Banijay Asia bets on digital-first strategy as brand integrations evolve

The entertainment ecosystem is undergoing rapid shifts as advertisers, broadcasters, and content creators increasingly look at digital-first strategies to connect with younger audiences. 

In a chat with e4m, Mrinalini Jain, Group Chief Development Officer, Banijay Asia and EndemolShine India, said that both content creation and brand integration are evolving at an unprecedented pace.

Talking about the recently launched show Rise and Fall, the Indian adaptation of the British reality format, Jain said that while TV advertising has always been there, brands are now looking from a digital-first perspective. 

“Advertisers are looking for a chance to connect with the strong, digital-first audiences. TV advertising has always been there, but now brands are also looking from a digital-first perspective. I feel it’s a strategy that is being driven by platforms and broadcasters. In the days to come, brands and advertisers will very quickly move from just being integrating sponsors to having a lot of leverage with content. 

“And branded content is another space that we’re seeing a huge spurt come out of. Till now we’ve been creating content and then bringing the brands on board. But going forward, we’re actively looking to sort of create a lot of stuff.”

According to Jain, these shifts in brand involvement mirror the broader pace at which audience expectations are changing. She notes that the industry can no longer rely on strategies that evolve annually; instead, it is responding in real time to audience behaviour.

“Content strategy doesn’t evolve in years; it evolves every week. The viewers today are exposed to such a large array of content, and everyone’s attention spans are so quick to evolve that the genres that they are watching, the way they’re consuming content are also evolving. So, it’s really keeping us on our toes to find new content. 

“What is the content that will surprise them, shock them? For example, we’re doing Rise and Fall on MX. We are doing the show called Two Much on Prime Video, which is a chat show which has two female hosts, which was again a new thing that we did. Even in the scripted shows, we did Mistry very recently, which was a comedy drama. Also, Trial Season 2 is coming out. So, I feel like, you know, we are dabbling with various genres. We’re keeping our eyes on various things that are working and we’re just making a lot of stuff. We’re constantly evolving our IPs, constantly keeping an eye out for what is trending, how the trends are working, constantly keeping an eye out for what the audiences are liking,” she said. 

The balancing act between fiction and non-fiction, she adds, is equally crucial for producers in India’s fragmented ecosystem. “It’s like choosing between two pieces of my right arm and left arm. So, but I feel both are working for us.”

While Jain points to Ormax reports as evidence that multiple shows from their stable are performing strongly, she remains measured about numbers. “I mean, if you see the Ormax reports, it looks like a lot of our shows are topping the charts.”

Among their recent titles, Rise and Fall has been a standout success, clocking 4.9 million views, she said and attributed this to its distinctive format and strong gameplay. 

“What has really worked is that Rise and Fall has a very strong narrative of gameplay, strategy and reality. And, of course, our casting has been very, very interesting. We try to bring people from different areas, and they all have very strong personalities. Because the people are so distinct in their personalities and voices, the gameplay is so strong, and this is what has worked with the people,” she said. 

She explains how the format lends itself well to Indian audiences hungry for fast-paced, bold, and surprising content. “Young audiences really want content that is very quick, very bold and very surprising. They’re ready because they’re watching content from different parts of the world. They’re watching a similar game also. They’re watching, you know, they’re watching content from all languages, watching contents of all kinds, and want everything which is very quick, very bold and very surprising. And I think that’s how we brought in Rise and Fall. It has got very fast-paced episodes, there’s constant twists, characters feel very real, and it’s a reflection of society in terms of how money yields power.”

For Jain, the common thread across all of these projects is the willingness to experiment, stay agile, and integrate brands into storytelling in ways that match the expectations of a new-age audience.