On Monday, <keyword id="19940563" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="JioCinema" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="JioCinema" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="JioCinema">JioCinema</keyword>’s official YouTube channel unveiled the long-anticipated teaser for <keyword id="21495895" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bigg-Boss-OTT-3" source="keywords">Bigg Boss OTT 3</keyword>, officially introducing <keyword id="19908194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anil-Kapoor" source="keywords">Anil Kapoor</keyword> as the show’s new host. The 67-year-old Bollywood icon has made sporadic guest appearances on <keyword id="19896130" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bigg-boss" source="keywords">Bigg Boss</keyword> over the years, but the upcoming season will mark his debut as the full-time host. But what about the show’s original host, <keyword id="19901647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Salman-Khan" source="keywords">Salman Khan</keyword>? <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Why is Salman Khan not hosting Bigg Boss OTT 3?" comment="subhead" text="Why is Salman Khan not hosting Bigg Boss OTT 3?">Why is Salman Khan not hosting Bigg Boss OTT 3?</cmsannotation> Over the course of 17 Bigg Boss seasons and two OTT seasons, Salman Khan has become almost synonymous with the show. His engaging presence, particularly during the ‘Weekend Ka Vaar’ episodes, has been a major draw for viewers tuning in each weekend. This season, however, Salman will not be hosting Bigg Boss OTT. The reason? His schedule is packed with other professional engagements. According to sources, Salman is currently engrossed in preparations for his upcoming film, <keyword id="21269802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sikandar" source="keywords">Sikandar</keyword>. Slated for an <keyword id="20551967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Eid-2025" source="keywords">Eid 2025</keyword> release, the film's shooting is set to commence this month under the direction of AR Murugadoss, with Rashmika Mandanna co-starring alongside Salman. These film commitments have forced Salman to step away from his Bigg Boss hosting duties, paving the way for Anil Kapoor to take over. <div type="twitter" handle="JioCinema" handlename="JioCinema" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1800093329608286595"></div> If existing reports hold true, this hiatus might be temporary, with Salman expected to return for Bigg Boss Season 18. It is likely to kick off in late September or early October this year. Adding to the buzz, internet rumours hint that Bigg Boss 18 might feature an intriguing mix of contestants: nine celebrities and nine commoners. While there has been no official confirmation yet, these rumours suggest that the makers are planning a blend of familiar faces and fresh personalities. Should this come to pass, it will be fascinating to see Salman Khan interact with such a diverse group of contestants when he returns to his hosting role. But for now, all eyes are on Anil Kapoor as he steps into the Bigg Boss limelight, promising to bring his jhakaas flair to the hosting duties. Bigg Boss OTT 3 streaming begins exclusively on JioCinema Premium on June 21, 9 pm.

Bigg Boss OTT 3 promo introduces Anil Kapoor as new host! But why is Salman Khan no longer hosting?

Mumbai, Gearing up for more excitement and thrills, '<keyword id="26022" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bigg-boss" source="Orion">Bigg Boss</keyword> OTT 2' is now introducing a new twist to the show as various social media influencers and personalities are set to join the show on Thursday. Lighting up the show, these celebrities will bring forth their own unique personalities, stories and talents, adding greater thrills to it.The roster of these contestants includes: <keyword id="685647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RJ-Malishka" source="Orion">RJ Malishka</keyword>: A household name in the world of radio, RJ <keyword id="883102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="malishka" source="Orion">Malishka</keyword> will bring her infectious energy and remarkable storytelling abilities to the 'Bigg Boss OTT' house. <keyword id="320304" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="malini-agarwal" source="Orion">Malini Agarwal</keyword>: Popularly known as <keyword id="2064012" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="missmalini" source="Orion">MissMalini</keyword>, she will bring a new element of glamour and charm to the house. A prominent social media influencer, Malini is known for her insightful commentary and impeccable fashion sense. <keyword id="13336113" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bc-aunty" source="Orion">BC Aunty</keyword> (<keyword id="13265498" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="snehil-mehra" source="Orion">Snehil Mehra</keyword>): A sassy and humorous person, BC Aunty is known for her funny videos, and will leave an indelible mark in this high-octane challenge with her witty comebacks and signature no-nonsense attitude. <keyword id="17992384" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="dipraj-jadhav" source="Orion">Dipraj Jadhav</keyword>: A multi-talented entertainer with a charming personality, Dipraj will bring an elegant mix and captivating fusion of comedy and music to the 'Bigg Boss OTT' house. <keyword id="17992385" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="danny-pandit" source="Orion">Danny Pandit</keyword>: Danny is known for his charismatic personality and powerful stage presence. He will bring in a strong sense of witty humour with his comic timing and hilarious antics, as he effortlessly engages with the housemates and the viewers alike. The episode of 'Bigg Boss OTT 2' will stream on JioCinema.

RJ Malishka, MissMalini & other influencers set to enter Big Boss house

The next season of the popular reality show "Bigg Boss" will stream its first six weeks on <keyword id="1245953" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT">OTT</keyword> and then make a gradual shift to television. The new season will be called "<keyword id="11600532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bigg-boss-ott">Bigg Boss OTT</keyword>" and will arrive early this year. "Bigg Boss OTT", which will stream on <keyword id="3113913" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="VOOT">Voot</keyword>, will introduce a 'janta' factor. The new format will give the common man the uncommon powers of "Bigg Boss OTT" by enabling them to handpick contestants and the contestants' stay, tasks and exit from the show. <keyword id="842774" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ferzad-Palia">Ferzad Palia</keyword>, Head of Voot Select says: "At Voot, experiences and innovation around content are at the forefront of our strategy. 'Bigg Boss' has witnessed tremendous success over seasons and grown to become India's biggest entertainment property. The launch of Bigg Boss OTT on Voot is another step towards solidifying our '<keyword id="50691" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital">Digital</keyword> First' approach as an organisation. We are confident that our loyal fans and subscribers will enjoy a truly world class experience through our 24 hour Live feeds, interactivity and gaming offerings." Actress Shweta Tiwari, an ex Bigg Boss contestant and winner of "Bigg Boss 4", is excited about the OTT streaming of the show. She says: "I'm extremely excited to know that my favourite reality show is arriving early this year. For me, Bigg Boss was a life-changing experience. Not only did it let the audience know me beyond my persona as an actor, but ended up teaching me to be more patient, tolerant and yet assertive. It also gave me friends like family. I watch 'Bigg Boss' every year, but I think that as an audience member, I am going to have more power than ever before to be the real judge of the show. That makes this OTT launch absolutely thrilling." SEE ALSO - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-calendars-new-rsvp-option-will-let-you-specify-how-you-want-to-attend-a-meeting/articleshow/84237490.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Google Calendar’s new RSVP option will let you specify how you want to attend a meeting</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-hires-over-20000-in-june-quarter-its-highest-ever-quarterly-addition/articleshow/84240423.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">TCS has loaded up half a million peeps as it expects many to move on</a>

