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Yahoo! India ropes in Malaika Arora to woo new users
MUMBAI: : Yahoo! India, has signed Malaika Arora Khan, the Bollywood actor for the ‘Yahoo! India mail’ campaign being launched online, in business and in-flight magazines besides outdoor at major domestic airport terminals.
Simultaneously, the company has also announced the ‘Malaika Arora Signature Series’ for Yahoo! India Mobile for users of the shortcode 8243.
Malaika will feature in the series of new Yahoo! India Mail’s print campaign that aims at highlighting the improved services on Y! India Mail. A Yahoo! India Mail user will enjoy a bigger storage space,
e -mail alerts on their mobile, receive and attach bigger files, gets benefited from enhanced security through improved spam control, besides having a unique feature of ‘address guard’ which allows the user to, create additional aliases to the primary e-mail account.
“Yahoo! India Mail has always endeavored to provide the Indian users of www.yahoo.co. in with continued innovations and product enhancements. Yahoo! Mail is a global leader and No 1 provider of E mail service both on the desktop and on the mobile. Yahoo! India will continue to provide better features of its flagship product to Indian users. E mail is still the single largest activity amongst Indians on the Internet .Trusted , safe and reliable Y! India Mail plans to acquire more e-mail users and provide them a platform to communicate and connect”, said Country General Manager Yahoo! India Neville Taraporewalla.
Yahoo! India will be launching the ‘Malaika Arora Signature Series’ on Yahoo! Mobile 8243. The Signature series will feature exclusive and unique mobile content like a ‘Get to know ‘ Malaika section of past pictures of the actor, Malaika’s favourite ringtones, video clips, themes in the form of screen savers, picture messages and logos and besides exciting Malaika mobile games and other features which will definitely enthrall all Malaika fans. All this available on the Yahoo! India wap site at http://in.wap.yahoo.com.
Not only this, for the first time, Yahoo! India will also offer an exclusive Malaika voice based content to all voice service users which will include celeb artist of the month, prompts, including personalized greetings, true tones, and Malaika caller tunes.
Apart from that, Yahoo! India Mobile fans will also get a chance to win a dinner date with Malaika by taking part in the various Malaika contests on Yahoo! India planned throughout the year.
Announcing the Malaika Signature series, Yahoo! India Mobile head Vishal Maheshwari said, “Mobile users are increasingly looking for value added content and Yahoo! India has always endeavoured to help people get more out of their mobile phones. The Malaika Signature Series initiative on Yahoo! Mobile 8243 is an example of how we are trying to increase our mass appeal by signing on with a name which the whole of India and specially the youth identifies with.”
The Malaika Signature Series on Yahoo! Mobile 8243 will be available across the country, through Yahoo! India Mobile’s tie-ups with all leading cellular operators in the country.
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India’s experience economy grows as live events market hits Rs 17,000 crore
EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow report finds 78 per cent Indians prefer experiences over products
MUMBAI: India’s live entertainment scene is no longer just about music, comedy or festivals. It is increasingly becoming a powerful stage for brands seeking deeper connections with consumers.
A new report titled Beyond Attention, Into Immersion by EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow suggests that India’s experience economy is entering a strong growth phase, driven by consumers who are choosing memorable moments over material purchases.
According to the study, the country’s live events ecosystem, which includes concerts, comedy tours, festivals and immersive exhibitions, is estimated to reach around Rs 17,000 crore in 2025. The growth reflects a broader cultural shift in how Indians spend their time and money.
The report finds that 78 per cent of Indian consumers now prefer spending on experiences rather than physical products. From attending concerts and festivals to participating in interactive brand installations, audiences are increasingly seeking engagement, community and shareable moments.
This change in consumer behaviour is particularly evident among younger audiences who want to participate rather than simply watch. Instead of passively consuming entertainment, many now look for experiences that allow them to interact, express themselves and connect with like minded communities.
For marketers, this shift has turned experiential marketing into a strategic priority rather than a promotional add on. Brands are moving away from interruption driven advertising and towards immersive formats that allow consumers to discover, test and emotionally connect with products.
The report suggests that experiential marketing now plays a role across the entire consumer journey. It can spark brand discovery, strengthen storytelling, encourage product trials and ultimately influence purchase decisions and loyalty.
The impact is already visible. Post event surveys conducted among 7,450 attendees at major events including Lollapalooza India and concerts by Ed Sheeran and Guns N’ Roses highlight the effectiveness of these experiences.
Around 59 per cent of attendees recalled brands they interacted with during the events, while 55 per cent said those interactions increased their likelihood of purchasing from the brand. A further 63 per cent reported that brand activations actually enhanced their event experience rather than distracting from it. Nearly 29 per cent also said the interaction improved their perception of the brand.
Brands are also changing the way they approach events. Instead of simply putting logos on stages or banners, companies are building experiences into the fabric of the event itself.
Financial services brands, for example, are offering early ticket access, exclusive lounges and curated event experiences for cardholders. Fashion and beauty companies are using festivals to showcase products through pop ups, interactive installations and social media friendly spaces that encourage visitors to share their experiences online.
The scope of experiential marketing now stretches far beyond live entertainment. Retailers are designing experiential stores where customers can explore products in lifelike environments. Entertainment platforms are extending popular intellectual properties into immersive exhibitions and fan events. Technology is also playing a growing role through augmented reality and virtual try on tools that blend digital discovery with physical interaction.
Cultural festivals remain one of the most powerful platforms for such engagement in India. Celebrations such as Navratri and Holi bring together large communities, emotional participation and heightened consumer spending. For brands, these moments offer an opportunity to become part of the celebration rather than simply advertise around it.
Despite the momentum, the report notes that some companies still hesitate to adopt experiential marketing at scale. Budget constraints, limited expertise and uncertainty around measuring return on investment remain common concerns.
However, the growing body of data around consumer engagement and brand impact is gradually addressing these challenges. More marketers are expected to allocate a larger share of their budgets to experiential formats over the coming years.
Taken together, the findings point to a clear trend. As consumers seek meaning, memories and moments worth sharing, live experiences are emerging as one of the most powerful ways for brands to stay relevant in a crowded media landscape.
