India – In a country where there’s no dearth of local language singers, Colors Infinity pioneered India’s only English singing talent hunt – The Stage, in its founding year itself. Now into its third season, the platform assumes greater credibility with an increasing fan base. With the voting option open, the viewers also seem to be warming up to the interactivity, going by the overwhelming response received so far.
The launch campaign had the challenging task of drawing new viewers and simultaneously excite the fans with this year’s talent repertoire. The marketing campaign has managed to successfully stimulate viewership by mounting a holistic multi-media campaign spanning over 20 cities, leading into the show’s launch. The show was announced with an expansive TV campaign beyond the Viacom18 network. This was complemented by an extensive outdoor campaign across 5 cities, along with impactful print jackets leading up to the launch. A high-decibel radio campaign on leading radio stations further augmented the overall campaign buzz across all the markets.
Priming the consumers, the on-ground campaign opened with a rousing response to 3 impromptu Stage Truck live gigs at key touchpoints in Mumbai including Carter Road (Bandra, Mumbai), where the fans thronged to enjoy performances and interactions with previous seasons’ artists. The buzz will build through first-of-its-kind initiatives like India’s Largest Voting Party spanning 800 outlets in 20 cities wherein patrons can enjoy a live screening of the show and vote for their favorite contestant. The social conversations will be fueled by an extensive consumer outreach campaign across 300+ outlets in 8 cities. These will include multi-category associations spanning gyms, bars, pubs, salons, dining and many more, including reputed chains like Gold’s Gym and Jean Claude Biguine. After a long day when you head out to your favorite joint, chances are that you will find yourself grooving to Stage Karaoke Nights at one of the numerous bars or pubs or strumming the chords at The Stage Corners at Café Coffee Day outlets across 4 cities.
Viewers can participate in an interesting ‘Watch-n-Win’ contest that gratifies winners with an exclusive style makeover by Shibani and Monica, fully paid music scholarship from a reputed music school and autographed merchandise. The campaign will be duly amplified across social media with exclusive snippets from the show and artist interactions. The Stage Insider, a digital innovation, will magnify conversations by creating content around content, like carpool karaoke.
Resonating with the young talent on the show, the campaign reaches out to the youth across 200 colleges in 19 cities. The students will be engaged through special Stage music jam rooms, mentorship workshops with leading musicians, Stage performances at college festivals, special hostel screenings and more.
The high-pitched campaign gets rounded off meaningfully with some evocative initiatives that foster talent. Colors Infinity in association with over 20 leading music schools will be extending The Stage Masterclass sessions pan-India whereby music amateurs will be inspired by established artists. They will be able to undertake foundational or professional courses in vocals, song-writing, instruments and music production. Since music transcends barriers, Colors Infinity will continue to nurture talent through ‘Stage For All’ – a unique platform that inspires budding musical talent who are economically challenged, through sessions with the accomplished judges of The Stage.
Reflecting on the ongoing campaign, Sabrina D’Souza – Head of Marketing, English Entertainment, Viacom18 said, “As The Stage continues to evolve every season, we aspire to go beyond traditional marketing and build a platform that showcases and celebrates the abundance of English singing talent in India. Besides driving awareness, our brand partnerships and initiatives will enable our viewers to experience certain aspects of the show first hand and hence connect with them at a deeper level.”