Reality show Bigg Boss to premiere initially on OTT for six weeks before it hits television

<ul><li>Big Boss has launched in its digital avatar on Voot.</li><li>Bigg Boss OTT roped in 8 leading brands as sponsors for the exclusive digital season. After <keyword id="6358977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="swiggy">Swiggy</keyword> and <keyword id="6416838" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coindcx">CoinDCX</keyword> joined in as the ‘co-powered by’ sponsors, Viacom18’s Voot roped in Vimal Elaichi, <keyword id="9555198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="MX-TakaTak">MX Takatak</keyword>, <keyword id="2875740" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netmeds">Netmeds</keyword>, <keyword id="150626" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="HM">H&amp;M</keyword>, <keyword id="270570" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Durex">Durex</keyword> and Lotus Herbal as sponsors.</li></ul>With screens turned from television to digital, Bigg Boss, in its digital avatar, unleashed a super storm of over-the-top celebration and entertainment with its opening episode. With its launch on Voot with 13 contestants, Bigg Boss OTT roped in 8 leading brands as sponsors for the exclusive digital season. The season premiere episode witnessed viewers tuning in from across India registering the highest numbers of subscriber tune-in for a Bigg Boss opening till date. After Swiggy and CoinDCX joined in as the ‘co-powered by’ sponsors, Viacom18’s Voot roped in Vimal Elaichi, MX Takatak, Netmeds, H&amp;M, Durex and Lotus Herbal as sponsors. Joining as Presenting Sponsor, Vimal Elaichi is recognized as a brand to champion pioneering ideas with a strong youth appeal. Vimal Elaichi will leverage Bigg Boss’ fandom to connect and interact with viewers through highly engaging IPs like Video Vichaar and Extraa Masala giving the brand widespread exposure throughout the reality series. While Video Vichaar will enable viewers to share thoughts and opinions around daily developments within the house, Extraa Masala is a successful content around content IP that traditionally attracts hordes of Asli Fans who can’t keep away from the Bigg Boss phenomena. MX Takatak is a recognized brand in the short video format domain and in capacity as Social Media Partner, MX Takatak will deepen synergies with the show and its audience. MX Takatak will foster and drive growth for the Bigg Boss OTT x Voot community on its platform. As Style Partner, internationally loved fashion brand, H&amp;M will spruce up with style quotient on the show. A host of distinctive partners will seamlessly integrate with the daily storyline thus becoming an essential aspect of the overall storytelling. Additionally, Netmeds joins as Pharmacy Partner, Durex as <keyword id="11846994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="special-partner">Special Partner</keyword> and Lotus Herbal as Beauty Partner will drive engagement through tasks and activities that both contestants and viewers will actively be involved in. Elaborating on the sponsorships, Gourav Rakshit, Chief Operating Officer, <keyword id="2947361" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18-Digital-Ventures">Viacom18 Digital Ventures</keyword>, said, “Bigg Boss has grown to become a celebrated proposition for brands to connect and engage with viewers. Given the multi-touchpoint offering, the interest the show generates is unlike any other. The diverse brands that have come onboard as sponsors, some of whom have joined the Bigg Boss family for the first time in this exciting edition, is testimony to popularity of Bigg Boss and the wide appeal of the Voot platform. We are excited to be working closely with them to create an ‘Over The Top experience’ for their audiences as well.” Speaking on associating with India’s largest reality phenomena, spokesperson at Vimal Elaichi said, “We are delighted to come on board as the presenting partner of Bigg Boss OTT- a new, pioneering idea for an OTT platform in India. Vimal has always associated with shows and IPs that have a large mass audience connect; testimony to that are our brand ambassadors Ajay Devgn and Shahrukh Khan! An innovative property like Bigg Boss OTT which is watched and loved by millions, fits in seamlessly with the same vision. We are very confident that this partnership will enjoy tremendous success.” On its premiere association with Voot for Bigg Boss OTT, Janhavi Parikh, Business Head - MX TakaTak said, “With this exciting partnership, we bring reality television to short video as well! Bigg Boss OTT shows the real side of celebrities to its viewers while MX TakaTak offers a great platform and encourages users, creators, digital enthusiasts to showcase their real talent across different genres. The natural content synergies that both platforms drive make it a win-win for us and we believe this will make for a great content fit for our users.” With the entertainment phenomenon’s tremendous popularity and reach, the sponsorships aim to provide brands with an opportunity to engage and collaborate through various touchpoints throughout the digital season. With prominence through ad spots, task integrations, special zones and other interactive and innovative branding opportunities, Bigg Boss OTT is all set to further give impetus to the brands to enhance their visibility and influence consumers.

Voot onboards 8 sponsors for Bigg Boss OTT as it opens its digital-first exclusive season

