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Diwali Season witnesses Increase in online searches for Diwali Offers and Promotions reveals SEMrush study
MUMBAI: A SEMrush study shows that when Diwali, the most important festive season in India approaches, online searches for Diwali offers and discounts skyrocket. The SEMrush study shows every year over the past few years, with Diwali approaching, increasing numbers of people search online for Diwali offers, promotions, discounts, and make inquiries about pollution levels. With internet penetration growing considerably every month, the number of searches related to Diwali is expected to reach hitherto untouched heights in October 2019.
While during the Diwali season in 2015 Diwali related keywords were used approximately 1 million times, in 2016 this number grew to well over 1.25 million. During the 2017 festive season, Diwali related keywords were used a whopping 3.3 million times but unexpectedly fell to 1.8 million the following festive season. In October of this year, Diwali related keywords are expected to be used approximately 4 million times. The SEMrush study shows in 2019, online searches containing Diwali related keywords have been steadily increasing since July. In that month they were used 246,000 times. In the following two months, such keywords were used 450,000 and 560,000 times.
The SEMrush study shows the festive season piques consumer interest in online shopping. The Keyword “Flipkart Diwali Sale” was used an average of 17,992 over the past 4 years. Keywords such as “Diwali offer”, “Diwali Special Rangoli”, “Amazon Diwali Sale”, “Diwali Offer Mobile”, “Amazon Diwali Offer”, “Jio Diwali Offer”, “Diwali Offers Flipkart”, “Diwali Sale”, “Snapdeal Diwali Offer”, and “Diwali Special” were each used an average of 15371, 8031, 7957, 5759, 5200, 4475, 4266, 4175,4157, 3697 times respectively since 2015.
The SEMrush study shows consumers have come to expect online retailers to provide intriguing discounts during the Diwali season. The study also highlights that many consumers still search for products from specific online retailers by inputting keywords in search engines rather than by directly going to their website or app. This is likely because many consumers are aware that online retailers have attractive offers during the festive season yet remain unaware of how to take advantage of them. They see no other alternative than to input their queries into search engines. It may also highlight that Indian consumers don’t find online retailers websites and apps user-friendly enough to spot the best deals. Hence many turn to search engines which seem less intimidating. The SEMrush study also reveals the relative popularity of online retailers in India with both Flipkart and Amazon in dominant positions with Snapdeal an also-ran.
Indians are also aware that Diwali produces pollution. Online searches containing keywords “Diwali air pollution” were made a total of 550 times during the festive season in 2015. In 2016, 2017, 2018 these keywords where input a total of 550, 1300, and 1000 times respectively. The SEMrush study also shows that many input searches with keywords “eco-friendly crackers” and “green crackers”. Of these two keywords, “green crackers” was searched 20000 times in October 2019 while “eco-friendly crackers” was searched 4500 times. This signals that Indians eager to buy fire crackers that don’t pollute are most likely to recognise such crackers when they are labelled “green crackers” as opposed to “eco-friendly crackers”. The study shows Indians are not only aware that Diwali produces air pollution but are also sophisticated enough to try and mitigate such pollution by buying fire crackers that produce little or no pollution.
Mr. Fernando Angulo, Head of Communications, SEMrush, said “Diwali is by far the most important festival in India and Indians have demonstrated immense adaptability by incorporating into Diwali their joy of shopping. The festival of lights burns considerably brighter because it is accompanied by major new purchases by most households. And growing numbers of Indian consumers don’t just buy more during the festive season, they buy more at the best possible discounts because they know where to find them online.
He further added- Customers also know which online retailers are likely to offer them products at the best prices, this is highlighted by the diminishing popularity of an also-ran online retailer. Our study also shows that pollution during Diwali is a major concern as online inquiries about pollution levels are growing with each passing year”.
MAM
Lessons from global media markets on building enduring content franchises
Rose Audio Visuals COO and CFO Mitesh Patel.
