Music and Youth
Live Viacom18 aims high with experiential marketing
MUMBAI: Recognising the power and potential of experiential marketing, Viacom18’s on-ground arm Live Viacom18 is all set to take things to the next level. What launched in 2013 with 12 shows, has expanded to more than 300 events in 2015, with 12 solid intellectual properties to its name. From VH1 Supersonic, MTV Bollyland, Emerge to Chuckle Festival, the list is long.
What’s more, the company didn’t stop at just establishing brands but extended the property with every passing year, be it through campus interactions, club nights across tier II and III cities, to engagement through heavyweight events.
“The idea was to expand each event into several individual extensions, which run through a year. We saw a tremendous growth story by following this strategy. That also ensured that advertisers and consumers have a sustained visibility and access to the properties throughout the year,” says Live Viaocm18 senior vice president and business head Jaideep Singh.
Identifying the advantage that experiential marketing gives brand is the key reason for the initiative’s success across the country in such a short time. Not only has it been successful in multiplying eyeball reach exponentially, it has also managed to establish each of the properties as individual brands with a loyal following.
“From our network perspective, we have premium brands in all the spaces from Nickelodeon to Vh1 to MTV to Colors, which are brands that can take live event space to the next level. Fortunately we are positioned rightly to make the optimum use out of this space and provide advertisers with the same. And these IPs cannot exist in isolation, they need a certain ecosystem as well, which we can create by leveraging the 150 million plus broadcast eyeballs that we command, and 95 million digital footprints that we reach. Viacom18 is our answer to exploiting such a massive reach in the live space,” he points out.
“We have plans to touch one million people in terms of our live events. We are looking at taking us to 25 cities and 300 odd events through the year. The biggest contributor to this massive on ground success of Viacom18 is no doubt our flagship property VH1 Supersonic, which is synonymous with the country’s EDM music scene,” he adds.
With the third instalment of the mega five day EDM extravaganza hitting the country from 27 December, Singh shares that the expectations are quite high from this year’s lineup, audience turnover as well as brand integration and partnerships.
“Last year was fantastic. We felt so connected with our fans who attended the festival and the bond will only grow stronger this year. Building on last year’s success where approximately 100,000 dance music fans surrendered to the enigma of dance music at Candolim beach, we have been inspired to make this year’s edition of Vh1 Supersonic a much grander affair,” Singh shares.
“Our vision at Live Viacom18 is to provide dance music fans with a holistic experiential experience thereby igniting the collective passion for dance music and fulfil the needs of devoted music lovers. The third edition of this festival with its exciting line-up of artists and association with the global music fraternity will be an experience that fans will remember for a long time to come,” he signs off.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