<ul><li>Veteran star <keyword id="14505" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="zeenat-aman" source="Orion">Zeenat Aman</keyword> made her <keyword id="819905" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="instagram" source="Orion">Instagram</keyword> debut at 71 and amassed over 1.3 lakh followers in just a month. She will soon make her web series debut.</li><li><keyword id="1813" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="neena-gupta" source="Orion">Neena Gupta</keyword>’s appeal for work on Instagram heralded a change in the way the industry looked at veteran actresses.</li><li>OTT platforms have not only revived careers of veteran stars, it has also brought to centre stage actresses long-sidelined by mainstream media.</li></ul>Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish that released in 2012, was considered a sleeper hit despite starring one of Indian cinema’s original female superstars, Sridevi. It took the industry by surprise because <keyword id="143" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bollywood" source="Orion">Bollywood</keyword> rarely backs female-led movies and even when it does, these movies – especially those starring veterans, aren’t expected to become commercial potboilers. However, the advent of over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney plus Hotstar etc, and the rise of social media has changed the scenario. In some cases, actresses of a certain vintage have begun to take centre stage – with some even landing hits far more popular than the ones delivered by mainstream heroes. In February 2023, the 70s heart-throb Zeenat Aman, 71, made her debut on Instagram. Within a month, she has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thezeenataman/">amassed </a>1.37 lakh followers and won over the audience with her articulate, unabashed and honest views — a far cry from the carefully-curated celebrity updates people are accustomed to. “The roles available to women are clearly not just ornamental anymore. What hasn’t changed though is the gender pay gap. In my time I was lauded as the highest paid female actor, but the disparity in the pay cheque between my male co-stars and myself was so vast it was laughable…it disappoints me that even today women in the film industry don’t have wage parity,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpFl3XoA8Un/">remarked </a>Aman in one of her many posts on the platform. Aman, who’ll soon make her <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/zeenat-aman-to-make-her-ott-debut-soon-already-has-two-web-series-in-her-kitty/articleshow/92560748.cms">web series debut</a> with <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/zeenat-aman-to-make-ott-debut-with-the-series-showsttopper-101677773391183.html">Showsttopper</a>, co-starring Shweta Tiwari, Rohit Roy and others, also walked the ramp for Shahin Mannan’s fashion show at the Lakme Fashion week. She’s the latest in a long list of veteran actresses who’ve taken to new-age entertainment platforms and social media channels like fish to water, and have managed to shatter the long-held Bollywood concept of ‘limited shelf life’ for female actors. But, it’s certainly not a new phenomenon. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The Bollywood stars who went to reality shows" comment="subhead" text="The Bollywood stars who went to reality shows">The Bollywood stars who went to reality shows</cmsannotation> There’s always been a clear divide between a TV and movie star in India, with television often seen as a stepping stone to movies — but only for a few. Most stars who start with TV shows, however, continue to remain there. However, when some of the stars from the 90s and early 2000s first made their comeback, it was as judges of reality shows on TV or in some cases, as contestants. For instance, Shilpa Shetty famously participated in Big Brother —- the British version of Bigg Boss, which catapulted her back to stardom. A few even took to TV shows, like Sonali Bendre in Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye (2014). Although superstars like Madhuri Dixit have managed to reinvent their careers and regularly land exciting roles, that wasn’t the case for many other veteran actresses. Until actor Neena Gupta decided to ask for work on social media, heralding a change in the way Bollywood views older stars. In 2017, Neena Gupta, the star of indie cinema in the 1980s, openly asked for work — a move that left a majority of the population within the industry, and even outside of it, surprised. After all, this is an industry where actors out of work for years still spout the excuse, “looking for the right script.” “I live in Mumbai and working, am a good actor looking for good parts to play,” wrote Gupta on Instagram. The result of Gupta’s request – since 2017, she’s starred in over 10 different movies and web series, including blockbuster hits like Badhaai Ho and crowd favourites like Panchayat. Her Badhaai Ho co-star, the late Surekha Sikri also won her third National Film Award for the film. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The other comeback: Sidelined by mainstream media but stars on OTT" comment="subhead" text="The other comeback: Sidelined by mainstream media but stars on OTT">The other comeback: Sidelined by mainstream media but stars on OTT</cmsannotation> The advent of OTT streaming has not only shone the spotlight on veteran stars but has also given actors sidelined by mainstream media a chance to showcase their acting prowess. Like actor <keyword id="18676" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shefali-shah" source="Orion">Shefali Shah</keyword>. Sidelined by mainstream cinema for years, 49-year-old Shah’s gritty performance in Netflix’s International Emmy-winner Delhi Crime was the perfect response to that mistreatment. Since then, she’s been on a roll, delivering hits across genres — romantic dramas like Netflix’s Once Again, thrillers like Prime Video’s Jalsa and Disney+Hostar’s Human or dark comedies, like Darlings (on Netflix). In fact, OTT brought back many millennials’ childhood divas, be it former Miss <keyword id="326110" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="universe-sushmita-sen" source="Orion">Universe Sushmita Sen</keyword> or the ‘tip tip’ girl, Raveena Tandon. And they didn’t return to play stereotypical mothers to actors who were as old or even younger than themselves — as Shefali Shah did for Akshay Kumar in the film Waqt: The Race Against Time. Shah is six years younger than Kumar. Rather they starred as protagonists in shows with gripping storylines that gave them a chance to flex their long-dormant acting muscles. The result — Sen’s mom-turned-mobster avatar in Aarya and Tandon’s small-town cop in Aranyak and the antagonist in KGF2. As Sen shared <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch">in an interview </a>with film critic Anupama Chopra for Film Companion, “What I like about Bollywood now is suddenly, content is king. It’s incredible how liberal the language of cinema is becoming. It’s allowing people to explore all different aspects — writing, execution, direction, actors getting that opportunity to go beyond the boy-meets-girl phase. It’s wonderful.” Long story short, the stars have finally aligned for Bollywood’s veteran and long-sidelined powerful actresses. And it’s a well-deserved comeback indeed! SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-is-gpt-4-different-from-chatgpt-and-what-makes-it-unique/articleshow/98688465.cms">How is GPT-4 different from ChatGPT, and what makes it unique?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/googles-new-ai-features-for-docs-gmail-and-more-to-rival-microsofts-workspace-toolsheres-what-it-means/articleshow/98657324.cms">Google’s new AI features for Docs, Gmail, and more to rival Microsoft’s workspace tools—here’s what it means</a>

How stars like Neena Gupta, Zeenat Aman & Shefali Shah finally found their place in the sun via OTT

The controversial reality show '<keyword id="26022" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bigg-boss" source="Orion">Bigg Boss</keyword> 15' hosted by <keyword id="6354583" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="salman-khan" source="Orion">Salman Khan</keyword> is going to start from October 2. Recently the launch of the show took place at Pench resort, Nagpur. Ex-Bigg Boss contestants <keyword id="4270571" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="devoleena" source="Orion">Devoleena</keyword> Bhattacharjee and Arti Singh hosted the launch. Television actress and model Donal Bisht, ex-Bigg Boss contestant Asim Riaz's brother <keyword id="8365929" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="umar-riaz" source="Orion">Umar Riaz</keyword> are the confirmed contestants and <keyword id="2807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shamita-shetty" source="Orion">Shamita Shetty</keyword> and Nishant Bhat from 'Bigg Boss OTT' house will also be locked in 'BB15' house. Salman Khan joined the press conference via video conferencing. Both Devoleena and Arti divided themselves among two teams and became the captain of each. There were certain tasks that they needed to perform to survive in the jungle. The tasks were performed to give the experience of the tagline of 'Bigg Boss 15' that is 'Sankat in Jungle, Phailaayega Dangal Pe Dangal'. The two divided teams performed tasks like making tea to construct a roof and other interesting tasks like surviving in rain. In fact, Arti was also seen hanging mid-air as she performed one of the survival tasks. There was also a traditional dance performance by a group of dancers and both Devoleena and Arti can be seen dancing on the tunes. Then there is a colourful decorated tree called 'Vishwasuntree' which can also be seen in the jungle. It was also shown in the promos of 'Bigg Boss 15' and voiceover for which was done by Rekha. The promos also showed Salman Khan in conversation with the tree. 'Bigg Boss 15' will start from October 2 on COLORS. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/this-hcl-career-program-can-help-engineering-freshers-to-get-a-job-with-a-minimum-package-of-2-75-lakh/articleshow/86474888.cms">This HCL career program can help engineering freshers to get a job with a minimum package of ₹2.75 lakh</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/bharat-bandh-called-by-dmk-on-september-27-to-protect-the-rights-of-the-farming-community/articleshow/86474697.cms">Bharat Bandh called by DMK on September 27 to 'protect the rights of the farming community'</a>

