iWorld
Guest column: Winning over audience in post lockdown world
My neighbour is an ardent Ronit Roy fan. Having not seen him for a while in any Indian serial or film, top that with a glum lockdown mood made her grumpy. One should have seen the look on her face when I told her about him featuring in ALTBalaji’s Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain. And behold, the platform had its latest subscriber.
Like her, millions of us have been hooked to Indian OTT platforms over the past few months. With more time in hand, they’re now open to consuming content digitally, and watching shows that they wouldn’t have watched pre-lockdown. OTT platforms have increased their subscription base by offering diverse shows with relatable characters and topics. Hence, making their service a value-for-money proposition to the viewers.
Today, viewers have access to more content than they ever could consume. The continued increase in the range and breadth of content libraries has created a paradox of choice — too many content choices often paralyze viewers’ decision of what to watch. A consumer’s subscription journey starts with an intent to experiment, a platform to explore, and concludes with a demand for premium content. Making quality, ease in operation, affordability, and accessibility a key factor in driving subscription plans.
The Post Lockdown Plan
The lockdown phase has acted as a catalyst in transforming the content consumption habit of the audience and bringing the Indian viewer to their screens like never before. The KPMG report titled ‘COVID-19: The many shades of a crisis’, reveals that the penetration of subscription-based digital models is set to accelerate.
There has been a significant rise in the viewers’ appetite for online content. Moreover, streaming platforms are giving viewers fresh and new content, thereby increasing the amount of time spent on the service. Add to that, the growing apprehension that exists amongst viewers will see them embrace entertainment experiences in the ease of their home.
Nailing Nuances
In recent times, the Indian streaming industry has grown from strength to strength giving rise to an unprecedented transformation in content creation and consumption. This has seen leading content providers take deep dive into the viewer's preferences and demand to curate engaging content and enticing subscription packages. What leading platforms have got absolutely spot-on is their increased focus towards personalization and adapting seamless technology.
In the race to drive subscriptions, content creators and providers are presenting stories filled with local flavour and global relevance spanning genres and languages. Most are deploying and experimenting with technology-driven services. This allows them to offer a more personalized catalogue of content, in a manner that sees the viewers coming back for more.
Taking Your Content to the Users
There will never be a dearth of content in the Indian OTT space. In such a scenario, relevance makes the biggest difference between these leading players. The platform that delivers a host of offerings to the right audience makes for a leader in the industry, while the rest follow.
Owing to the large viewership from Tier II and Tier III markets, OTT players like us are tapping into the Bharat audience by associating with micro-influencers. This word-of-mouth advertising has worked its charm across the country. With renowned faces endorsing the content offered by the platforms, there has been an incremental growth towards roping in new audiences.
The shows and their diversity have paved the way towards consumer segmentation as well as streaming players catering to different demographics in their own way. Partnerships with leading telecom providers have also seen the content being amplified to a wider audience who are at the receiving end of clutter-breaking content for the same price.
This is a trend that’s going to stay as it's a win-win situation for both the provider as well as the consumer.
Ease of Consumption
The rise of digital content consumption has made the delivery of enhanced user experience take primacy as one of the key objectives of the streaming platforms. Through adopting innovative and data-driven design approaches – the quality of the user experience has become a deciding factor for a user to choose among the various available services in the market.
Understanding the target group and their challenges have seen streaming platforms today offer a host of payment options and subscription packages that align to their consumption patterns. Going down the platform-agnostic route has paid dividends as they provide users a customized experience leading to an increased level of engagement, thereby resulting in more subscriptions.
From a content segmentation and a garnering subscription point of view, one needs to start looking at expanding, acquiring, and retaining audiences. Rest assured that there will be a content library, that like always will regale audiences, along with subscription models, that assure the viewer a service that is value for money.
The author is SVP marketing, analytics, and direct revenue, ALTBalaji. The views are personal and indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.
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e-commerce
ITC Sunfeast, Zepto host mango-themed experiential ‘Paglu Party’
Event blends Alphonso desserts, DIY sessions and interactive formats
MUMBAI: When mango season peaks, some savour it others go full ‘paglu’. ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations, in collaboration with Zepto, turned summer indulgence into an immersive brand experience with its ‘Mango Paglu Party’, a high-energy, mango-themed event designed to blur the line between dessert and discovery. Built around the brand’s ‘Mad Over Mangoes’ universe, the space leaned into a sensory overload bright, playful and unapologetically mango-drenched. From curated installations to social-first corners, every element was designed to be as shareable as it was experiential.
At the centre of the celebration was the fruit itself, elevated into a menu crafted using fresh, carbide-free Alphonso mangoes sourced by Zepto. The spread ranged from a flaky Mango Pista Kouign Aman to Mango Coconut Serradura Pudding and a Mango Mascarpone Cake, balancing indulgence with seasonal freshness.
But this was not a passive tasting affair. Guests were drawn into the experience through interactive formats, including a DIY dessert session led by the brand’s chef, where attendees created classics like Mango Tres Leches. Zepto chief business officer Chandan Mehndiratta also joined the session, adding a touch of brand personality to the proceedings.
A quirky highlight came in the form of the ‘Aam Paglu Prescription’, a playful, doctor-themed concept that positioned mango indulgence as the only “treatment” worth taking, turning a simple insight into a memorable activation.
The event built up to a theatrical finale, with the crowning of the ‘Aam Paglu of the Day’ followed by the cutting of an oversized mango-shaped Mango Mascarpone Cake, closing the experience on a high note.
More than just a seasonal showcase, the Mango Paglu Party reflects a broader shift in brand storytelling, where products are no longer just consumed, but experienced. For ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations and Zepto, mango season was not just about flavour, it was about creating a moment that audiences could step into, engage with and, quite literally, devour.
