Youku.com and nationwide university broadband network, Cernet.com. In addition to social-networking websites, Sufei‘s Diary is also shown on television screens in some of China‘s major airports and it will also play on screens in public buses and subway stations in Beijing and Shanghai (subway only). Viewers are encouraged to interact with the show through weekly online polls to help guide Sufei in some of the difficult decisions she has to make. The choice with the most votes affect the storyline of the next episode. Besides the weekly online voting, viewers can also interact with the series and its main characters in a myriad of ways such as online comments, blogs and through updates on their mobile phones. So far, the show has already attracted over 15.3 million such interactions, SPTI claims. |
SPTI VP, production Mary Chan says, “We believe the show is not only entertaining, but the level of interaction offered by the show towards our advertising partners‘ brands is something which cannot be replicated by traditional television programs. That is why we are already talking to advertisers at this early stage about innovative brand integrations for season two of the show”. Sony Pictures Entertainment, China chief representative Jiande Chen adds, “We are very pleased that Huaso has been able to take a global format and successfully adapt it in China to create branded entertainment which appeals to both viewers and advertisers.” |
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