Shamita, Nishant, Donal, Umar set to enter 'Bigg Boss 15' house

<ul><li><keyword id="8678883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="moj">Moj</keyword> is the official Social Media App sponsor for the reality show, and through the partnership, a ‘Moj app room’ will be set up inside the <keyword id="26022" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="bigg-boss">Bigg Boss</keyword> house. </li><li>Contestants of the reality show can huddle and strategise inside the Moj app room, and the content from the same will be exclusive non-televised content for Moj’s 80 million users. </li><li>The latest strategy to tie up with Bigg Boss could be another big win for the video app as the reality show is in its 14th season currently, and continues to be one of the top viewed shows in India. </li></ul><keyword id="3358959" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ShareChat">Sharechat</keyword>’s video-sharing platform Moj has partnered with popular Indian reality show Bigg Boss. Moj is the official Social Media App sponsor for the reality show, and through the partnership, a ‘Moj app room’ will be set up inside the Bigg Boss house. Contestants of the reality show will be able to huddle and strategise inside the Moj app room, and the content from the same will be exclusive non-televised content for Moj’s 80 million users. “We continue to revive our content offerings and enhance our community’s social experience with the most trendsetting content. This partnership with COLORS and Bigg Boss aims to bring exclusive content of the popular show to Moj users and offers the right blend of entertainment to our users,” said Shashank Shekhar, Director, Content Strategy and Operations, Moj in a statement. In early July, Sharechat had launched Moj – its rival product to TikTok, right after the Chinese app was banned by the Indian government. Since then, Moj has ramped up its offerings as it looks to tap into the millions of users left behind by the ByteDance giant TikTok. The latest strategy to tie up with Bigg Boss could be another big win for the video app as the reality show is in its 14th season currently, and remains one of the top viewed shows in India. Also aired on the OTT app Voot, the show had garnered 1.5 billion minutes of watch time in its opening week. The show has a total of 11 sponsors. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/alia-bhatt-dons-the-entrepreneur-hat-launches-a-conscious-clothing-line-for-kids/articleshow/79421788.cms">Alia Bhatt dons the entrepreneur hat — launches a conscious clothing line for kids</a>

Sharechat's Moj has a new strategy to add more users —  ties up for exclusive content with one of India's most viewed reality shows, Bigg Boss

<ul><li>Ahead of World Emoji Day which falls on July 17, we take a look at how emojis have become a very important part of our everyday digital conversations.</li><li>Brands have realised the emoji connect and many have been upping their emoji game on digital platforms to build a stronger connect with its target audience.</li><li>We speak to <keyword id="1680920" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rishabh-Sharma">Rishabh Sharma</keyword>, Head - <keyword id="10538938" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="twitter-next">Twitter Next</keyword>, India who tells us how <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> is innovating and offering more emoji fuel to brands to help them build more engaging campaigns for the platform.</li></ul>Over the years, emojis have become an important part of the language we use on digital platforms. Emojis are universal, they transcend languages and cultures, and bind us all together through the emotions that they often symbolise. If some studies are to be believed, around 92% of all people online use emojis to communicate. And why not, they help add color, emotions and at times even suspense to our conversations. Over the years, brands too have realised the power of emojis and many have experimented in different ways with emojis to build a stronger connect with their consumers. Platforms have also launched custom emojis to further drive personalization and strengthen connect with their audiences. Twitter is a platform that has, over the years, experimented with emojis. Many brands that have innovatively used emojis have found success on the platform too. Ahead of World Emoji Day, we caught up with Rishabh Sharma, Head - Twitter Next, India, to understand how the use of emojis on the platform has evolved over the years, and to take a look at the campaigns of a few brands that have got it right. He also shares a few tips to help brands get their emoji game right on Twitter. Excerpts: Q) Emojis have become an important part of how we communicate in the digital world today. How have brands been using emojis to build a connect with consumers? In order for brands to create thumb-stopping messages, visual expression is a key ingredient in the mix. How we communicate socially and express our emotions has drastically changed in the digital world and people using the Internet are driving the rise of this visual language. Emojis on Twitter are a big part of this. Today, brands across categories and markets are leveraging Twitter’s branded emoji to add visual personality to their campaigns, becoming part of the conversation. Our internal studies show that brands leveraging custom emojis garner higher receptivity and engagement on the campaign hashtag. Brands are investing in creating a fun, appealing creative element that is unique to their campaign, product or message, and in return receiving organic endorsement when the people on Twitter use the branded hashtags in the Tweets. Q) How have you as a platform been customizing emojis to help brands communicate better? Our focus remains on partnering with brands to understand the theme of their marketing campaign, the message they are aiming to communicate and then advise them on the use of a custom branded emoji. The creative canvas is wide open for all brands to create something unique and personal for their audience. Some of the ideas we’ve experimented with include launching custom emojis that are designed through crowdsourcing, creating intrigue by exploring dark mode emojis or even asking the people on Twitter to unlock content by pairing emojis together. Q) What are some of the most effective brand campaigns on Twitter that have been heavily driven by emojis and have seen success in the past few years? Through the years, we have seen varied usage of emojis as the format has now become staple for brands in the country. Whether you’re launching a new brand, product, app, message or promotion, adding a visual identity makes the hashtag come alive. <a href="https://twitter.com/OPPOIndia/status/1412684605468012548">Oppo India</a> is live with a custom branded emoji for their upcoming launch of Reno6, and the design highlights the core feature of glow in the model. Last month, we saw <keyword id="3194526" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix-India">Netflix