MAM
Insight + Creative Tension leads participation in video marketing: Watson
VARCA: The era of the thirty second TV ad is fast diminishing as online video marketing makes inroads into the marketing strategy for brands. Speaking at Goafest 2012, YouTube global vice president Lucas Watson explained how video marketing online can be used to optimize the power of digital.
Online video marketing operates on three tenets- passionate communities, the concept of paid, owned and earned and lastly everybody can do it.
Giving the example of pop-star Lady Gaga, Watson explained how online video marketing can develop passionate communities and through the use of social media make a video popular. This helps in increasing brand visibility and at the same time engage the consumers with the brand.
YouTube has recently introduced True View where the uploader is charged for the video only if it is viewed from start to end. This makes marketing spends more targeted and reduces wastage as opposed to television where one has to pay for the slot no matter the amount of views.
Lastly, online video marketing is open to everyone, the size and scale of the organization notwithstanding. In face, many start ups have used online video marketing to launch the brand. An example of this incident is a brand called dollarshaveclub.com. The brand sells economic razors in the US, where Gillete sells razors at $ four or five on an average. Within two weeks of the online launch, the video recorded four million views. In fact, 48 hours into the launch, the company was flooded with orders to an extent where they had to put up a message asking customers to have patience as they order for more razors.
“The trick in case of online video marketing is to identify that one thing that will strike a cord with the TG. If you go into the concept with the thought of creating a viral video, you will be disappointed. But instead if you think about what will interest your consumers and make them feel connected to your brand, you have greater chances of success. Human insights combined with creative tension is what makes for a good engaging online video campaign,” explains Watson.
The task ahead for creative directors at agencies is no longer limited to coming up with great ideas. They also need to go out there and source the ideas that are making themselves seen on the web. Also, online video, as said before is not time bound like traditional TV advertising and thus leaves more scope for innovation and adventure.
Another wave that has hit our industry, which is already in a state of flux, is the mobile internet phenomenon. According to a research, almost one fourth of the online video viewership globally is through the mobile internet. Mobile internet gives marketers a chance to target more touch points in a consumer‘s life using the entertainment proposition. So now, consumers can be targeted while waiting for the bus or during lunch.
Another aspect that works in tandem with developing and understanding human insight is building trust. In this case the trust has to exist between the agency and the brand and it is of paramount importance in order to have a cohesive and comprehensive online video presence.
“Also, as we move towards tomorrow, we need to realise the importance of being opportunistic along with developing good strategies,” Watson explains. He goes on to say that simple observations like the characters or roles that people relate to while uploading a video can play a big part in the video going viral or not.
“Make it easy for the people to participate,” he concluded.
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.
