'Never ignore the audience whose energy levels don't match yours'

Several anchors, artists and presenters shared insights and perspectives as part of the ‘Keeping it Fresh: Evolving your Stage Persona in the Age of Short Attention Spans’ panel at the e4m Red Carpet Experiential Marketing Summit 2024. 

The personalities included: Ridhansha Arora, Anchor, Master of Ceremonies & Voice Over artist; Ritika Jhanjhi, TV Presenter, Anchor & Public Speaker; Bhavana Bhatia, Curator, Influencer, Host & Public Speaker; Krishna Verma, Anchor, Singer, Tarot Card Reader, Director KV Entertainment; and Ashwarya Singh, Master of ceremonies and Voice communication specialist. The panel was moderated by Ojasvi Kapoor, Correspondent, Loudest.in.

The conversation began with observations on why anchors must be unpredictable and use compelling hooks to draw the audience in, especially with increasingly dwindling attention spans in the social media age. The panel then shared strategies they use to navigate it. 

“Before I get on the stage, it becomes crucial to switch off from what happens in your life and switch on what is required of you. It’s a strategy that works for me. Secondly, I love energy exchange,” Bhatia shared, decoding her stage persona.

Verma added to the conversation: “When I am on the stage, it’s a moment that won’t come back. I have to be present in the moment. I have to be alive in the moment.”

“You must never ignore the audience that doesn’t have the same energy level as you. You have to come up with ideas, anecdotes and storytelling - there are so many things you can do to engage with them, highlighted Singh. She further added, “When unexpected moments occur in an event, say glitches happen or something went wrong, you can take advantage of that and you can turn it into an opportunity instead of a hurdle.”

Arora shared a key lesson a mentor taught her: “For those hours when you are on stage, you are the Shah Rukh Khan of the event. So act and be like one. They can’t afford Shah Rukh Khan at this event, so they are calling you. You are that person for them.” She added that it also helps to think that you are a part of the company and are there to celebrate the event — being in their shoes will add to your persona as well. 

“The moment I am given a brief for a show, I never think of myself. Anyone who wants to make it in this field, you have to think about only two people - the client you are representing and the audience who is coming to watch you. The culture and the value of the client have to come out through me. So I have to walk like him, talk like him and dress like him,” added Jhanjhi. 

The panel then unpacked the role of storytelling and the importance of being prepared with relevant anecdotes to keep the audience engaged through the event.