India</keyword> (<a href="https://twitter.com/NetflixIndia">@NetflixIndia</a>) creating a swell conversation on the timeline as they <a href="https://twitter.com/NetflixIndia/status/1400343251329163264">went live with an emoji</a> for the movie ‘<keyword id="8920548" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="jagame-thandhiram">Jagame Thandhiram</keyword>’ and created a connection with the audience in the south celebrating Dhanush. Amazon Prime Video (<a href="https://twitter.com/PrimeVideoIN">@PrimeVideoIN</a>) India recently launched <a href="https://twitter.com/PrimeVideoIN/status/1410848332084252675">‘The Tomorrow War’</a> campaign on Twitter, where our teams collaborated to delight the streaming fans with a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhiteSpikesHunt?src=hashtag_click">#WhiteSpikesHunt</a> emoji. An emoji that will only appear once you switch off the lights on Twitter a.k.a dark mode. Spotify India (<a href="https://twitter.com/spotifyindia">@spotifyindia</a>) continues to lead with a language of expression, as they activated the much loved branded emoji for two successive <a href="https://twitter.com/spotifyindia/status/1273971294875160576">World Music Day</a> campaigns across the year. Q) How are you as a platform also making your emojis more diverse and inclusive? Emojis are embedded in the conversational culture on Twitter - their usage has grown with conversations on the service. Over the years, we’ve introduced several customised emojis to support diverse conversations. For entertainment enthusiasts, we’ve released custom emojis for movies like <a href="https://twitter.com/twitterindia/status/898465872024444928?lang=en">#Mersal</a>, the<a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/1318437648663339010?s=20"> 25th anniversary of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge</a>, and shows like <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/787602771000168448">Bigg Boss</a>. Sports conversations are massive on Twitter, and we’ve encouraged these with emojis for the <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketworldcup/status/1133846210622709762">Cricket World Cup</a> and for the <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/1378378919858950146">IPL</a>. We’ve also introduced several emojis for festivals like Diwali, <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/926657299145400320?s=20">Guru Nanak Jayanti</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/1135753458764591109">Eid</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/984705774738796544">Vishu and Puthandu</a> to cater to diverse audiences pan-India, and also for occasions of national importance like <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/1353704564931715072">Republic Day</a>. We even <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_in/a/2016/we-launched-our-first-crowd-sourced-diwali-emoji-in.html">crowdsourced an emoji for Diwali in 2016</a>. Like many others, our recent <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/1366698471638507520">#AssemblyElections2021</a> emoji could be activated with hashtags in multiple languages. Earlier this year, we released the <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/1367758348083335173">#WeAreWomen emoji</a> on Women’s Day, to support conversations from the women community across the globe. When we look at branded emojis, we’re catering to and partnering with a dynamic set of brands across categories, ranging from <keyword id="1245953" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT">OTT</keyword> and media &amp; entertainment category, BFSI, Auto, E-commerce, Fintech and more. For Uber India’s (<a href="https://twitter.com/Uber_India">@Uber_India</a>) Valentine’s Day 2019 campaign, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveMovesForward?src=hashtag_click">#LoveMovesForward</a>, we partnered with the brand to introduce a <a href="https://twitter.com/Uber_India/status/1095367504543633408?s=20">Pride Heart emoji</a> to spearhead love and acceptance, and build on their broader mission of ‘Move Forward’. The conversations on Twitter are evolving, and we make sure that reflects in how we’re contributing to these conversations. Q) What are some of the most effective emoji-driven formats that brands have been using on Twitter? We’ve been experimenting with formats to help brands engage more meaningfully. We have partnered with a number of brands to create what we call an <keyword id="11653792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="emoji-engine">Emoji Engine</keyword> - and it has worked really well from an audience engagement lens. With the help of third party partners, we create a customised bank of emojis that serves people a personalised experience. When someone engages with an Emoji Engine campaign by Tweeting with an emoji, they’re rewarded with customised content that is tied to that specific emoji. Several brands have used the Emoji Engine to drive entire campaigns. <a href="https://twitter.com/bmwindia/status/1319284825140817923?s=19">BMW India</a> also gave people an exclusive peek into <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/The2?src=hashtag_click">#The2</a> through an Emoji Engine. <a href="https://twitter.com/NetflixIndia/status/1309482939101503488">Netflix India’s</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetflixMatchmaker?src=hashtag_click">#NetflixMatchmaker</a>, which was based on the insight that customers actively seek content recommendations on Twitter, shared binge-worthy recommendations that match the mood of the emoji Tweeted with the campaign hashtag. <a href="https://twitter.com/Flipkart/status/1315653182429618178?s=19">Flipkart’s </a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BigBillionDays?src=hashtag_click">#BigBillionDays</a> campaign also used an Emoji Engine - wherein each emoji Tweeted was rewarded with suitable discounts and offers available in the flagship e-sale. Q) How can brands further up their emoji game on Twitter? As we continue to innovate with upcoming formats, and experiment with the existing creative canvas on Twitter, few guiding principles below can always enable the brand marketing teams to amplify the usage of emojis on Twitter. <ul><li>Think Upstream. Emojis aren’t just symbols that add receptivity to a brand’s hashtag but have the potential to kick-start an idea, and integrate multiple media touchpoints for a brand to connect with the audience on and beyond Twitter.</li><li>Shareable Message. When a brand invests in activating an emoji, it's equally important to focus on launching this with a shareable Tweet copy or CTA formats to establish an organic connection with the audience.</li><li>Beyond Products. With the increasing usage of emojis across all campaigns, the opportunity always exists to go beyond product-specific designs and push the creative envelope to design for cues that are core to the theme, and how your audience might connect with the message.</li></ul>

