MUMBAI: Hotstar has launched a 360-degree marketing campaign, “Hotstar ka vaada, free entertainment sabse zyada”, reaching out to millions of viewers in Hindi-speaking markets who currently have little access to high-quality content for free.
With more than a 60 per cent share of entertainment consumption in 2019, Tier II and III cities have been fuelling the growth of online video consumption in India. However, a large section of the audience in these cities still does not have access to high-quality entertainment and is limited to watching reruns of outdated content. While some have lost access to paid channels following the TRAI tariff order, others are hampered by infrastructure issues such as frequent power cuts. This issue of access is further exacerbated by a single shared TV screen in large households.
Hotstar is bridging the accessibility gap for viewers through its campaign, which spreads the word about its vast library of high-quality free content. Hotstar’s free content includes several movies like Chhichhore, Mission Mangal; TV shows from Star Plus like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hain, Nazar, Kasauti Zindagi Kay and Star Bharat like Savdhaan India along with News.
Hotstar chief product officer Varun Narang said: “The next wave of growth for OTT platforms will come from smaller cities as adoption picks up. In fact, non-metros today outstrip metros in terms of video consumption. Through this campaign, our endeavour is to engage with our audiences further in Hindi-speaking markets and take digital video consumption to new frontiers.”
Hotstar EVP and business head Sidharth Shakdher said: “We see a huge opportunity in building awareness and encouraging trial across Tier II and Tier III cities around our vast and high-quality library of free entertainment, and thereby, enabling a behavioural shift towards online video consumption. Hotstar’s free content will unlock a new world of entertainment for this audience which currently has to settle for outdated reruns on a limited set of channels.”
The campaign aims to make inroads into Tier II and III markets using mass media vehicles such as TV and print, along with on-ground activations. A unique out-of-home initiative will culminate in a billboard spanning 10,000 sq. ft, the longest ever set up in India, which will feature the variety and scale of content available on Hotstar.
Other high-impact activations include out-of-home billboards and wall paintings across 80 small towns in India along with a branded mobile marketing canter van campaign. This canter will travel across 30 cities for a month, conducting roadshows across 150 congregation points, showcasing Hotstar’s breadth of content. This will be amplified further with unique interventions such as Nukkad Natak and on-the-spot engagement activities.
