iWorld
Create, engage, repeat: The new era of audience connection
Mumbai: In a world inundated with content, standing out requires more than just creativity; it demands genuine engagement. India has emerged as a global hub for content creation and consumption, boasting over 80 million creators, including influencers, bloggers, YouTubers and podcasters. This dynamic ecosystem is fueled by more than 500 million active social media users, driving an explosion of user-generated content across platforms. However, in a landscape where YouTube alone sees 400 hours of content uploaded every minute, the real challenge is ensuring meaningful engagement.
With the shift in the digital ecosystem, today the social media platforms have a thriving creator ecosystem tuned to enhance storytelling for maximum reach. The rise of hyperlocal micro-influencers has ushered in a new era of highly targeted brand marketing, allowing brands to connect with niche audiences like never before. To truly stand out and build an engaging narrative, creators must prioritize authenticity, craft impactful storytelling and explore new platforms and strategies.
Radio offers immense potential as a platform for influencer marketing. With its deep-rooted connection to listeners and its unique ability to create intimacy through storytelling, radio can seamlessly integrate influencers into its programming. When influencers share personal anecdotes, recommendations, or brand experiences in an authentic, conversational style, the result is campaigns that feel more genuine and relatable. Additionally, with the growing popularity of podcasts and online radio streaming, influencers have even more opportunities to engage with targeted audiences in a dynamic and interactive way.
Another strategic approach that sees rapid growth is cohort marketing, that allows brands to connect with segmented audience groups based on shared interests, behaviors, or demographics. This approach helps brands focus on their value proposition for each group, offering targeted tools and enablement to enhance audience engagement. For instance, beauty brands can target the listeners by focusing on topics like skincare and makeup, using influencers to deliver tailored content for each theme. This approach creates campaigns that deeply resonate with listeners, driving higher engagement and fostering long-term brand loyalty.
Creators are more than just content producers; they are key partners and revenue drivers. Cohort marketing empowers influencers with essential support, recognition and tools to amplify their influence, positioning them as vital contributors to a brand’s success. This approach enhances their ability to effectively reach audiences and create a lasting impact. By investing in creators and recognizing their value, brands can strengthen relationships with both their audiences and the creators. Utilising cohort marketing allows brands to discover new ways to reach their target market, delivering personalized content that fosters deeper engagement, builds loyalty and drives success in today’s competitive media landscape.
At Big Fm, we’ve amplified the potential of radio by integrating micro, macro and nano influencers into our campaigns, effectively bridging traditional broadcasting with digital interaction. By leveraging social media and digital platforms, we connect with diverse audiences across all age groups, merging the authenticity of radio with the reach and relatability of influencer marketing. This synergy enables us to craft campaigns that resonate on a personal level while making a lasting impact, reaffirming radio’s relevance as a dynamic and influential medium.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
