iWorld
Ditto TV introduces new #TVBuddy campaign
MUMBAI: Zee’s over-the-top (OTT) platform Ditto TV has launched a new campaign called #TVBuddy, which makes viewers aware of the people who have similar TV viewing habits.
Coming from the bouquet of Zee Digital Convergence, the #TVBuddy campaign narrates how one always discusses their favorite TV shows with someone far away.
#TVBuddy bridges gaps and brings together common interests of people wanting to view similar things on TV irrespective of being in different cities according to their comfort and convenience. If one is watching Jodha Akbar in their apartment in Mumbai, their TVBuddy can watch it at the same time in another timezone, like Sydney.
“Indians are like flamingos. They flock together, even virtually while watching TV. As this insight has a strong connect, we kept the film simple to demonstrate dittoTV’s role in the lives of Indian viewers,” said Scarecrow Communications founder and director Manish Bhatt.
Talking about the campaign, Zee Digital Convergence CEO Debashish Ghosh added, “Zee has always been an innovator in the media industry over the period of 22 years. Its content has always resonated with the audiences and now we have taken it a notch higher with dittoTV. We believe that India is a country where we celebrate every occasion together; with #TVBuddy campaign we are aiming to lend TV viewing experience a personal touch where you can watch your favorite movie, TV show or a match with your TV buddy who may be miles apart from you. The essence of Indian audiences who have evolved with just one TV set today now have TV at the tip of their fingers!’’
Scarecrow Communications founder and director Arunava Sengupta informed, “In the category of these app-based products, because of individual consumption, the selling point always has been about offering a personal space. But dittoTV breaches the wall and talks about consuming the entertainment together, instead of being confined to their own personal space. This, we believe, has a potential to create a disruption in the category.”
TV buddies can watch live TV on their smart phones, tablets or laptops, by downloading the DittoTV app and install it on their devices. The app also has other features like ‘catch up’ that let people catch up with movies and TV serials from where they left them.
iWorld
Prashant Iyer joins Sony LIV as head of marketing
The former Netflix India director grew the streamer’s social following from half a million to 55m
MUMBAI: Sony LIV has poached one of India’s most battle-hardened streaming marketers. Prashant Iyer, who spent nearly eight years at Netflix building its India operation into a social-media juggernaut, has joined the platform as head of marketing.
Iyer leaves Netflix having done rather a lot. He grew the streamer’s India social community from roughly 500,000 followers to over 55m, delivered engagement and organic impressions double those of rivals, and ran more than 250 campaigns across titles, brand and partnerships. In his final role as director, marketing, he sat on the core leadership team credited with driving 15-times revenue and subscription growth over eight years. He also served as the only director-level social leader across Asia-Pacific, a regional mandate that stretched across a 200m-plus follower community.
Before Netflix came Nike, where Iyer spent three and a half years straddling digital brand commerce and key account management, including ownership of Myntra, the brand’s largest digital account in India. Earlier still, Titan Company gave him his first crack at brand and digital marketing.
Sony LIV, which has been muscling for position in an increasingly crowded streaming market, has landed a marketer who knows precisely how to build an audience from scratch and, just as importantly, how to keep it. For a platform still chasing the kind of cultural cachet Netflix India took years to earn, that is not a bad place to start.
