Indiantelevision.com Team

(8 April 2010 7:15 pm)

MUMBAI: ZAPP Media & Entertainment (ZME) has partnered with UK-based Grand Central Entertainment (GC) to launch an independent branded content division that will create branded shows for Indian audiences.

Under the agreement, GC, which has brand-funded programmes in the UK and Europe such as The Big Idea for Vodafone, Connect The World for Skype and GT Academy for Nissan, will provide its expertise to ZME to help offer fully developed content for marketers and advertisers.

Says ZAPP Media & Entertainment co-founder Pradeep Prabhu, "We will use GC's expertise to create content that is engaging and entertaining for consumers and effective for marketers and advertisers. With GC, we will also move the industry beyond audience measurement and focus more effort on audience engagement. It is strategic marketing v/s tactical marketing. I am confident that our experience in the western markets will give branded content a different dimension in the Indian television industry."

ZME is in talks with various broadcasters for developing branded content and initially plans to tap audiences through niche channels and the general entertainment route.

"The choice of content depends absolutely on what the brand's requirement is and its target audience. So depending on the requirement we will be developing the requisite formats and approaching the necessary broadcasters," explains Prabhu.

The company is also working with various corporates to launch branded content shows on other interactive media platforms.

Says Grand Central Entertainment co-founder Rabin Mukerjea, "The old adage of 'content is king' has never been more true or more important. In an increasingly fragmented, ad skipping, 'surf-the-internet-whilst-watching-tv' universe of TV viewers. The advertisers that benefit most will be those that harness the power of content to engage this newly empowered public.

"There is no media market as vibrant and entrepreneurial as India's is right now and through our partnership with ZAPP, we aim to work with forward-thinking brands, broadcasters, agencies and producers to create properties that represent the perfect storm of viewer entertainment, strategic engagement and media value," Mukerjea adds.