MAM
Reliance Infocomm organises live video chat with Big B
MUMBAI: After the much hyped launch of the Reliance pre-paid mobile, Reliance Infocomm is out there again, guzzling customer attention. And what can get bigger than the Big B himself?
Reliance WebWorld and Reliance IndiaMobile Showtime organised a live multi-city video chat with the team of Khakee – Amitabh Bachchan, Tushar Kapoor and director Raj Kumar Santoshi with winners of R World and WebWorld contest simultaneously across 13 cities of India at the Reliance WebWorld center in Mumbai yesterday.
“Can you count the number of rings I’m wearing?” – Amitabh Bachchan and Tushar Kapoor with Reliance Infocomm officials at the live multi-city video chat in Mumbai
“Reliance IndiaMobile Showtime is a unique film promotion platform and has brought other stars like Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta and Sanjay Dutt for a live video chat conference prior to this and there will more,” said Reliance Infocomm head marketing Kaushik Roy.
Khakee is promoted under the banner of Reliance IndiaMobile Showtime. Besides the conventional channels of press, outdoors and collaterals, it also employs R World (the data application suite of Reliance IndiaMobile and Reliance Web World stores) in 13 cities for a true BroadBand experience.
“This kind of promotion is an on going thing for us. We form a relationship with a movie production house and promote their movie through our service. We have the infrastructural support for this kind of innovation and have almost 15 lakh customer hits per day,” added Roy.
Through the service that Reliance IndiaMobile provides, the subscribers can experience the variety of movie excitement on their phones through R World, watch movie trailers, download wallpapers of their favourite stars, read the storyline and also participate in interactive programmes.
Thirteen cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Indore, Bhopal and Pune were simultaneously linked at 768 kbps speed for this video conference with the team of Khakee.
Speaking on the occasion, Reliance WebWorld CEO Sarup Chowdhary said, “The company intends to keep stepping up the availability of true digital experience through such BroadBand centers at Reliance WebWorlds across an increasing number of cities. Based on our current initiatives, such Showtime movie promo events will soon be available in nearly 100 cities over the next few months.”
With over 50 lakh regular users its not much of a surprise that the service is so popular among the Reliance cell phone subscribers. “Reliance mobiles are a medium to promote films. We weave interactive sessions with our customers through such contests. This service is very popular among the youth as they get an opportunity to interact with the stars,” explained Roy.
Reliance WebWorld is in the process of setting up a nationwide chain of retail stores for digital entertainment and communication and will serve as a one-stop-shop for Reliance Infocomm products and services. Each store will contain three key modules – a Customer Convenience Center, JavaGreen – a gourmet coffee bar and a True BroadBand center to showcase Broadband connectivity through applications like video chat and conferencing, multiplayer online gaming, digital personalised music, digital theatre, digital photo imaging, virtual office and true BroadBand high speed Internet which is about 100 times faster than the dial up access in today’s homes.
Reliance has some big progressive and promising plans up its sleeves. The BroadBand centres are available in 14 cities and are expected to grow and be available in over a 100 towns across the country. At last count, there are 250 Reliance WebWorld stores that operate all over India which will progressively be extended to nearly 2000 stores across 600 cities.
MAM
India’s experience economy grows as live events market hits Rs 17,000 crore
EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow report finds 78 per cent Indians prefer experiences over products
MUMBAI: India’s live entertainment scene is no longer just about music, comedy or festivals. It is increasingly becoming a powerful stage for brands seeking deeper connections with consumers.
A new report titled Beyond Attention, Into Immersion by EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow suggests that India’s experience economy is entering a strong growth phase, driven by consumers who are choosing memorable moments over material purchases.
According to the study, the country’s live events ecosystem, which includes concerts, comedy tours, festivals and immersive exhibitions, is estimated to reach around Rs 17,000 crore in 2025. The growth reflects a broader cultural shift in how Indians spend their time and money.
The report finds that 78 per cent of Indian consumers now prefer spending on experiences rather than physical products. From attending concerts and festivals to participating in interactive brand installations, audiences are increasingly seeking engagement, community and shareable moments.
This change in consumer behaviour is particularly evident among younger audiences who want to participate rather than simply watch. Instead of passively consuming entertainment, many now look for experiences that allow them to interact, express themselves and connect with like minded communities.
For marketers, this shift has turned experiential marketing into a strategic priority rather than a promotional add on. Brands are moving away from interruption driven advertising and towards immersive formats that allow consumers to discover, test and emotionally connect with products.
The report suggests that experiential marketing now plays a role across the entire consumer journey. It can spark brand discovery, strengthen storytelling, encourage product trials and ultimately influence purchase decisions and loyalty.
The impact is already visible. Post event surveys conducted among 7,450 attendees at major events including Lollapalooza India and concerts by Ed Sheeran and Guns N’ Roses highlight the effectiveness of these experiences.
Around 59 per cent of attendees recalled brands they interacted with during the events, while 55 per cent said those interactions increased their likelihood of purchasing from the brand. A further 63 per cent reported that brand activations actually enhanced their event experience rather than distracting from it. Nearly 29 per cent also said the interaction improved their perception of the brand.
Brands are also changing the way they approach events. Instead of simply putting logos on stages or banners, companies are building experiences into the fabric of the event itself.
Financial services brands, for example, are offering early ticket access, exclusive lounges and curated event experiences for cardholders. Fashion and beauty companies are using festivals to showcase products through pop ups, interactive installations and social media friendly spaces that encourage visitors to share their experiences online.
The scope of experiential marketing now stretches far beyond live entertainment. Retailers are designing experiential stores where customers can explore products in lifelike environments. Entertainment platforms are extending popular intellectual properties into immersive exhibitions and fan events. Technology is also playing a growing role through augmented reality and virtual try on tools that blend digital discovery with physical interaction.
Cultural festivals remain one of the most powerful platforms for such engagement in India. Celebrations such as Navratri and Holi bring together large communities, emotional participation and heightened consumer spending. For brands, these moments offer an opportunity to become part of the celebration rather than simply advertise around it.
Despite the momentum, the report notes that some companies still hesitate to adopt experiential marketing at scale. Budget constraints, limited expertise and uncertainty around measuring return on investment remain common concerns.
However, the growing body of data around consumer engagement and brand impact is gradually addressing these challenges. More marketers are expected to allocate a larger share of their budgets to experiential formats over the coming years.
Taken together, the findings point to a clear trend. As consumers seek meaning, memories and moments worth sharing, live experiences are emerging as one of the most powerful ways for brands to stay relevant in a crowded media landscape.
