GECs
UTV acquires post production, recording studio
MUMBAI: Software production company UTV has acquired a post production and sound recording studio Western Outdoor Advertising.
The company will be merged with UTV’s United Studio division and will be called USL-WOA. This represents the first acquisition in the post production segment in the Indian media sector.
Reports indicate that Western Outdoor’s assets amount to Rs 250 million while USL-WOA’s will be worth around Rs 600 million. The combine is expected to garner 60 per cent of Mumbai’s business which translates into one billion rupees. UTV’s promoter Ronnie Screwvala has been quoted as saying that the initiative aims at providing superior service in the form of creative solutions to customers.
UTV is looking at expanding its business in the area of 3D animation for television content, creating special effects for films and sound recording.
The company is also looking to grow its international revenues in the fields of animation and dubbing. As part of the deal, Western Outdoor will get one per cent stake in UTV. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp holds a 15 per cent stake in UTV.
Another report in The Economic Times indicates that UTV is also looking to spread its wings by launching four films in the year 2002-2003. One of them stars Val Kilmer last seen in The Salton Sea’ and the budget is estimated at 10 million dollars. The period love story set in India is a co-production with LA based Madira Films. Also in the pipeline is a Shah Rukh Khan film being produced in association with SRK Films, expected to be completed within 15 months. UTV is also said to be planning a solo Bollywood venture which will be directed by Samir Karnik who cut his teeth in the ad film world.
GECs
Z launches ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ to boost brand engagement across screens
New omnichannel format blends TV characters, storytelling and digital reach to boost engagement and affinity
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (‘Z’) has unveiled ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a new omnichannel media format designed to help brands cut through the clutter and turn audience attention into brand love.
With media access increasingly democratized, visibility alone no longer drives results. Shrinking attention spans and rising content noise have made memorability, emotional connection and action the real currency. Dilfluencer Moments addresses this by embedding brands into character-led, culturally resonant storytelling that travels seamlessly from TV to digital, social and creator ecosystems.
The format debuted with the “TumHoLovely” campaign on National Girl Child Day. Anchored in Hindi and Marathi shows, the campaign’s narrative extended organically across digital platforms, amplified by creators and community participation. A brand film featuring Sanya Malhotra further showcased how TV-originated cultural cues can spark broad engagement and virality. Within 24 hours, the campaign racked up 35 million total impressions, 20 million digital views, 2.5 million engagements and over 1,000 comments.
Laxmi Shetty, head – advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said, “As consumers turn away from interruption-led communication, advertisers need moments that feel culturally earned and emotionally authentic. Dilfluencer Moments delivers reach at scale through character-first content systems that connect with audiences personally, transforming storytelling into brand love.”
Kartik Mahadev, chief marketing officer, ‘Z’ & Zee 5, added: “Access alone is no longer an advantage; affinity is. Affinity comes from storytelling, familiar characters and moments that stay with audiences across screens. Dilfluencer Moments lets brands participate meaningfully in moments audiences already love, travelling organically across linear, digital and social platforms at scale.”
By anchoring campaigns in high-trust television moments and extending them into digital and social ecosystems, Dilfluencer Moments enables brands to generate organic engagement, amplify virality and convert attention into long-term emotional equity.
With its national scale, deep emotional storytelling and character-first approach, Z is offering marketers a powerful new way to build affinity, cut through clutter and create culturally resonant brand moments that stick.