Brands leveraging custom emojis garner higher receptivity and engagement on campaign hashtags: Rishabh Sharma, Twitter Next

From studying to become a banker to now having her own OTT show, here's social media star Saloni Gaur's journey

<ul><li>After the success of Fabulous Lives of <keyword id="411379" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bollywood-wives" source="Orion">Bollywood Wives</keyword> on <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>, Disney+Hotstar released <keyword id="15483787" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moving-in-with-malaika" source="Orion">Moving in with Malaika</keyword> on the life of actor and model, <keyword id="2060" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="malaika" source="Orion">Malaika</keyword> Arora. </li><li>Masaba Masaba, one of Netflix India’s top originals, is also a fictionalized account of the lives of designer Masaba Gupta and her mother, actor Neena Gupta. </li><li>Lock Upp, hosted by actor Kangana Ranaut, garnered 15 million views in 48 hours. </li></ul>Almost 15 years after Keeping up with the Kardashians made its debut, and after the Real Housewives franchise made it to every top American city — Indians are being treated to something similar. Months after the second season of The Fabulous Lives of <keyword id="143" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bollywood" source="Orion">Bollywood</keyword> Wives debuted on Netflix, Moving in With Malaika has started trending too on Disney+Hotstar — showing that the Kardashian culture is slowly but surely being taken in. Moving in With Malaika is highly discussed on social media with good reviews as well as bad ones — showing that it’s caught the audience’s attention. <div type="twitter" handle="Sharanyashettyy" handlename="Maya" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1601596412239958016/QHsU1_-7_normal.jpg" favoritecount="60" retweetcount="3" status="There are bad shows, terrible shows, and then there's Moving in with Malaika, which should never have been made and… https://t.co/cX9TjC4EPK" createdat="1671618739000" id="1605511477678419970"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="geetsharma_99" handlename="Geet Sharma 💕" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1402622258405855236/IKs3x06v_normal.jpg" favoritecount="12" retweetcount="2" status="Moving in with Malaika is the perfect mix of drama, fun, adventure, basically everything us Indian love ✨" createdat="1671981045000" id="1607031098504249345"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="An insider’s view" comment="subhead2" text="An insider’s view">An insider’s view</cmsannotation> Indians who have been enjoying the inside news and gossip on Koffee with Karan, which is in its seventh season — were treated to an even deeper dive into celeb lives with Dharmatic Productions’ Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives on Netflix. Netflix also came out with Smriti Mundhra’s Indian Matchmaking with Sima Taparia and BBC’s What the Love! with Karan Johar. Both these shows found their way to memes, more than audience hearts. Netflix got third time lucky after the show on four wives in the Bollywood circuit who Karan Johar is friends with, along with Shah Rukh Khan’s wife and entrepreneur Gauri Khan – found success. The show focuses on the lives of jewellery designer Maheep Kapoor (wife of actor Sanjay Kapoor); actor Neelam Kothari (wife of actor Samir Soni); entrepreneur Bhavana Pandey (wife of actor Chunky Panday); and fashion designer Seema Sajdeh (ex-wife of actor Sohail Khan). Season 2 of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives was ranked in the <a href="https://top10.netflix.com/india/tv">Top 10 TV shows </a>on Netflix for one week or more across seven countries. Moving in with Malaika features only one titular character, and is produced by Banijay Asia — but is on similar lines as Fabulous Lives. So much so, Seema Sajdeh was one of the many celebrities (almost every episode had one) featured on the show. It’s also important to mention that Malaika Arora was also a part of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives – and her show has taken the clique ahead. Though the viewership of Moving in with Malaika is not yet available, 1,350 users of the movie and video database IMDb have given the show an <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24132346/ratings/?ref_=tt_ov_rt">average rating of 6.5/10</a>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The surreal lives of real housewives" comment="subhead2" text="The surreal lives of real housewives">The surreal lives of real housewives</cmsannotation> This formula of celeb lives was tried and tested long back with a 2012 show <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8269480/">Khan Sisters </a>on bindass on the lives of actors and sisters Gauhar and Nigar Khan. Released long before the era of OTTs and connected TVs, the show failed to strike a chord with the audience, drowning in the vast jungle that is the Indian TV universe. This time, however, on the right platform, Kardarshian-like shows are taking off with the Indian audience. The Indian shows – Bollywood Wives and Moving in with Malaika are so similar to the American versions that one of the stars mouthed similar dialogues too. Actor Ananya Panday, daughter of Bhavana Pandey, made a brief appearance in Season 1 of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives and said a dialogue that seemed to be straight out of Khloe Kardashian’s mouth. “When I was young, I thought my name was ‘f*ck’ because my mom said it so much,” said Ananya Panday. “My mom cursed so much when we were little, I thought my name was ‘f*ck,’’ Khloe Kardashian <a href="https://twitter.com/xmanishaa/status/1333326528013344770?s=20&amp;t=Zc_DUEZanoCPiFpeFUvdtw">had said, first</a>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India’s history of reality TV" comment="subhead2" text="India’s history of reality TV">India’s history of reality TV</cmsannotation> There have been more such experiments that the OTT audience seems to be lapping up. Netflix’s Masaba Masaba–a dramatized and fictionalized account of designer Masaba Gupta’s life–is a hit with the audience. Season 1 of the show was in the top ten TV shows on Netflix in two countries, and Season 2 was in the top ten in five countries. Starring the designer herself, along with her mother, actor Neena Gupta, the show has emerged as a ‘comfort watch’ for people, raking in praises, and a fair share of nominations - even if no awards. Netflix also experimented in this genre (dramatized stories of real celebrities) with the film AK vs AK, starring Anurag Kashyap and Anil Kapoor. While it didn’t garner the popularity of OTT hits like Mirzapur or Delhi Crime, it did leave a mark on critics and cinephiles alike. These shows are another dimension of reality shows which have always been popular with Indians – on TV and OTT alike. Of course, there are also shows like Lock Upp and Bigg Boss which force different celebrities into close encounters and supposedly uncomfortable situations. Lock Upp, hosted by actor Kangana Ranaut, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/kangana-ranaut-on-lock-upp-garnering-15-m-views-in-48-hours-of-launch-i-am-overwhelmed-with-the-response-the-show-has-received/articleshow/89943915.cms">garnered </a>15 million views in 48 hours. Shows which look like reality caught on camera, have created a set of audiences. It remains to be seen how many seasons they sustain the interest of audiences. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/dhaniya-diapers-and-tomatoes-among-the-top-picks-for-indians-on-grocery-apps-in-2022/articleshow/96622334.cms">Dhaniya, diapers and tomatoes among the top picks for Indians on grocery apps in 2022</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/december-auto-sales-could-skid-sequentially-on-production-constraints-purchase-deferrals-due-to-inauspicious-period/articleshow/96617021.cms">December auto sales could skid sequentially on production constraints, purchase deferrals due to ‘inauspicious’ period</a>

Keeping up with Indian celebrities: Moving in with Malaika trends after Bollywood Wives

Mumbai, Jul 15 () A criminal complaint has been filed against film and television producer Ekta Kapoor before a magistrate's court here for allegedly disrespecting Indian Army's uniform in one of her web series. The complaint was filed by former 'Bigg Boss' contestant Vikas Pathak, also known as Hindustani Bhau, before a magistrate's court in suburban Bandra on Tuesday. The matter has been posted for hearing on August 24, Pathak's advocate Kashif Khan said. "My client had filed a complaint against Ekta Kapoor and others at a local police station, but no action has been taken till date, hence we moved a criminal complaint before the court," Khan said. Besides Ekta Kapoor, the complaint also names her OTT platform ALTBalaji, Shobha Kapoor and Jeetendra Kapoor, he said. As per the complaint, Pathak on May 20 came across a video on YouTube where an actor playing a military officer was seen performing an "illicit" act in a web series, aired on ALTBalaji. "The accused have stooped low and have shamelessly targetted the dignity and pride of our country by depicting the Indian Army military uniform with national emblem on it in the illicit sexual act," the complaint read. AVI SP GK GK

