MAM
It’s time for mobile marketers to strategically make the most of the peak shopping fiesta this holiday season
Mumbai: The holiday season, filled with festivals and shopping bonanzas, provides an unmissable opportunity for marketers to amplify their brand presence and boost sales. With the proliferation of mobile usage, marketers are increasingly leaning towards mobile platforms to launch their campaigns and promotions. Mobile marketers can harness the potential of the holiday shopping season by engaging with customers during major events and holidays which will soon kickstart with Diwali and go all the way till Christmas.
At the onset, it is important for marketers to get a thorough understanding on the current status of the peak shopping season.
We can already see a spike in consumer spending, a phenomenon which will further accelerate as we get closer to the festival of lights, Diwali culminating in Christmas, making it an opportune moment for mobile marketers to initiate campaigns that reverberate with the festive spirit..
In 2022, Diwali witnessed a remarkable 60% of all online sales transacted via mobile
platforms, with projections escalating this figure to 70% this year. 3 of the top 10 downloaded apps during Diwali last year were shopping apps, with shopping apps installs and sessions close to 50% and 15% higher respectively, as compared to the 2022 average. Noticeably, weekdays accounted for 48% and 60% of installs and sessions respectively. It was observed that most shopping app installs and sessions occurred four weeks after Diwali,
It has become imperative for brands to ensure that a mobile user’s journey is seamless, intuitive, and festively engaging to capitalize on the colossal waves of the holiday shopping season.
Collaborating with Mobile OEMs and Alternative App Stores is the way to go and here’s why.
Offer Exclusive Deals
Collaborate with mobile Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, OnePlus, realme, Itel, Tecno and Infinix to offer exclusive deals and promotions on their platforms. Special app bundles, exclusive in-app purchases, or early access to sales for specific device users can amplify customer acquisition.
App Store Optimization (ASO)
Optimize app listings on alternative app stores by focusing on keywords and descriptions that align with holiday shopping trends. An effective ASO strategy, complemented by compelling visuals and app store featuring, can enhance app visibility and downloads.
App Store Featuring
Brands can get their app featured on the alternative app stores through special mobile OEM collaborations. This could be a banner featuring their app on the main page, their app appearing as a recommended or featured app, or even as a special feature of their app as part of the holiday or sale season.
Develop Co-branded Campaigns
Engage in co-branded campaigns with OEMs to harness their user base. Crafting campaigns that intertwine abrand’s offerings with the OEM’s products can create a mutually beneficial marketing dynamic.
Equally important is to put in place a solid set of strategies to Optimize Mobile Marketing during the peak shopping season
Develop Engaging App Content and Interfaces
Develop an app that resonates with the festive mood by incorporating thematic designs, user-friendly interfaces, and festive content. Tailoring app experiences to the specificities of each holiday (e.g., incorporating Diwali-themed visuals or Christmas-inspired interfaces) can augment user engagement.
Leverage Personalized Push Notifications
Deploy personalized push notifications that align with the holiday theme. Messages highlighting limited-time offers, exclusive discounts, or special holiday bundles can induce urgency among consumers and drive app engagements and purchases.
Implement Geotargeting Strategies
Employ geotargeting to send location-specific offers and promotions. This strategy is particularly crucial during Diwali, where regional variations in celebrations might necessitate tailored marketing approaches.
Utilizing Data-Driven Insights
Leverage data analytics to comprehend user behavior and purchasing patterns. Insights derived from user data can inform marketing strategies, enabling marketers to craft campaigns that are resonant and effective. This is where a trusted partner working with mobile OEMs is crucial.
Mobile OEMs are the Way Forward
The amalgamation of strategic mobile marketing initiatives, collaborations with mobile OEMs, and a keen understanding of the holiday shopping seasons can create a mélange that propels brand visibility and user engagement. By combining the festive spirit with robust mobile marketing strategies, brands can etch memorable imprints on consumers, not just during the holiday season but beyond.
Mobile marketers, while embedding their strategies within the cultural and emotional contexts of Diwali, and Christmas, should underscore values of joy, togetherness, and generosity, ultimately forging deeper connections with consumers and navigating them towards meaningful engagements and conversions.
The author of this article is AVOW co-founder & CRO Ashwin Shekhar
MAM
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.
