This approach aims to foster a deeper connection with the brand rather than simply driving immediate sales
Mumbai: On World Television Day, as the world acknowledges the enduring influence of TV in shaping narratives and bridging cultures, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises reaffirms its position as a pioneer in the Indian entertainment landscape. With an unparalleled legacy spanning over six decades, ZEE continues to captivate over 174 million viewers daily, delivering compelling stories that resonate across urban and rural India.
In celebration of this legacy, ZEE is set to unveil its latest campaign, ‘Dilfluencers’, which highlights its beloved TV characters as far more than on-screen personas. These characters, who have become trusted companions in millions of households, are redefining the meaning of influence—touching hearts and shaping lives far beyond the digital realm.
From its rich tapestry of storytelling to leveraging characters embodying resilience and empowerment, ZEE is paving the way for brands to form authentic, emotional connections with audiences across Bharat. Featuring Jackie Shroff in a humorous campaign film, ‘Dilfluencers’ shines a spotlight on the profound daily impact these characters wield, underscoring ZEE’s tagline, #SachTohYehiHai.
MadeInMedia.in’s Kalpana Ravi sat down to chat with Ashish Sehgal, Chief Growth Officer, Digital & Broadcast Revenue, ZEE, in his office about the latest campaign, ‘Dilfluencer’. ZEE’s family-centric storytelling dives into innovative branding strategies, and emotional narratives continue to shape India’s media landscape and much more…
Excerpts:
What was the concept behind the ‘Dilfluencers’ campaign?
The concept of a ‘Dilfluencer’ refers to characters that have established a deep emotional connection with audiences over time. This term was coined to highlight influencers who resonate with the hearts of consumers, as opposed to merely influencing their purchasing decisions. The idea is that these characters, often from television shows, have built trust and emotional ties with viewers, making them effective in conveying messages that touch the heart rather than pushing for direct sales.
In contrast to traditional influencers, who often specialize in specific niches (like tech, food, beauty, etc.) and may sometimes be perceived as less authentic due to the prevalence of fake influencers in the market, Dilfluencers are characterized by their established presence in the lives of consumers. They are seen as genuine and trustworthy because they have been part of the audience’s lives for years, often through storytelling and relatable content.
Furthermore, the communication from Dilfluencers is regulated and crafted to avoid hard-sell tactics, focusing instead on conveying messages that resonate emotionally with the audience. This approach aims to foster a deeper connection with the brand rather than simply driving immediate sales.
What is the USP of ZEE that resonates across Bharat?
The Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of ZEE that resonates across Bharat is encapsulated in the phrase “Soul to Screen.” This concept emphasizes ZEE’s commitment to understanding the emotional and cultural nuances of its audience. By studying the “soul” of the consumer, ZEE creates content that reflects their tastes and daily lives, which has led to the success of its shows, particularly in regional language markets.
ZEE’s approach is characterized by a dedication to family-oriented content, aiming to include all demographics rather than alienating any specific group. This strategy involves integrating youth and Gen Z into the narratives without creating content exclusively for them, thus fostering a sense of inclusivity within family viewing.
Overall, ZEE’s USP lies in its ability to connect emotionally with viewers, through relatable storytelling that resonates with their everyday experiences, making it a preferred choice across diverse cultural and demographic landscapes in Bharat.
Strategies to create family-oriented content to appeal to a wider audience?
To create family-oriented content that appeals to a wider audience, several strategies have been used mainly the storytelling focuses on inclusive narratives that resonate with various family members, ensuring that the content is relatable to all age groups. This includes incorporating themes that reflect everyday family dynamics and challenges.
The programming makes sure thatinstead of segmenting content for specific demographics (like youth or Gen Z), create stories that bring these groups into the family fold. This approach allows for a more cohesive viewing experience that can be enjoyed together. Understand and integrate the cultural nuances and emotional connections of the audience. This involves deep research into the audience’s preferences and daily lives to ensure the content reflects their realities.
The content is character–driven and utilises beloved characters that have established a connection with the audience over time. These characters can serve as “Dilfluencers,” conveying messages that resonate emotionally rather than pushing for direct sales.