Complaint in Mumbai court against Ekta Kapoor over web show

<ul><li>While festivals will still be celebrated either virtually or in small groups this year, consumer sentiment has already shown early signs of improvement due to recently concluded Ganesh Chaturthi.</li><li>With a steady monsoon, plump harvest so far and IPL returning, <keyword id="34612" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising-industry" source="Orion">advertising industry</keyword> is hopeful that the ongoing <keyword id="36208" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season" source="Orion">festive season</keyword> will bring in cheer and serve as a respite from the pandemic-associated slumber. It will help the ad world bounce back to normalcy.</li></ul>India is the land of festivals and every festival is celebrated with great pomp and joy in this country. While the recently concluded festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, which is otherwise known for its fanfare and grand celebration, was affected due to the pandemic, it has brought in early improvement in consumer sentiment. According to Axis My India report, 42% of families said they will shop more or the same as compared to last year. This gives an indication that there is a sense of cautious optimism and the pent-up demand or degree of revenge shopping that happened last year might not be the same this year. This expected increase in spends is higher among private and government service employees. The spends increase on essentials like personal &amp; household care is at 47%, an increase of 4 percentage point over last month. Consumers are spending a little extra money to spruce their homes now to welcome Maa Durga and then prepare for India’s biggest festival, Diwali. Ergo, brands are pinning a lot of hopes on the festive season this year to help them bounce back. They have started working on their advertising campaigns in full swing to win back consumer trust and help shape the market sentiment. The progress of the advertising industry has always been in tandem with consumer sentiment and about 40-45% of the annual ad spends in India happen between Raksha Bandhan and New Year. In many ways, advertising is a lag and lead indicator for our country -- if the country's GDP is growing at 8%, advertising grows at 12%. If GDP falls, ad revenue falls even lower. In 2020, when ad revenue had reached as low as -60% in April, a lot of hopes are banking on the festive season this year for industry’s overall revival. Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India said, “With the increase in the vaccination numbers and positive market sentiments, the festive period is poised for a stronger, and better recovery from 2020. It is estimated that the festive season will generate advertising upwards of INR 7000 Crore, which is approximately 12-15% higher than last year’s festive season and is expected to provide big support to the growing economy.” This Indian festive season is coupled with IPL, which is a gigantic festival in itself that drives advertising industry’s revenue and holds the power to alter market sentiment. Joshi said that the return of IPL 2021 and a slew of high-impact properties like the ICC T20 World Cup coupled with reality shows like the KBC 13, Bigg Boss 15, Dance+6, and several mega OTT releases will make it a festive bonanza for all stakeholders. Hari Krishnan, CEO, Mullen Lintas is also optimistic about seeing a better recovery than 2020. He said, “Last year, it was cautious optimism. This time around, there seems to be a lot more confidence post-vaccination and the optimism appears to be a lot more reassured. That apart, there are two big cricketing events and that’s definitely going to bring a lot of eyeballs back to television. It’s a great reach platform and something that brands would be eager to be a part of. There’s every chance that this festive season could see a lot of pent-up shopping happening which different categories could benefit from.” Experts said that digital will lead the game as advertisers have been shifting their monies from traditional to virtual platforms. Sahil Shah, Managing Partner, WATConsult said, “I reckon it will be a 60-70% jump in certain categories who will go even more aggressive. And compared to pre-covid levels, overall spends should be 15-20% higher. I think digital invariably will see the maximum percentage-wise growth followed by TV and then other mediums. From a marketing point of view, data-led communication will gain more importance and so will eCommerce investments. Also, marketers are experimenting with newer ways of reaching the consumer through innovative content and experiences which is an area that the overall <keyword id="618493" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-marketing" source="Orion">digital marketing</keyword> industry will surely move towards.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Digital media to take lead, followed by TV and print" text="Digital media to take lead, followed by TV and print">Digital media to take lead, followed by TV and print</cmsannotation> Rishabh Mahendru, AVP, Client Servicing, AdLift is expecting to see ad revenue grow by 10%-15% this year. While digital is likely to get the bigger chunk of the pie, he said that Facebook (Instagram), OTT and YouTube will be in lead within that sector. He also said if there’s another lockdown, e-commerce will still continue to flourish. “Time was more uncertain last year, still the e-commerce industry saw a growth of more than 50% festive orders. This year, we should see same or better results,” said Mahendru. On the other hand, Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer &amp; Director, India and MENA Region at Tonic Worldwide said that brands will explore LinkedIn this year. She said, “Innovative campaigns will be seen by brands on LinkedIn considering the rise in engagement by professionals on LinkedIn. High Reach/Awareness platforms like TV and Outdoor will remain a part of the integrated pie and will see the same demand as earlier. However, the platform which will see the most growth over the previous years is digital since its gained relevance.” Sharing a few other trends which we could see in digital marketing, Bhatt added, “Video commerce and live stream shopping is one of the new trends that we will see coming up soon. And remember teleshopping? We will soon see the rise of that on digital too! Seamless user journey and functionalities will emulate the retail environment to ensure consumers don’t miss the retail experiences. This means, technology-based experiential marketing with AR/VR and Mixed reality to ensure consumer recall, as well as engagement, will see a rise too along with experience commerce which enables sales. Conversation commerce will also pick up in the form of chatbots as it leads to faster responses for the impatient consumer.” Digital adoption accelerated by the pandemic has drastically changed the way audiences consume media. This has also paved the way for content creators, bringing them into the spotlight. Prachi Bali, National Head Client Partnerships &amp; Business Head (North), FoxyMoron (Zoo Media) said, “Besides the usual engagement platforms of FB, IG &amp; YT, regional and nano influencers are seeing a great deal of interest. Also, regional and smaller content/publishing platforms are finding their way into media plans. Brands want to build a stronger consumer connect by making the content work harder, multiplied by language and platform, rather than making stand-alone traditional pieces of content. Consumer-facing technologies that drive engagement such as filters, interactive ads, shoppable videos are the trends we will see brands adopt as they all encourage social commerce. ” While brands and advertisers are extra cautious this year to commit big monies on media after 2020 and will be looking at ROI from their media investments, they still want to make hay while the sun shines. Prasad Shejale, Founder and CEO, Logicserve Digital said, “Advertisers will tend to focus on all the possible mediums and attract more and more audiences. I am positive that they will scale up equally across different mediums now and hence, all the mediums are sure to grow. With such a focus, I foresee even the bottom-funnel channels to grow. Looking at consumer behaviour and preferences over the past few months or years, I feel video channel will witness a huge growth as there is a dire need to break the clutter nowadays. When I say video, it will be video in every way whether it is video on demand or on social media or OTT. Having said that, while we know that the advertisers will try to make the most out of the festive season and explore different formats or platforms, a lot of them are also focusing on the right measurement infrastructure that helps them understand the impact properly and also provides useful insights to plan for future activities.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Auto industry, e-commerce and travel to be the big spenders" text="Auto industry, e-commerce and travel to be the big spenders">Auto industry, e-commerce and travel to be the big spenders</cmsannotation> As per the data from Gipsi, (Tonic’s AI and HI research arm), search queries have risen by 3x across categories like online shopping, travel, automobile (specifically SUV’s segment), fashion, and gadgets over 2019. Experts also opined that auto will see a boom because consumers are now avoiding public transport. Other categories that popped up in our discussion were EduTech, E-commerce, OTT and travel. “People have begun travelling, offices are slowly opening up. Traffic is back on the roads and the restaurants are filling up slowly. This year, fashion &amp; accessories, FMCG, Durables, EdTech, FinTech and most of the new e-commerce/online brands should be active. We could see some action from auto sector as well,” said Krishnan. Joshi also shared his optimism about spends from the auto and e-commerce industry. He said, “Automobile, gaming, education, beverages, FMCG, cement, tyres &amp; consumer durables are some of the categories that will re-activate their marketing plans in H2. Given the advertising clutter during the festive period, brands will need to drive awareness and stay top-of-mind throughout the consumer’s purchase and consumption journey.” Apart from these obvious ones, Shejale highlighted that the travel industry, which suffered the most during 2020, has finally started picking up. He said, “Firstly, I am sure travel will revive and has already started picking up. As the travel industry flourishes, the hotel and hospitality will grow too. Apart from these, retail (online as well as offline) will also recuperate and continue to grow.” Trends so far have only indicated that consumer sentiment is improving, which is more likely to continue growing during the ongoing festive season.

