From grocery stores, labour camps to university tie-ups: ZEE5 Global's unique strategies to target South Asian diaspora

Whether it is Indian students in different parts of the United States or the Kerala diaspora in Gulf countries or the Tamilians settled in Malaysia, every Indian abroad yearns to stay connected with their roots. Apart from Indian food or being a part of Indian communities, it is Indian cinema and entertainment content that helps them get a glimpse of the world they have left behind. 

ZEE5 Global, a ZEE Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) media and entertainment platform, has tapped into this yearning of the South Asian diaspora and offers them content across more than 190 countries. Its key focus markets are the US, UK, Middle East, Australia, Singapore, and Canada.

Understanding the consumers’ context and tailoring its approach accordingly, is crucial for success in these market. Speaking to afaqs!, Archana Anand, chief business officer, ZEE5 Global, says it cracked it by constantly thinking outside the box.

“In the initial years, we entered different markets with a logical approach - understanding who the South Asians were in each country and what their needs were, their pain points, and then providing solutions accordingly.”

Globally, the platform found one common factor about South Asians. They seek South Asian ingredients for their traditional cooking in South Asian grocery stores, making these stores strong catchment areas to locate them.

For instance, in the Middle East, ZEE5 Global has partnered with the Lulu Group to offer perks and benefits to shoppers. It brought in top artists for meet and greet events during various occasions.

“We’ve proudly partnered with the Lulu Group for a couple of years now. Lulu’s ability to attract South Asian audiences to their grocery shops, creates a natural fit for our content. Additionally, if shoppers purchase above a certain amount, then they get a ZEE5 Global offer. These further enhance the synergy between our offerings and like-minded audiences,” Anand shares.

Launched in October 2018, ZEE5 Global today offers content in 12 Indian and six international languages. In the last fiscal, the platform witnessed 50% growth in its subscription revenue. In FY23's last quarter its monthly active users (MAUs) were at 113.8 million and daily active users (DAUs) were at 11.1 million. 

Reaching out to South Asian audiences in various countries, brings with it two inherent challenges - the difficulty of finding them and the high cost of acquiring consumers.

“Amongst the eight billion people in the world, there are just 40 million South Asians outside India and the SAARC nations. This small number makes it challenging and costly to reach out to this audience through traditional marketing methods.”

To tackle these challenges, ZEE5 Global’s marketing team brought in unique solutions to reach out to, and acquire, these consumers.

For instance, when entering the Middle East market, where a significant number of blue-collar workers come from Kerala, it reached out to the labour camps. 

“Knowing that they live in labour camps and have limited entertainment options, we set up large screens for movies, offered free popcorn and created a destination for their leisure time. We also ran contests with valuable prizes, such as a flight ticket back home, to incentivise subscriptions and encourage them to share the service with others in the camp,” Anand shares.

These strategies also help the platform to significantly subsidise the cost of user acquisition. Anand states that in the US, the cost of customer acquisition can be quite high, up to $90 per consumer. The user generally would pay around $10 monthly. However, ZEE5 Global has subsidised it quite a bit by strategically partnering with prominent South Asian grocery stores like Patel Stores. “It’s less than a 10th of that cost,” adds Anand.

At these stores, the ZEE5 Global logo is prominently displayed on grocery carts, offering a special subsidised or free period of ZEE5 Global access. With almost all shoppers here being South Asian, it becomes a catchment area to effectively reach out to its target audience.

Initially, the US market seemed difficult to crack as many previous attempts by other competitor platforms had failed. "However, our smart and tactical approach earned us admiration, even from South Asian competitors. We learned from past mistakes and had a handbook of what not to do," she says.

A significant number of Indian students study in the US each year. They face financial constraints and miss familiar entertainment from home. ZEE5 Global offered them a highly discounted student rate. It also strategically partnered with the North American Association of Indian Students and conducted a massive initiative.

“We visited 150 universities and organised Bollywood dance competitions. Additionally, we collaborated with various Indian associations to capitalise on the nostalgia of the desi community. On-ground events during cultural festivals like Durga Puja and Diwali, further strengthened our presence. Moreover, tying up with major South Asian grocery stores, like Patel Brothers, proved to be successful in reaching out to the adult population,” Anand elaborates.

Throughout the year, it executes numerous initiatives, like sponsoring concerts with big artists like Atif Aslam and Sonu Nigam, to maintain top-of-mind recall. These events also presents it opportunities to engage with the audience through offers and promotions. Its linear television presence also presents it a unique advantage, as it collaborates with its television teams to coordinate and deliver these initiatives.

(With inputs from Venkata Susmita Biswas.)