Gunjan Arya & Devarshi Shah on why it’s the Roaring 20s all over again for OML

Only Much Louder (OML) Entertainment, an artist management company in music and comedy which has evolved into a production house, recently collaborated with Google India to launch “International Mother Language Day” campaign. Through this campaign OML, dove deep into India’s wide diversity, to find established creators within these various pockets that exist in a country as diverse as India, to onboard them and look into the execution of the campaign.

The campaign further collaborated with influencers from various states  on some fun Reels around the #SayItLikeItIs theme, which helps people understand new words from different languages and learn how to use it.

In conversation with Adgully, Gunjan Arya, Chief Executive Officer, and OML Entertainment Devarshi Shah, Senior VP & Business Head - Branded Content Division, OML Entertainment, speak in length about the campaign, importance of social media consumption for regional content, how is OML growing its talent pool in various states speaking various languages , focus areas for 2023, and more.

What was the brief for the International Mother Language Day campaign that you received from Google India?

Devarshi Shah: IMLD 2023 was an opportunity for Google to reiterate their commitment to make the internet a more helpful and inclusive space for all Indians, while celebrating the users’ linguistic diversity, with a bit of product magic at its core.

The objective was to identify and collaborate with a diverse group of influencers across India, who could shine a spotlight on the wonderful nuances and words unique to their mother tongues. The collaboration aimed to celebrate India’s native languages, with a little help from Google’s products that supported these languages. This helped us show how easy it was for our users to access information on the internet in their own native languages, and even connect with each other despite language barriers.

Through extensive research the team identified and selected the most impactful, locally and culturally relevant influencers across various categories and worked closely with them to create engaging content that aligned with the campaign’s message, seamlessly through the jokes, banter and explanation while integrating Google products that supported Indian languages.

Could you share some fun incidents that took place with the influencers while shooting for this campaign?

Devarshi Shah: The creators humorously highlighted the complexities of the Indian language and shared amusing anecdotes about how certain words and phrases are difficult to translate or explain to someone else because of their emotional and cultural significance.

The briefing calls with the creators for this campaign have been most enjoyable! Every single creator had some fun examples and words to share from their native language, which we (the client and us) would try to pronounce and use correctly much to the amusement of everyone on the call! We learnt so many words like Oh Pinne, Harakh Padudi, Nakkami, etc., along the way – in one of the most interactive experiences during any campaign where conversations went beyond just the brief and work.

With the advent of OTT and social media, the language barrier is now blurring. What are your views on the same?

Devarshi Shah: OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ are offering content in multiple languages, giving viewers the ability to choose their preferred language and enjoy content in their native tongue. This provides an excellent opportunity for brands to create content that resonates with local audiences in their language.

Similarly, social media has allowed brands to reach a global audience with the click of a button. By creating content that is culturally relevant and localized to specific regions, brands can break down language barriers and connect with consumers on a more personal level.

In conclusion, the blurring of language barriers with the rise of OTT and social media presents a significant opportunity for brands to create engaging, localized content that resonates with audiences around the world. As a content marketer, I believe it's essential for brands to embrace this trend and invest in creating content that speaks to local audiences in their language.

How is social media helping users to consume and know more about different languages around the world?

Devarshi Shah: Social media platforms have revolutionized the way we consume and learn about different languages from around the world. With the rise of social media, users now have access to a vast amount of content that is specifically designed to help them learn new languages, from beginner to advanced levels.

Social media has made it easier for users to immerse themselves in different languages and cultures by providing them with access to authentic content. Users can now follow native speakers of different languages and consume content in their target language, such as music, podcasts, TV shows, movies, and even news.

Overall, social media has opened up a world of opportunities for users to learn and consume different languages. With the vast amount of language learning resources available on social media platforms, users can easily expand their linguistic skills and explore new cultures from the comfort of their own homes. As a content marketer, I believe that social media will continue to play a crucial role in promoting language learning and cross-cultural communication.

How is OML as an industry growing its talent pool with diverse influencers spread out in various states speaking various languages?

Gunjan Arya: OML today works with 1,800+ creators across 24+ countries. Whether those are artists native to Thailand to produce content for Thai audiences, or then Gujarati comedians that have a stand-up special for Gujarati audiences in India or then also the diaspora in the USA.

What are the trends you see dominating the industry that you are associated with?

Gunjan Arya: The beauty of influencer marketing is that it works to activate various communities, both across niches, and at scale. Influencer marketing itself in a world where everything is online – from discovery of new products, services, entertainment options as well as the commerce itself (whether it is audiences buying experiences or merchandise or then brands.)

What are the major focus areas for OML in 2023?

Gunjan Arya: OML has always worked to grow the ecosystem as opposed to just growing our share of the pie - and our north star continues to be the same.

We are building avenues for performing artists to build a larger global footprint; we are working with more regional creators to go deeper within communities that brands want to activate; we are packaging more and unique stories for OTT platforms;  and, we have built tech tools for influencers and brands to find the most meaningful partnerships. We will be rolling all of those out this year.

What are your expectations for the year 2023?

Gunjan Arya: It’s the Roaring 20s all over again!

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