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Group M, the media agency of the WPP Group, and production company Optimystix Entertainment promoted, O4 Digital Media, have entered in to a strategic alliance to launch a digital video-led brand solutions company – MashUp.
MashUp will b a content led company with a key focus on ‘video-led sustained engagement’ for brands and will work with brands to connect with consumers on digital and social media platforms using customised and differentiated content to create rich engagement.
Group M is extending its online offering to include strategic content solutions backed with metric and measurement. As per studies, the Internet video consumption market in India is growing at a tremendous pace, with nearly 80% more video views in 2012 than 2011.
The current market size in India is equal to 43 million + monthly unique viewers; 3.3 billion + monthly total video streams and approximately19 billion minutes are spent watching videos online every month.
CVL Srinivas, South Asia CEO at Group M, said, “Internet video consumption is expected to further increase 6 fold by 2016. The Internet audience size is crossing the English-speaking audience size in our country and video has a larger role to play considering the format comprises a universal appeal. We see an untapped as well as cost-effective opportunity in this market for leading brands to engage with their consumers on a more personal level.”
Sanjiv Sharma, CEO and executive Chairman at Optimystix Entertainment said, “India is the second largest consumer of online videos. Our DNA allows us to understand and service brand needs and create high quality video content at an industrial level. Realising this opportunity, Optimystix Entertainment started this journey of ‘Video Led Sustained Engagement’ with AIRTEL to create and produce video content for engagement across their social media communities. Our partnering with Group M is a step further in creating a leadership position in this space.”
The key focus for Mash Up will be to understand the brand needs in the social media space. It will also provide other digital services including evaluation of the brand and its competition in the social media space, social media management and marketing, online media planning and buying, analytics and measurement of brand progress and more.
Mash Up will work with Group M clients as well as other players. Current clients include Airtel, Ford, Mercedez Benz, Shoppers Stop, Streax, Citi Bank, Skoda, and Gillette.
