Exclusive | Betting big on IPs: Viacom18 INS' Jaideep Singh

Viacom18 has ventured into customized brand solutions with a new division, integrated Network Solutions (INS) which will offer offer multiple brand solutions for clients across genres and media platforms. INS will create conceive and deliver strategic, creative solutions that will leverage the Network’s media assets and expertise from both a creative and business perspective. The new division is headed by Jaideep Singh, Senior Vice President & Business Head, Viacom18, INS.

Elaborating on the new division’s core activities to Adgully, Singh said, “The breadth of INS’ portfolio is matched by its’ depth, the scope of which spans across live events, broadcast properties and digital & mobile media. With leverage across leading media brands targeting kids, youth, young adult and family demographics, we will operate with 2 divisions – Live and BEViacom18. Viacom18 Live will offer experiential marketing opportunities to business partners via large format live IP properties. While BE Viacom18, an extension of BE Viacom which is the brand engagement arm of Viacom globally, would as a basic principle create solutions which would span across multiple media verticals/platforms of Viacom18 portfolio.”

Explaining the logic behind INS, Singh said, today we have a strong network of brands and it is an appropriate time to take it further by building live events which can work on the ground and which can also become broadcasting properties.”

The first large format property to be introduced under INS will be the upcoming Video Music Awards India (VMAI), one of MTV’s biggest properties. Some of the other properties that INS hopes to build are MTV World Stage, Vh1 Jazz festival, Vh1 God Of Guitar, Comedy Central Comedy Festival and Nick Kids Choice Awards. “We will look for long-term strategic partnership with clients, will work across all our brands and are looking at creating a total of around 15 IP including regional,” Singh said.

On being asked the overall size of the business, Singh said, “it will be the size of MTV’s business in terms of revenues. We will have live events plus broadcasting and will work like creative marketing consultants that conceptualise & create properties and new large format ideas.”

The BE Viacom18 will also help in creating integrated movies marketing opportunities for advertisers to get associated with films both for in-film branding and for event on the ground. Says Singh, “this will be done through Viacom 18 Motion Pictures. In addition we will also get some global properties from out international business and adapt them to local needs which will help in global partnerships since the aim will be to create business properties that work in many countries.”  BE Viacom 18 will also look at creating IPs that work in regional space to support the network's ETV channels.

INS will create IPs for its brands and not for other networks or outside its networks. However we are open to partnerships with big agencies if the clients for whom we are working get value,” said Singh. On the number of clients, he said right now they have about 30 strategic partners and discussions are on with many across sectors, the main sectors being telecom, FMCG, handset manufactures and online e-commerce companies.