iWorld
Applause Entertainment partners with Wattpad to promote ‘Avrodh’
MUMBAI: In a novel move to connect with Gen Z and millennial audiences, Applause Entertainment has partnered with Wattpad, the global entertainment company and a storytelling platform, to promote the recently released war thriller, Avrodh.
The campaign saw Applause Entertainment connect with Wattpad’s massive, engaged community of Gen Z and millennial readers and writers, inviting them to share their stories and poems that explore the Independence Day themes of my patriotism or meri deshbhakti. Inspired by Applause Entertainment’s hit series Avrodh, the campaign caters to Gen Z and Millenials who are keen to rediscover and reimagine patriotism with a renewed outlook.
Through August, the campaign will select the most unique tales submitted by the Wattpad community, to be used in other promotional channels for Avrodh. Stories will be turned into compelling graphics for social media to reach a wider audience both on and off of Wattpad. Applause Entertainment shared their favourite stories and poetry to promote the show to their target audience on social media on 15 August 2020, each of which received exciting cash prizes.
The campaign has already generated significant results for Applause Entertainment, with thousands of entries that have generated tens of thousands of reading minutes in less than a week since launch on Wattpad. Cross-platform promotion to Wattpad’s massive audience of Gen Z readers continued over the Independence Day weekend.
Applause Entertainment head of marketing and revenue Yogesh Manwani said, “With the increased online activity in India, it is very difficult for a brand to have a genuine interaction with its target audience at scale, especially if it's a younger demographic. Wattpad stood out in that aspect as it allowed for a direct connection to millions of Indian Gen Z & Millennial users who love to create and engage with stories around our show’s messaging. We are amazed by the overwhelming response by our target audience and look forward to sustain the momentum on social channels.”
Wattpad India country head Devashish Sharma said, “Wattpad offers something truly unique for brands through its massive global community that spends billions of minutes each month deeply engaged in reading, writing, and sharing world-changing stories. Our work with Applause Entertainment went beyond the ordinary fan engagement. We are creating authentic content, curated from the show’s target audience, to promote the show among Gen Z and millennials. The campaign does not just tap into audience excitement, it makes the target audience genuine collaborators. That’s the power of storytelling and Wattpad.”
Wattpad is one of the world’s leading destinations for diverse Gen Z and Millennial creators to share their voice. Each month, more than four million writers of all ages share stories on Wattpad, inspiring and engaging with Wattpad’s global community of more than 80 million people.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
