MAM
BC Web Wise announces top management rejig
Mumbai: Digital marketing agency BC Web Wise on Monday announced major changes in its top management. The company has appointed Arijit Basu as VP – strategy & growth, Gaurang Menon as chief creative officer, and Krishal Mehta as AVP – media head.
Commenting on the new development, BC Web Wise founder and MD Chaaya Baradhwaaj said, “Over two decades as a digital agency, we can now see that digital has totally come of age and is becoming a top priority for CMOS and CEOs. It is also getting a bigger share of the ad spend. So today, as we evolve from a digital agency to a marketing agency partner to the client, we are ensuring that we also beef up our top of pyramid strength with carefully hand-picked talent.”
Menon was previously associated with companies such as Madison, and iContract. This is his second stint at BC Web Wise. “Having worked with Chaaya and some of the existing team members years back it’s great to see that the soul of the company is still intact and buzzing after all these years. My mandate is very clear and simple – to help take the Creative product to the next level, along with key stakeholders, and to enable more digital innovations for our clients,” said Menon.
Basu has been in the industry for over 17 years and has made significant contributions to content and business development. Talking about his new role, he said, “As a new fish in the organisation, I look forward to working across different functions and teams in building sustainable growth through strategic planning. My aim is to help build more efficient client offerings via creative solutions and new tech offerings.”
“I will be actively engaging in brand discussion for building metaverse and creating NFTs. Exciting days ahead with a visionary like Chaaya at the helm, I am looking forward to exploring a whole new dimension of brand solutions in the digital formats and constructing new age solutions for clients and partners in the coming months,” added Basu.
Speaking about his role within the organisation, Mehta said, “Given the new normal we are rapidly seeing technology adoption like AI, blockchain & IoT which will emerge at the forefront of disruption. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to spearhead the Media vertical with a veteran-like Chaaya and drive the agency’s integrated media. My task is to elevate existing media functions by crafting MarTech solutions with deep tech integration to solve business problems.”
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.
