Movies
Zee Telugu becomes the flagbearer of on-ground engagement initiatives
Mumbai:Zee Telugu, a GEC channel across AP and Telangana, has been the go-to entertainment destination for all TV enthusiasts since its inception. Over the years, the channel has enthralled viewers with fiction shows, non-fiction properties as well as blockbuster movies. However, Zee Telugu has also emerged as the flagbearer of on-ground engagement activities, especially in small towns across the two Telugu-speaking states.
In fact, Zee Telugu has been planning and executing some never-seen-before, ingenious and engaging on-ground events and activations for its shows and movies in a bid to reach out to its audience across the smallest of smallest towns in AP & Telangana. The exciting and unique initiatives are a way for the channel to personally connect and engage with its viewers at the local level as well as reward them for their loyalty. The channel plans the events on a grand scale on a regular basis, such that each event organised in these small towns has witnessed footfalls of 8k to 10k people on a consistent basis!
Apart from these remarkable on-ground events, popular Zee Telugu fiction show artistes also pay a visit to the homes of a few lucky people in these small towns as a part of these activities. What’s more is that they take pictures with their fans, spend time with the families they visit, perform special acts for them and provide them with a wholesome experience. All this not only helps the channel’s audience-connect to grow, but people in the smaller towns of AP & Telangana also feel connected with the channel, its shows, its artistes and all of that remains etched in their minds forever.
Seeing the success of such innovative activations by Zee Telugu including the likes of Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, amongst others, are joining hands with the channel for these on-ground events. In a bid to form a similar bond with the people and to engage with them while increasing their visibility in these smaller towns across AP & Telangana, key brands are partnering with Zee Telugu as they find their on-ground activations as the most innovative way to build local connect.
Zee Entertainment chief growth officer Ashish Sehgal mentioned, “With its plethora of innovative and engaging shows, Zee Telugu is the go-to entertainment destination in AP and Telangana. Being a market leader, the Zee team has always endeavoured to go above and beyond to connect with its viewers in person by conceptualising and executing unique ground events, Zee artiste visits and special performances across small towns and villages. Taking note of this special connection and our expertise in conducting such engagement programs, major consumer brands have joined hands with Zee to create a deeper connection with the audience. We are delighted to work with a renowned organisation like Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting to help them showcase their brands at the ground level across AP and Telangana, making this a unique collaboration extending beyond TV into a deeper marketing relationship.”
Telugu Cluster head Anuradha Gudur also added, “As one of the most successful channels in the Telugu TV Industry, we are always ideating on ways to reach out to our audience in unique ways and help them connect with their favourite stars, who they watch on TV every day. Over the past few years, we have been organising several on-ground experiential activities for our viewers and we have seen thousands of people attending the events and making it a successful practice. In 2023 as well, we are planning more on-ground events and are hoping to collaborate with top brands and reach out to a larger set of towns and audiences across AP & Telangana.”
Wipro consumer care & lighting vice president – marketing S Prasanna Rai shared, “At Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting we have always valued partnerships with brands that are able to create and maintain a strong connect with consumers through innovative campaigns. Hence, we are happy to be associating with Zee Telugu to bring exciting activities and events for its shows and movies on-ground close to audiences and reaching out to them across various cities and towns in AP & Telangana. Our partnership with Zee Telugu has been a great journey with multiple customer connect events, and we hope to continue this partnership to create value together for our consumers”.
Clearly, Zee Telugu has found a unique way to strengthen its brand identity and create the desired impact while reaching out to millions of its viewers at the local level through such activations. With several aspirational and refreshing fiction and non-fiction shows coming up, viewers are in for a treat as Zee Telugu will continue with its exciting audience outreach across AP & Telangana in 2023 as well.
Hollywood
Disney sells out ad slots for 98th Oscars broadcast
Strong demand for live events turns the Academy Awards into a global, multi-platform marketing moment
NEW YORK: Hollywood’s biggest night has also become one of advertising’s hottest tickets. Disney has sold out all advertising inventory for the 98th Oscars, underscoring the growing demand from brands eager to ride the cultural wave of major live events.
The sell-out marks the sixth consecutive live tentpole success for Disney Advertising. The streak includes last year’s 97th Oscars, the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, signalling strong appetite among marketers for moments that bring audiences together in real time.
For advertisers, the Oscars are no longer just a single night of glitz and gold statues. Disney’s “Content Everywhere” strategy has expanded the awards show into a sprawling, multi-platform brand playground spanning linear television, streaming, social media and digital content.
“Live continues to be one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with engaged audiences at scale, and the Oscars represent the very best of culture, creativity and community,” said Disney Advertising SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions John Campbell. He added that the company has reshaped the show’s commercial potential into a connected experience that stretches well beyond the broadcast.
Brands such as Mazda, Pfizer and Volkswagen of America are tapping into Disney’s wider ecosystem, appearing across original content segments including Know Your Movies on Hulu and Critically Acclaimed on Disney+. Partnerships also extend to social media through TikTok Pulse Premiere and to custom brand storytelling created by Disney CreativeWorks.
The result is what Disney calls the “Oscars Everywhere” approach. Rather than a few high-profile ad breaks, advertisers now find themselves woven through a series of moments before, during and after the ceremony.
These include On The Red Carpet at The Oscars, a live pre-show syndicated across major local markets and streamed nationwide, and the After the Oscars Show, which keeps the conversation going once the final award has been handed out.
This year’s sponsors include Rolex, returning for its ninth year, and Burger King, which joins the Oscars advertiser roster for the first time. Other brands in the mix include Disney Cruise Line, Dunkin’, Eli Lilly and Company, Eucerin, Intuit TurboTax, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miebo, Paris Baguette, Peacock, Starbucks, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.
The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
