"Previously we used to commission shows and then go to brands. Now we go to the brands first with the story and then commission": Nikhil Gandhi of Disney India

A decade in the business is always a milestone. So, Disney India, instead of celebrating it after achieveing the feat, has planned a year-long campaign, throughout the 10th year. The youth channel of the media conglomerate - 'Bindass' - was launched in September 2007, and the channel will complete 10 years in 2017. The year-long campaign will have new packaging of the channel, and will telecast a series of new shows.

The channel, its new avataar, will go on air on November 5, this year. While the logo will have a 3D (three dimension) effect, it will be supported with a tag-line - 'Celebrating 10 Years of Being Bindass'.

"The creative execution of the entire packaging is done by the in-house team," informs Vijay Subramaniam, vice-president, Content and Communications, Media Networks, Disney India. "The in-house team understand the ethos of the channel, and what the brand stands for, better than an any agency. Therefore, it's always better to go with an in-house team, and that has always been the case with Bindass," he adds.

The first of the 10 shows to be launched would be 'Beg Borrow Steal'. The weekly show will be first telecasted on television, on November 5, while netizens can watch it a day before on social media platform such as 'Facebook'. "We have over eight millions fans on Facebook, and that's why it makes sense for us to do a Facebook-first launch. We did the same with 'Girl In The City', and the show did great on both the platforms. Facebook allows us to indulge into conversations and build a buzz," asserts, Nikhil Gandhi, vice-president, Revenues, Media Networks, Disney India.

Content creators in the past have critcised Facebook's transparency when it comes to revenue share model of the platform. Also the new 'six-second' phenomenon of Facebook has irked many marketers as the return on investment becomes a questionable aspect as even an innocuous six-second presence is considered as a view.

Gandhi, however, is least bothered by all of it, and says, "Even our next show 'The Trip' will be first aired on Facebook. We need to be where the audience is, and the fact is that - today youth is there on social media, YouTube, as well as on televsion. So, Bindass too will be there on each and every platform. Having said so, it is not that we will launch every show first on Facebook; we can launch it on YouTube or even on TV, depending on the need. When it comes to revenue, the lion-share stays with Youtube, and not the content creator."

Vini Cosmetics' perfume brand Ossum has agreed to become the title sponsor while Airtel as the 'powered by sponsor' for 'Beg Borrow Steal'. 'The Trip' - a show on road excursion, featuring supermodel Lisa Haydon - has got Lakme, Ford Ecosport and Myntra as partners. Ford Ecosport will be the car driven in the show.

"While we had many of these brands advertising with us before through Free Commercial Time (FCT), we are seeing many first-time sponsors who are interested in becoming a part of the story. Previously, we used to commission shows and then go to brands. Now we go to the brands first with the story, and then commission. The change has happened because of brands' willingness to become a part of the story," informs Gandhi.

"Integration is great but it needs to be a natural fit into the story, we cannot have a forced integration, which might result into an intervention in the story that will push off the viewers," Subramaniam concludes.