From a tv mission to a theatrical launch, CEO Gunjan Arya spells out the leisure company’s plans for the yr.

Farzi Mushaira Season 3. Stand-up specials of Biswa Kalyan Rath and Rahul Subramanian. Branded content material for OPPO, Google India and Legacy Collective. These are simply a few of the works created by OML Entertainment in 2023. 

In 2024, it will likely be launching a brand new present Bandwaale in collaboration with Amazon Prime Video and plans to launch the third season of “Chacha Vidhayak Hai Humare”. It can also be gearing up for a tv mission and exploring scripts for a theatrical launch. This elevated give attention to content material creation is a results of the leisure company’s full pivot in the direction of content- unique and branded- from its earlier give attention to reside occasions.

Gunjan Arya, CEO, OML Entertainment, says that immediately practically half of its income comes from branded content material. This development is gaining momentum, making branded sponsorship an more and more important power. 

According to an ET report, the corporate had a topline of over Rs 330 crore in FY23.

OML spans three companies: expertise illustration observe, the content material studio that packages and produces unique exhibits, and a worldwide content material advertising company. The remaining income is split between OTT manufacturing and artist administration.

Last yr, the corporate created a number of campaigns, starting from moments featured in editorial media for manufacturers like OPPO to creating platforms for manufacturers in international locations like Poland. It additionally labored on varied OPPO adverts, that includes celebrities like Ranbir Kapoor, Zeenat Aman, and Janhvi Kapoor.

“Branded content encompasses all forms of content created for brands. This includes long-form shows, commercials for television or online distribution, influencer marketing, and branded content shows,” she explains.

OML’s model options staff originated from the necessity to assist its artist administration enterprise. Brands have performed an important position in enabling artists to maintain their craft, whether or not by way of touring albums or producing content material for social media. 

“Brand support has seamlessly integrated into the concepts and ideas of OML and our artists, enabling projects that may not have been possible otherwise. It’s never been purely about sponsorship; instead, brands become part of the narrative, facilitating projects that align with the artist’s vision,” she says.

OML had an early benefit with branded content material with exhibits like The Dewarists on MTV created in 2011. Now, due to the web’s attain, many manufacturers are embracing pull content material over push content material. Arya says with extra perception within the methodology, the journey of getting a model onboard has grow to be smoother. 

“For us, it’s always been about proving efficiency and efficacy. We’ve achieved this in various ways, from comparing the cost of integration into our campaigns with what brands would have spent on digital ad dollars, to demonstrating where audiences truly reside. Understanding audience behavior and consumption patterns, and aligning them with brands’ marketing objectives, has been key for us,” she shares.

The firm can also be exploring scripts to enterprise into the theatrical area. It has beforehand collaborated on the movie “Chintu ka Birthday” with AIB. “Now seems like the perfect time to revisit that avenue. We’re currently exploring several ideas in the film space and partnering with studios experienced in theatrical releases to bring these projects to fruition,” Arya says.

However, whereas many content material corporations are gearing to create extra regional content material, OML’s focus stays on producing predominantly Hindi language content material. In the previous, it had created ‘Comicstaan’ in Tamil for Amazon Prime Video. 

“Hindi still caters to an audience that is only growing in number and affordability,” Arya provides.

On the artist illustration entrance, it has diversified its portfolio past music and comedy. 

“The internet offers a broader spectrum of opportunities to individuals with unique perspectives, leading us to represent a wide range of talents, from mentalists to chefs, and now even actors, writers and directors,” she provides. 

The firm can also be increasing its staff in different international locations and together with, Nigeria, Japan, Russia, Poland and Thailand. “This allows us to create branded content globally. We are building internationally and in India, resulting in more global contracts for our branded content business,” she says. 

OML now has its presence in over 20 international locations. This provides Arya a ringside view of the content material economic system of various international locations. She observes that India has a remarkably mature market within the creator panorama. This is mirrored in OML’s Market Index, which serves as an indicator of how conducive a market is for creators to publish content material and for audiences to find it. It considers varied components, together with the price of media and the Human Development Index, which encompasses schooling penetration and life expectancy. 

“India ranks quite high on this index, showcasing its evolved creator landscape. Unlike looking to the West for models, India is pioneering its own approaches to creators collaborating with brands. The depth and density of both content creators and brands willing to innovate contribute to India’s maturity in this regard,” she says.