MAM
#BabaKaDhaba, a perfect influencer marketing case study?
NEW DELHI: It started, as many viral sensations these days do, with an Instagram post. Only this time, it wasn’t a celebrity’s staged photo-op or a kitten or puppy’s cute antics, but an octogenarian couple struggling to make ends meet.
Food blogger and Instagram influencer, Gaurav Wasan (@youtubeswadofficial) is usually on the lookout for lesser-known eateries around the Delhi. Earlier this week, he happened to stumble upon Baba Ka Dhaba, run by an elderly couple. The owner, Kanta Prasad, said the pandemic had shattered his small business and there were hardly any customers visiting the food joint even after the unlock phase.
Their despair came to light when Gaurav captured the visuals of the old man breaking down in tears as he related how, even after working for the entire day, he can hardly scrape together Rs 60. Gaurav shared the video on his Instagram page and asked his followers to support the elderly couple, and others in the same predicament, in every possible way.
Within hours, the video went viral – garnering around a million views the same day. People started extending helping hands to support the tiny business. But the real magic happened when Vasundhara Tankha Sharma posted the same video on Twitter and urged netizens to #supportlocal. Sharma’s tweet racked up thousands of retweets, comments, and likes and #BabaKaDhaba started trending. This led other influencers, YouTubers, media houses and content creators to visit the food joint and spread the word. The story got amplified, and long queues were witnessed at the small shop.
The power of social media is truly amazing
What can be better if the power of social media is good for a poor person #BABAKADHABA pic.twitter.com/QKnW9OZXt4
— Raj Nathani (@RajNathaniBJP) October 8, 2020
Experts feel that the hype built around Baba Ka Dhaba will ultimately fizzle out but it has shown the positive impact and true potential of social media.
Mad Influence founder and CEO Gautam Madhavan was of the view that the number of people standing outside the dhaba will go down, but his business definitely improved and picked up pace compared to before. In short, he will earn and live better than yesterday.
People started searching for #BabakaDhaba and there was a massive interest in the audiences around the subject. The interest levels went from zero-to-hundred in no time.
Filter Coffee Co. creative head Rahim Musani said that the video received one of the most organic reactions and struck a chord with the audience, which showed us all the power of social media and over-night virality.
The video made its way into celebrity circle, with actors like Sonam Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Randeep Hooda, Swara Bhasker, Nimrat Kaur, cricketer R Ashwin, and many others stepping up to offer financial help. AAP MLA Somnath Bharti met the elderly couple and assured them of support.
#dilliwalon #dil #dikhao. Whoever eats here, sends me pic, I shall put up a sweet message with your pics ! #supportlocalbusiness #localvendors https://t.co/5DH73wz3SD
— Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) October 8, 2020
This is what happens when we just believes on viral things. Nobody noticed that Kachaudi wala in crowd. He might be needed the same help but ..#BabaKaDhabha
Please Be Vocal For Local. pic.twitter.com/bQeXKlDm4g— Sumit Kumar (@MeSumitKumarr) October 8, 2020
Many brands too joined the cause.
Food delivery app Zomato listed Baba Ka Dhaba on its app. The brand’s team is working with Kanta Prasad and his wife to enable food deliveries.
UPDATE: baba ka dhaba is now listed on zomato and our team is working with the elderly couple there to enable food deliveries
thank you to the good people of the internet for bringing our attention to this
— zomato india (@ZomatoIN) October 8, 2020
PepsiCo also gifted the old couple a beverage cooler with free stocks of its line of drinks. In fact, the company saw this as an opportunity and revamped the dhaba with Pepsi branding.
Dating app Tinder said in one of its tweets: “We recommend Baba Ka Dhabha for your next date.”
We recommend #BabaKaDhabha for your next date
— Tinder India (@Tinder_India) October 8, 2020
The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has pledged to improve the infrastructure of Baba Ka Dhaba and make it Covid2019 compliant.
As of now, the food outlet and the elderly couple have been sponsored by a beverage, phone, e-wallet, online food, and brands from other categories. They have completely revamped the look and feel of the outlet.
Although it was very clear that brands simply aimed to hop on the popular trend as it generated great earned media for them at an extremely low cost. The news about their associations was promoted in the news outlets -online and offline, and social media pictures.
In professional circles, however, the overarching impression seemed to be that the lifespan of an overnight internet sensation like Baba Ka Dhaba is limited and the buzz around them will be quite short-lived – unless they find a way to make the most of all the exposure both personally and professionally.
According to Whistling Woods International chief technology officer and vice-president Chaitanya Chinchlikar, the Baba Ka Dhaba video isn’t an ideal example of influencer marketing. “It’s an example of the innate strength of social media platforms and the ability of the right content at the right time to capture the attention of millions and spread globally, practically overnight.”
Monk Media Network creative director Adrine D'mello also doesn't consider it a classic case study, but an instance in which netizens collectively showed that the power of social media is immense. “A video that was recorded to just try and get the elderly couple some exposure through the network of friends and family just got bigger and bigger, with celebrities eventually joining in to support the cause,” he said.
The viral video has also prompted several social media influencers and content creators to look for other such food joints who may need support from the people. One such food joint that emerged during the weekend was from Agra.
On the other hand, Wasan, the Instagram influencer has garnered around 30 million views on the video at the time of filing this story. He’s also registered a massive uptick in follower count – from 26k followers a few days ago to 180k followers now.
The organic reach which Wasan got in real-time is astonishing. This particular case study shows the power of the influencer community, what can be achieved if it’s leveraged properly.
Baba, keep going strong! India's best wishes are with you.#BabaKaDhaba #PaytmKaro pic.twitter.com/Q5z7dcjkiv
— Paytm (@Paytm) October 9, 2020
“The hype around it will settle down in a few days. However, the video and the name will stay with people. Baba Ka Dhaba has become a landmark and will be remembered like that,” D’mello concluded.
MAM
Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
