MAM
Metamorphosis 2005! decodes ‘Cool’
MUMBAI: A marketing conference organised by the ICFAI students on 15 January at the Nehru centre delved into ‘What’s Cool’ in the current context and how a marketer should understand, identify and capitilise the ‘Cool’ phenomenon.
The seminar saw speakers from all walks of the industry with the likes of R Balakrishnan, executive creative director, Lowe to Kaushik Roy, marketing head, Reliance Infocomm, Sumnatra Duta CEO Radio City to Alok Kejriwal CEO Contest2Win to name a few.
While Dutta defined ‘Cool’ as an emotion which can be expressed in diverse ways, Balakrishnan simply put it as interesting and a breath of fresh air.
Coming to why this desperation today to be ‘Cool’? Balakrishnan pointed out that there is a price to be paid for being cool. But one must know when to stop being cool to survive. Brands that position themselves as cool forget that they have to uncool things to remain cool.
Session one focusing on dissecting cool behavior had speakers like Meera Tenjuria director Aarohan Communictions and Veer Bothra project manager netcore Solutions. Tenjuria first pointed out that unlike advertising which has total control of the communication that is being sent out, public relations was a sum total of the analysis of reactions of the editorial. Cool was dissected as a mindset and a perception which need not have a direct co-relation to the product. Cool was also said to be stated in reference to the age group, industry, phase of society and cycle of rebellion .
Another point of contention was the role of the media. Media forms a crucial part of a brand strategy to create ‘cool’ parameters. While media reports trends, a number of times media also creates trends.
Bothra touched upon buzz marketing and the importance of word-of- mouth, which is the ultimate catalyst in boosting a brand.
While on the issue of developing ‘Cool’ products, speakers Ankan Biswas GM Philips and Biju Dominic VP Mudra Communications pointed out steps for the same.
1) Indentifying a need for the youth that is cool.
2) Articulating and defining the product attributes
3) Checking the environment or trend of a similar product
4) Evaluation of market forecast in terms of value and volume
Dominic also pointed out that thinking ahead in terms of ‘Cool hunting’ was crucial to the whole game. “The trick is really to dig deeper and do away with the peripheral.”
Session three defined exploring the ‘Cool and Gadget’ connect with Kejriwal and Roy as key speakers. While Roy emphasised on the fact that today’s youth want to be entertained all the time, and more and more people are out-of-home nowadays, Kejriwal presented three case studies on what he thought was really cool. The Apple i-pod, the segway human carrier and the Livestrong band.
The seminar concluded with an underlined thought that ‘Cool’ was a mindset and cool things market themselves. In essence, a product that is cool gratifies immediately.
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.
