MAM
Draftfcb Ulka Interactive gets Sudarshan Sudevan on board as creative head-digital
MUMBAI: Draftfcb Ulka Interactive has got on board Sudarshan Sudevan as creative head-digital. ‘Sudi‘ as he is fondly known in the industry started his career as a cartoonist and before venturing into the digital space. His 13 year plus experience across over 100 brands in various categories makes him a digital veteran. His deep understanding of the digital space has led to many interesting discoveries about the different palates of internet users. He would be creatively reporting to Draftfcb Ulka Interactive‘s national creative director KS Chakravarthy (Chax) and functionally to senior VP Satish Ramachandrandran.
 |
Sudi is one of the few creative heads who has hands-on experience of working on different projects. Prior to this appointment he has been associated with firms like Hungama, B.C Webwise and Isobar creating several innovative campaigns, applications and web development, of which several have won awards like Abbys, Emvies, Imda‘s, Yahoo big chair etc.
A food lover and an avid traveler, in his free time Sudi loves to visit new places, meet new people and share new ideas. “I was in awe of Ambi and Chax, and their affinity to explore more; that made me want to try this opportunity. I hope to add my experience and expertise to this wonderful agency, and endeavour to make Draftfcb Ulka one of the fore runners in the digital space in India. It‘s an honour to work with one of the legends of the industry – Chax and to be a part of such a renowned agency” said Sudarshan Sudevan.
Commenting on Sudi‘s appointment, Satish Ramachandran said, “At Draftffcb Ulka we always believe in integrated digital solutions; towards this we have been consistently investing in talent and technology to ensure we are ahead of the curve. Sudi is a perfect addition to the team with his passion and experience in the space.”
Here is what Draftfcb Ulka‘s national creative director Chax, had to say “Sudi is truly a product of the digital age, as passionate about technology as he is about ideas. With him at the helm of our very talented digital team, we look forward to an even tighter integration of our mainline and digital teams.”
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.
