Personalised stories, unmatched connections—discover Zee’s impactful approach
Mumbai: Zee is revolutionizing audience engagement by combining hyperlocal storytelling, digital innovation, and community-driven strategies to deliver personalized brand experiences that resonate with national and regional audiences. By weaving cultural nuances into narratives and leveraging digital platforms, Zee is not just telling stories—it’s fostering connections that transcend generations and geographies.
MadeInMedia.in’s Kalpana Ravi met up withKartik Mahadev, Chief Marketing Officer, Content SBU, ZEE at his office to talk about the ‘Dilfluencers’ campaign and how it is going to impact
What are the different strategies used by ZEE across platforms?
Zee employs several strategies to engage with its audience across different platforms, Zee’s content is designed to start on television and extend across various video platforms, including OTT services, YouTube, and social media. This approach allows viewers to engage with the content at their convenience, utilizing a “windowing strategy” that tailors the content format to suit each platform.
Zee has built vibrant communities around its popular characters on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. For instance, they have a substantial following on YouTube, with 200 million followers and generating around 3 billion views monthly. This community engagement fosters a deeper connection with the audience, as they interact with characters they relate to.
We have this initiative, “Amara Parivar,” which aims to incorporate viewer feedback into storytelling. This creates an ongoing dialogue with the audience, allowing Zee to adapt its content based on viewer preferences and insights.
Zee repurposes a significant amount of its television content into short-form formats suitable for social media, enhancing accessibility and engagement. This includes creating 5,000 to 10,000 hours of repurposed content annually.
We have constantly focused on creating content that resonates with diverse cultural backgrounds and generational perspectives. By understanding the nuances of different markets and demographics, they ensure that their storytelling remains relevant and relatable. There is a collaboration with influencers and this leverages the authenticity of its characters to enhance brand storytelling. This strategy allows brands to connect with audiences through familiar characters, thereby increasing engagement.
These strategies collectively enable Zee to maintain a strong connection with its audience, adapting to their evolving preferences and consumption habits across various platforms.
Why Jackie Shroff as the Sutradhar
Jackie Shroff was chosen as the Sutradhar (narrator) for several compelling reasons, he is celebrated for his unfiltered and authentic persona, which resonates well with audiences. His ability to connect with people on a personal level makes him an ideal choice for narrating stories that aim to touch the hearts of viewers.
Another strong point is that he has found a voice and tonality that aligns with social media platforms, making him relatable to a diverse audience. His presence as a creator himself adds to the authenticity of the storytelling. Shroff goes on to emphasizes the significance of Zee’s characters, referring to them as the “OG influencers” who connect with audiences daily. This perspective enhances the narrative by highlighting the ongoing relationship viewers have with these characters.
Finally,the choice of Shroff was aimed to evoke emotional responses from the audience, as he embodies a stature that can effectively convey the essence of the stories being told. Jackie Shroff’s selection as the sutradhar is rooted in his ability to bring authenticity, emotional depth, and relatability to the storytelling process, making him a fitting choice for Zee’s narrative initiatives.
How does the emotional resonance play in the storytelling, how does it propel societal or cultural change, and how do the characters help spark cultural conversations and foster community connections?
Emotional resonance in storytelling is a powerful catalyst for societal and cultural change, as it encourages viewers to reflect on their experiences and engage in meaningful dialogue. Zee’s narratives, featuring relatable characters facing real-life challenges, inspire audiences to consider societal norms and values on a personal level. By exploring themes such as sisterhood, generational conflicts, and family dynamics, these stories spark cultural conversations around topics like women’s empowerment and societal expectations, fostering shared dialogue across diverse demographics.
Zee’s emphasis on multi-generational storytelling ensures its content resonates with both younger and older audiences, bridging gaps and encouraging discussions about evolving traditions and values within families. By reflecting the diversity of cultural backgrounds and experiences, Zee’s characters strengthen community connections, enabling viewers to see themselves in these stories and relate to each other’s journeys. Initiatives like “Amara Parivar” further enhance emotional engagement by incorporating audience feedback, ensuring the narratives remain relevant and authentic to the viewers’ lives.
This thoughtful approach to storytelling not only drives cultural understanding but also reinforces the role of shared experiences in building stronger community ties.
OnTV- Digital Strategy how does the campaign initiate and leverage the equity-building power of TV personas and digital delivery feel personal?
Zee’s campaign initiatives masterfully combine the broad appeal of TV personas with the intimate engagement of digital platforms, creating a powerful strategy for audience connection and brand integration. By designing relatable and authentic characters rooted in everyday conflicts, Zee ensures viewers see themselves reflected in these personas, fostering familiarity and engagement.
On digital platforms, these characters adapt to short-form content, behaving in ways that extend beyond traditional TV storytelling while staying true to their core identities, thus enhancing viewer interaction. Vibrant social media communities further amplify this engagement, enabling direct audience interactions that make the digital experience more personal.
Additionally, the established personas of these characters provide a strong foundation for integrating brand messages, leveraging the emotional bonds viewers share with them for impactful and relatable advertising. Feedback mechanisms like “Amara Parivar” strengthen this connection by incorporating audience input into the storytelling process, ensuring the content remains relevant and resonant. This multifaceted approach not only deepens emotional connections but also elevates the synergy between storytelling and brand engagement across platforms.
As audience preferences change very fast or shift how do you plan to evolve the campaign to keep it relevant?
To stay relevant and impactful in an evolving media landscape, Zee has adopted a multifaceted approach that prioritizes audience engagement and innovation. Through its Amara Parivar initiative, the network integrates viewer feedback into its storytelling, fostering a continuous dialogue that helps adapt content based on consumer insights.
Expanding on this, Zee is exploring AI-generated content for primetime television, leveraging technology to keep narratives fresh and aligned with audience expectations. By focusing on multi-generational storytelling, Zee crafts narratives that appeal to both older and younger audiences, featuring protagonists who challenge norms while respecting traditional values.
The network also emphasizes cultural relevance by tailoring stories to reflect the unique nuances of various regions, ensuring relatability and impact. Transparency and adaptability are key, as Zee actively acknowledges feedback—positive or negative—and responds by revamping iconic shows to suit contemporary sensibilities. This commitment to understanding shifting audience preferences enables Zee to create content that is not only entertaining but also meaningful and reflective of societal changes.
How are you planning to scale the campaign to create more personalised and meaningful brand experiences for national and hyper-local audiences?
To scale its campaign and deliver personalized, meaningful brand experiences to both national and hyperlocal audiences, Zee employs a range of targeted strategies. The network prioritizes localized content creation, tailoring stories to reflect the unique cultural nuances of different regions, such as crafting distinct narratives for areas within states like Maharashtra, including Konkan, Mumbai, and Pune. This hyperlocal approach ensures deep resonance with local audiences.
Through its Amara Parivar initiative, Zee facilitates ongoing dialogue with viewers, incorporating their feedback into storytelling to adapt content to evolving preferences. Multi-generational storytelling further broadens its appeal, engaging younger audiences while fostering connections with older generations.
On digital platforms, Zee enhances accessibility by repurposing television content into short-form formats for social media, enabling viewers to engage with characters and stories more personally. Additionally, vibrant online communities on platforms like Facebook and YouTube allow direct interaction, creating a sense of belonging.
Zee also integrates branded content into shows, ensuring that brand messages align authentically with the cultural context of the audience. Together, these strategies enable Zee to deliver relevant, impactful content that resonates across diverse demographics and geographies.