Experts are hoping to see the advertising industry generate around Rs 7000 crore, 12-15% higher than last year’s festive season

<ul><li>While the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> outbreak has led to productions of films and daily soaps being stopped across the country, TV viewership is going up due to people staying at home.</li><li>However, the GECs re now faced with the challenge of coming up with fresh content for its viewers.</li><li>In such a scenario, how are these channels planning to tackle the situation?</li></ul>It’s been close to 2 weeks since India’s film and television bodies decided to suspend shootings from to avoid the spread of the novel Coronavirus. The Indian Film &amp; Television Directors' Association (IFTDA), Producers Guild of India and Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) had decided on March 17 to put production and shooting on hold till March 31. As the PM announced his 21-day complete lockdown, production will not start before April 14. The biggest impact of this will be on GEC channels that usually work with a content bank of about two weeks. However, with the lockdown, these channels will soon run out of fresh content to air. Considering most people are stuck at home, OTT and TV viewership saw a spike, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India data. The total TV consumption saw a spike of 8% across India in the week ended March 20 (<keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword> Week 1), while the total time spent per user on smartphones went increased by 6.2% to 25 hours a week. Moreover, the consumption growth in the Hindi speaking markets (HSM) was at around 10% in comparison to the South region that grew by 5%. The HSM region saw an increase in terms of both reach and time spent. While this opens up possibilities for advertisers to catch more eyeballs, GECs are now faced with the problem of running out of content. In such a scenario, what is the strategy they are employing to ensure that they do not lose their audience who can only stay engaged if they are offered something new to watch? Ensuring all-round entertainment for consumers While production has come to a complete halt, all the channels believe that the show mustn’t stop and are strategizing at how to make the best use of the content at their disposal currently. Speaking about how it is working around the current situation, <keyword id="3387826" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prathyusha-Agarwal">Prathyusha Agarwal</keyword>, Chief Consumer Officer, <keyword id="174248" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zee-Entertainment-Enterprises-Ltd">Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd</keyword> said, “Taking into consideration the explosion in TV consumption and the changing composition of audiences, there is a need to customize programming for this emerging trend. At ZEE, we have geared up to serve these emerging trends with content for everyone in the family. For instance, starting March 25, Zee TV introduced an exclusive band ‘PyaarVyaar Originals’ with three new finite series including Sakshi Tanwar and Ram Kapoor starrer ‘Karle Tu Bhi Mohabbat’, Sharman Joshi Starrer ‘Baarish’ and Ronit Roy Starrer ‘Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain’ for the first time on television between 9 pm and 11 pm every week night. Longer binge-worthy episodes of our popular fiction shows have also been lined up across most channels to provide an immersive experience to our viewers who are staying much longer in front of the television. &amp;tv has also lined up curated specials of their comedy hits along with inspirational and devotional content to bring in positivity into our viewers’ living rooms.” For <keyword id="1570722" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manisha-Sharma">Manisha Sharma</keyword>, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Mass Entertainment, <keyword id="187712" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18">Viacom18</keyword>, the need of the hour is for the channels to take care of every family’s all-round entertainment needs. Speaking about what their roadmap in terms of content is, Sharma said, “At a time like this, we want to give our viewers the best of the content mix which will keep them smiling and comforted and hopefully let this time go by smiling and watching with their families in the confines of their homes. We have an eclectic mix of current and popular erstwhile shows that will take care of all their entertainment needs ranging from comedy, drama, slice of life, and reality shows. We have dedicated blocks for comedy, drama, and romance to give the viewers the best of the best content. A healthy dose of comedy between 5-6 pm with reruns of Belan Wali Bahu, popular show Dil Se Dil Tak starring Sidharth Shukla and Rashami Desai will be back at 6pm. We will continue to air fresh episodes of Vidya, Choti Sarrdaarni, Shakti…Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii, Barrister Babu, Shubharambh and Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story at their respective timeslots.” Riding on the nostalgia wave Doordarshan played a masterstroke with the announcement of the re-launch of yesteryear classics including Ramayan, Mahabharat and Byomkesh Bakshi. A lot of people have been talking on various social media platforms about what are the shows they would want channels to bring back. And a lot of the channels are listening to what the audience wants. Zee is bringing back some of its old, popular shows from its library across its channels, like ‘Kasamh Se’ on Zee TV and ‘Sambhaji’ on Zee Marathi and ‘Goyenda Ginni’ on Zee Bangla amongst others. Similarly, Viacom18 will be bringing back its show Dil Se Dil Tak and Bigg Boss 13. Speaking about what viewers can expect from its stable, <keyword id="8986388" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="arpit-machhar">Arpit Machhar</keyword>, Head of Marketing, <keyword id="8986387" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="enterr10-television-network">Enterr10 Television Network</keyword> (<keyword id="7514645" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dangal-TV">Dangal TV</keyword>) said, “We go through a lot of historical data before acquiring the license of any show. Dangal TV ratings, undoubtedly, have also been helpful in successfully monetising already aired shows. In the past, shows like Bandini, Chandragupt Maurya, Bhagwaan Shree Krishna have done exceptionally well. Ramayana, too has a very strong connect with viewers across India beyond the Hindi speaking markets. Mythological and historical shows along with some well-produced thrillers and family dramas make it an interesting package for viewers. We are in tune with this, considering Dangal TV too has been airing Ramayana as well as similar mythological shows like Devi Adi Parashakti, Mahima Shani Dev Ki for a while now. Devi Adi Parashakti and Mahima Shani Dev Ki are among the top 2 shows across Hindi GEC, HSM(U+R) as per latest data by BARC India for Week 11. We are aware that such content always has an audience and therefore we will continue to keep our viewers engaged with such shows.” Covid-19’s business impact While many sectors like events and out-of-home have been badly hit due to the lockdown, broadcasters are hopeful that they will be impacted less. Considering viewership is on the rise too, it presents an opportunity for both broadcasters and advertisers to make something out of an adverse situation. Dangal TV has seen a spike in its viewership, like most other GECs and is not focusing on new ideas. “Despite the COVID-19 challenge, Dangal TV is experiencing a spike in the average time spent.We are witnessing the early signs of a consumption uptick with an increase in the viewership. At Enterr10 Television Network, we are strongly connected and engaged with our viewers. Our numbers have been ahead of us. We are readily willing at focusing on exploring new ideas, IPs, etc. We haven’t stepped back in terms of exploring what more is possible, even during this period. Even in this unprecedented situation, we will continue to invest in good library, innovative programming and in distribution that will further aid in consolidating our position in both rural and urban markets. While there is huge competition amongst TV channels, our first priority is to consolidate, maintain and further strengthen our leadership position on television.” Pointing towards the fact that a lot of advertising on TV comes from FMCG that have been relatively less impacted, Sharma shared her optimism about the future. “The lockdown has hit the manufacturing, supply chain and consumption of all brands and that will invariably have an effect on ad spends. However, TV and digital will have a marginal impact as compared to other mediums like print, outdoors and radio as TV viewership is expected to see an upswing due to the forced lockdown. Secondly, a large amount of advertising revenue for a GEC comes from FMCG brands that are relatively less impacted in the current situation. Also, since it is an industry phenomenon, all GEC channels will witness a drop in ad spends,” explained Sharma. Added Agarwal, “Over the next 3 weeks, we expect content consumption on TV to go up as people look to keep themselves entertained. Given the temporary nature of the lockdown, it would be imprudent to quote any implication as of now, but we are sure that TV has become an essential service providing the much needed companionship to families in the current times.”

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