MUMBAI: The global media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. Success today is no longer defined by a single hit show. It is defined by the ability to build intellectual property (IP) that travels, evolves, and compounds over time.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this shift is central to how we think about content pitching and creation. We are no longer in the business of just making shows. We are in the business of building IP ecosystems.
From Hits to Franchises
Globally, the most successful content is designed to extend beyond its first outing. It travels across: Seasons, Platforms (TV → OTT → Digital), Formats (series → spin-offs) Shows like Stranger Things and Money Heist are not just successful series they are multi-layered franchises with global recall, fan engagement, and long-term monetisation. The key learning is simple: If content cannot scale beyond one season or one platform, it remains a project not a franchise.
Local Stories, Global Impact
One of the most powerful global trends is the rise of culturally rooted storytelling. Platforms today reward local authenticity combined with universal emotion. Stories that are deeply regional are no longer limited by geography they are amplified by it. Consider the global impact of Squid Game or India’s own Sacred Games. The takeaway is clear: The more authentic the story, the greater its potential to travel if the emotion resonates universally.
Monetisation Begins After the First Window
A critical global learning is that the true value of content is not realised at launch, it is realised over time.
Strong franchises unlock multiple revenue streams: Licensing, International remakes, Brand integrations, Digital extensions , Events and immersive experiences
Global players like The Walt Disney Company have mastered this approach, turning content into long-term ecosystems that extend far beyond the screen.
The first window is just the beginning. The real value lies in what follows.
At Rose Audio Visuals, we increasingly evaluate projects not just on commissioning value, but on their long-term franchise potential.
The Rise of Creator-Led Franchises
An important global shift is the emergence of creator-led IP ecosystems.
Creators today are not just content producers they are building full-scale franchises across platforms, formats, and businesses.
A powerful example is MrBeast. What started as YouTube videos has evolved into: Multiple content formats, Global audience scale , Brand extensions and businesses, High-impact experiential content This is a fundamentally different model digital-first, audience-owned, and infinitely scalable.
This model is still in its early stages in Indian but it represents a massive opportunity.
The next wave of Indian content franchises may not come from traditional studios alone but from creators who think like media companies.
Balancing Data with Creative Instinct
Streaming platforms today are deeply data-driven. Data helps Identify emerging genres, Predict audience behaviour , Inform commissioning decisions However, global experience shows that data alone does not create hits. Data informs scale, but storytelling creates impact.
Talent is the Foundation of Franchises
Enduring franchises are rarely accidental they are built through long-term creative partnerships. Globally, there is a clear focus on nurturing Actors, Writter, Show runner and director. Franchises are not built on scripts alone they are built on creators. This is an area where we continue to invest deeply building long-term relationships with talent rather than project-based collaborations.
Multi-Platform Thinking from Day One
Content consumption today is inherently multi-platform. A successful show must be designed not just for its primary platform, but for: Short-form extensions, Social media amplification, Digital-first engagement. Every show today needs a second life beyond its original format.
India: A Market at an Inflection Point
India today stands at a unique moment in its content journey.
We are seeing significant opportunity in Regional markets (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and others) Emerging formats such as micro-dramas, Scalable, franchise-driven fiction IP
India does not lack stories. What we have historically lacked is structured franchise thinking something that is now beginning to evolve.
The Way Forward
The biggest lesson from global markets is this: The future belongs to companies that do not chase hits, but systematically build franchises. Because while hits may deliver immediate success, franchises create long-term value, recall, and compounding growth.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this belief shapes how we develop, greenlight, and scale content across platforms.
For content companies today, the question is no longer “Will this show work?” It is: “Can this become a franchise?”
A Personal Note
Having worked across content, business, and strategy, one thing has become increasingly clear to me, the most valuable companies in our industry will not be those that create the most content, but those that create content that endures.
Building a franchise requires patience, conviction, and a long-term lens something that the industry is only now beginning to fully embrace.As we continue this journey at Rose Audio Visuals, our focus remains simple: to move from volume-driven creation to value-driven storytelling. Because in the end, stories may start conversations but franchises build legacies.
