Applications
Star World introduces viewer feedback tool on Facebook
MUMBAI: English GEC Star World has introduced a digital initiative on Facebook, called the Viewer Partner Programme (VPP).
Aimed at capturing customised research from its core audiences on the channel‘s overall programming and marketing strategy, Star World’s Viewer Partner Programme is an audience feedback tool that strengthens their commitment to engage audiences beyond television in India. Thisfeedback tool has been introduced on the online social network Facebook in India.
The VPP will facilitate structured feedback from the channel’s core TG; thereby channeling their views and opinions on existing programming, on air customised show promos as well as the advertising format. Through this programme, Star World will partner with its viewers to assist and incorporate insights into their programming and marketing strategy.
Designed in-house, the digital application will have a VPP tab on the Star World fan page on Facebook.
Viewers can partner the channel in defining their future programming and marketing through a process of a basic registration and gain access to the feedback tool. The viewers subscribing to the VPP will then be authorised to participate in various discussion forums, Surveys etc. Star World will strategically gauge feedback and use it to define the channel‘s future strategies.
Star India GM, senior VP, English Channels Saurabh Yagnik said, “Our research has shown that Star World’s Target Group comprises of viewers who are internet savvy and consumers of social networks. Getting insights on consumer’s needs and wants has always been a challenge as our core TG does not actively participate in research. By launching Viewer Partner Programme, we hope to partner directly with our huge, spread out viewer base that comprises of over 2.7 lakh fans on Facebook, and use their insights to continuously refine STAR World’s Programming strategy, shows and promotions. Hence this tool would help in procuring the best and most accurate feedback in a systematic manner.”
Star World’s VPP aims to be a game changer in the industry as this programme will enable the channel to know what the viewer prefers to watch on television. Currently, the Viewer Partner Programme is being initiated for Star World, and going forward it will replicate across the other network English channels.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
