iWorld
Eros Now leverages content to create a new culture for viewers
MUMBAI: Amid a cluttered over-the-top (OTT) space in India, Eros Now always faced less challenge than other players to differentiate itself. With Eros International’s deep-rooted history in the film industry, the digital arm played with a specialised strategy since the beginning. While the subscription-based business model in the Indian OTT market is still nascent, the company has always prioritised SVOD model. However, riding the waves of change, the company is also updating content strategy, even working on something very interesting from its business model perspective.
Recently, the leading OTT platform reached over 100 million registered users and 7.9 million paying subscribers worldwide with a 58 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Eros Digital COO Ali Hussein discussed the factors that fuelled the growth along with what will be the content strategy going forward.
Talking about the significant surge in terms of paid subscribers, Hussein mentioned the combination of efforts including programming, marketing strategy, enhanced relations with telco partners and marketing alliance partners as key contributors to the customer uptake. The new movies added to the catalogue, as well as refurbishing content helped to develop a consistency from the programming perspective. Active marketing both at the digital level and brand level also played a key role.
While the OTT platforms keep adding subscribers, high churn rates are challenging for subscription video businesses. “Essentially we learnt from data that there are two kinds of significant components. One is the larger users experience on the product side and second is in terms of being able to kind of refurbish content. So, I think the combination of two efforts from the consistency of programming leads to a larger subscriber affinity and two is, in terms of being able to ensure that we are able to create a user experience at the core,” he says.
“Then there are certain other remarketing strategies we establish in terms of being able to cluster our audience better and ensuring that we get a month-on-month growth,” he added.
Though, since its launch, the OTT platform has been hailed for its rich movie library and currently is also working on the movie catalogue, the company is not willing to entirely depend on it.
However, despite originals being an important part of programming strategy, he does not believe in gambling all the money for it. The team is working on short-form content ideas also as a part of the overall content strategy.
In late April, Eros Now premiered its first direct-to-digital film Meri Nimmo kicking off a new trend of distribution as well as adding a new dimension to its content strategy. Viewers have responded well to the film. Moreover, it has helped to attract new users to the platform.
“From a qualitative point of view, it was a very good thing. Something that we will do going forward also in terms of looking at digital original film as a key part of content strategy,” he said.
The success of the first initiative in the genre has helped the company to fix focus on such projects. Currently, it is looking at multiple projects that will be released direct on digital.
Very recently, Eros Now launched a new brand campaign titled ‘Bolo kya dekhogey’. It claims that the quality of organic users coming on the platform has gone up drastically after the launch of the campaign. Usually, many players go to third-party digital agencies for marketing campaigns but Eros Now relied on in-house creativity.
“We are also a production house first; we develop a lot of creative ideas. So, people who worked on the quality movies over the years should be able to come up with good creative ideas itself to market around products. Historically, we have been the one marketing our movies also,” Hussein explains.
Since the beginning of this year, from appointing some new key executives including Hussein to launching new brand campaign, expanding content library, extensive marketing, the first half has been momentous for the streaming platform. The company is heading in a direction to reach about 12-15 million paid subscribers in next 12 months on the back of such focussed strategies.
e-commerce
ITC Sunfeast, Zepto host mango-themed experiential ‘Paglu Party’
Event blends Alphonso desserts, DIY sessions and interactive formats
MUMBAI: When mango season peaks, some savour it others go full ‘paglu’. ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations, in collaboration with Zepto, turned summer indulgence into an immersive brand experience with its ‘Mango Paglu Party’, a high-energy, mango-themed event designed to blur the line between dessert and discovery. Built around the brand’s ‘Mad Over Mangoes’ universe, the space leaned into a sensory overload bright, playful and unapologetically mango-drenched. From curated installations to social-first corners, every element was designed to be as shareable as it was experiential.
At the centre of the celebration was the fruit itself, elevated into a menu crafted using fresh, carbide-free Alphonso mangoes sourced by Zepto. The spread ranged from a flaky Mango Pista Kouign Aman to Mango Coconut Serradura Pudding and a Mango Mascarpone Cake, balancing indulgence with seasonal freshness.
But this was not a passive tasting affair. Guests were drawn into the experience through interactive formats, including a DIY dessert session led by the brand’s chef, where attendees created classics like Mango Tres Leches. Zepto chief business officer Chandan Mehndiratta also joined the session, adding a touch of brand personality to the proceedings.
A quirky highlight came in the form of the ‘Aam Paglu Prescription’, a playful, doctor-themed concept that positioned mango indulgence as the only “treatment” worth taking, turning a simple insight into a memorable activation.
The event built up to a theatrical finale, with the crowning of the ‘Aam Paglu of the Day’ followed by the cutting of an oversized mango-shaped Mango Mascarpone Cake, closing the experience on a high note.
More than just a seasonal showcase, the Mango Paglu Party reflects a broader shift in brand storytelling, where products are no longer just consumed, but experienced. For ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations and Zepto, mango season was not just about flavour, it was about creating a moment that audiences could step into, engage with and, quite literally, devour.
