MAM
Will Lin joins Simplilearn as CMO
Mumbai: The global digital skill provider, Simplilearn, has appointed Will Lin as the new chief marketing officer. He brings to the company more than 20 years of international experience & proven track record in scaling data-driven ROI-focused marketing operations and taking them to the next level.
Recently, Simplilearn has also appointed Mohit Yadav & Sujoy Ghosh as vice presidents in the growth and tech verticals, respectively. They will be playing key roles in driving growth and transformation in the company. The addition of a new leader will act as a catalyst in the future ventures of the company.
He will be responsible for the overall global brand and digital marketing strategy of the company to further amplify Simplilearn’s brand awareness and to drive the transformation of marketing into a data and revenue driven function.
Will’s marketing leadership experience spans tenures at HP, Berggi, Microsoft, VRBO (formerly HomeAway), and RentPath. Prior to joining Simplilearn, he served as the chief marketing officer & chief digital officer at RentPath where he built a world-class consumer marketing program focused on renter acquisition & growth and was instrumental in its eventual $600 million acquisition by Redfin.
While at VRBO, Will managed a nine-figure marketing budget for 50+ websites across 20+ countries and contributed to the company’s growth which led to eventual $2 billion sale to Expedia.
Sharing his enthusiasm on joining the Simplilearn team, Will Lin said, “Being a part of Simplilearn is going to be an exciting journey for me. The edtech sector is booming with endless possibilities and potential. Simplilearn has been playing an excellent role in upskilling students and professionals, and while I am thrilled to bring all my expertise and experience to the table, I believe that this shall be a learning voyage for me too. I look forward to the road ahead with the company.”
Welcoming Will Lin to the Simplilearn team, Simplilearn CEO & founder Krishna Kumar said, “With our aim to grow locally and globally, and towards being the industry leader in digital skilling, we continue to strengthen our team paving the way to success. We are happy to have Will on board to lead the marketing vertical for Simplilearn and we look forward to his contributions and expertise on further growing the company, taking it to the next level.”
He added, “After close to a 6-year stint with Simplilearn, Mark Moran is moving on to start a new venture. I want to take this opportunity to thank Mark for all his contributions to make Simplilearn a better business and a better place to work. We wish him success with his new venture.”
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.