By implementing these strategies, ZEE has been effective in engaging a broader audience while maintaining a family-oriented focus that resonates across different demographics.
Concept of branded content and seamless integration especially for national brands in the local language?
The concept of branded content involves integrating a brand’s message into storytelling in a way that feels natural and engaging, rather than intrusive. This approach is particularly effective in regional languages, where cultural nuances and local contexts can significantly enhance the connection between the brand and the audience.
While conceptualising contentbrands are integrated into the content’s storyline rather than being presented as standalone advertisements. This method ensures that the brand feels like a part of the narrative, which can enhance viewer engagement.
We have also used modern technologies such as AI, that can assist in crafting scripts that seamlessly incorporate brand messages without diverting from the main storyline. This helps avoid the perception of a forced fit, making the brand’s presence feel organic. It also helps national brands to culturally resonate in the regional markets, it is crucial to ensure that the brand message resonates with local languages and cultural contexts. This means that brands need to adapt their messaging to align with the cultural nuances of the audience, which helps break through the clutter of competing messages.
At times we also do customised content that is tailored specifically for brands, allowing for unique storytelling that may not even be aired on traditional channels but can be distributed through digital platforms like Z5. This flexibility allows for targeted communication that meets the needs of both the brand and the audience.
These integrations utilise beloved characters from shows such as “Dilfluencers” can enhance the emotional connection with the audience. These characters already have established trust and rapport with viewers, making them effective conduits for brand messages.
By focusing on these strategies, brands can effectively create branded content that resonates with audiences in regional languages, fostering deeper connections and enhancing brand loyalty.
Is linear TV still relevant in the age of digital and connected TV’s?
The importance and role of linear TV today, despite the rise of digital and connected TV, remains significant for several reasons, it has a mass reach and continues to be a mass medium, reaching over 100 million viewers daily. This audience size is substantial compared to digital platforms, where achieving similar viewership for a single piece of content is challenging.
Linear TV offers a unique experience of appointment viewing, where audiences gather to watch specific shows at designated times. This creates a shared experience, often involving family and friends, which is less common in the fragmented digital landscape. Another moot point is that TV remains a powerful medium for creating emotional connections with audiences. It is particularly effective in building brand narratives that resonate with viewers, making it a prime channel for brand advertising.
The biggest challenge for linear TV is to continuously innovate and deliver quality content that retains viewers. As long as the content remains engaging, linear TV can hold its audience against the competition from digital platforms. For the past few years, we have seen a rise in Smart/ Connected TV and this is seen as an enhancement rather than a replacement for linear TV. Connected TV allows for the integration of digital content with traditional viewing, expanding the reach and engagement of linear TV content.
Linear TV, particularly networks like ZEE, focuses on family-oriented content that appeals to a broad audience. This strategy helps maintain viewer loyalty and engagement across different demographics.
While digital and connected TV is growing, linear TV retains its relevance through mass reach, emotional engagement, and the ability to create shared viewing experiences. The integration of digital elements into linear TV content further enhances its role in today’s media landscape.
Marketing Strategy for the Dilfluencers campaign?
To develop a marketing strategy for a campaign focused on branded content, particularly in the context of ZEE and its unique approach, this is done by seamless brand integration and the brand is woven into the content’s narrative rather than presented as standalone advertisements. This creates a more engaging experience for viewers and avoids the perception of a forced fit.
ZEE has always followed a multi-platform strategy that includes various media channels—linear TV, digital platforms, and social media. This ensures that the campaign reaches a wider audience. There is also a huge push towards on-ground activations by organising events featuring beloved characters from the shows to create interactive experiences that resonate with audiences. This can enhance brand visibility and engagement.
A post-campaign analysis is done to measure the effectiveness of the campaign through metrics such as brand recall and emotional engagement rather than just direct sales. This helps assess the long-term impact of the communication. Consumer feedback has been created to gather insights from viewers to understand their perceptions of the brand integration and overall content experience.
The ZEE characters have established an emotional connection with audiences as “Dilfluencers.” These characters can effectively convey brand messages that resonate with viewers’ hearts. These strategies, can effectively engage audiences, create meaningful brand connections, and enhance overall brand visibility in a competitive landscape.