MUMBAI: The new web based initiative ‘Kingfisher Strong Backstage’ has been launched with the intention of democratizing music talent show space and exploring the concept of ‘webisodes’ in India.
The show that had a soft launch a month ago has garnered support and attention mainly through word of mouth publicity and buzz on the net.
A new episode showcasing singing or musical talent including music directorship will be uploaded every Wednesday on Fridaymoviez.com. The show is an ongoing property on the digital platform and may expand to other mediums, depending on the response.
“There is a potential audience pool of six million people for shows like this and while India has a lot of talent, there is no space on the net to showcase talent (in spite of YouTube). We believe this is the first time a brand is doing a show like this. It will be on a weekly show and we want to cultivate and build appointment viewing through our webisodes of the show on the internet among users,” United Breweries (UB) SVP marketing Samar Singh Sheikhawat told Radioandmusic.com.
The initiative will be leveraged using Kingfisher’s various digital platforms which include the Facebook page, website, Youtube channel and exclusively on Fridaymoviez.com where video performances of these artists will be uploaded every week.
The show has already started getting traction and its Facebook page has registered over one lakh views per week. From the participants’ side too, response has been positive with 50-60 artists in the pipeline. It is an all India initiative with auditions being conducted in Mumbai.
UB plans to extend the show into other verticals like Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and platforms like mobile and smart TV.
A video performance by an artist that will be showcased every week will give users a chance to vote for their favorite ‘Artist of the Month’ on Kingfisher’s various social media platforms. The videos can also be streamed live and viewed on these platforms, while special music applications have been created that will be available on various mobile platforms.
Kingfisher Backstage will however not involve itself in talent management or arranging tie ups for contestants or winners.
“Our aim is to create an artist platform which will lead to market activation for them. We are paying them a fee for participating but that’s not our hook. We want artists to display their talent and many of them have started getting offers from external platforms,” Sheikhawat said.
For Kingfisher Strong, the property is a move to reinforce its association with Indian music.
“Kingfisher’s history with music goes back 20 years. We have always associated ourselves with every big music show. Our lead platform might be sports because of its association with beer but that doesn’t mean music is not important,” he added.