Zee’s TV characters become ‘Dilfluencers,’ influencing what you add to your shopping cart

New Delhi: Zee Entertainment is putting its beloved TV characters in the spotlight as ‘dilfluencers"—using their fandom and community power to drive brand collaborations. While they’ve dabbled in branded content for years, this marks the first time they’ve formalised it into a full-fledged business model.

Kartik Mahadev, Chief Marketing Officer, Content SBU, Zee, said, “For the last couple of years, we’ve been building a community around our beloved TV characters. The emotional resonance these characters have through their daily connect is unparalleled. It’s not just about entertainment—it’s about engaging storytelling that extends across platforms like Meta and YouTube.” 

He highlighted that Zee’s social media reach is massive, with 200 million followers on Meta and organic content generating 50% of all video views across Zee channels. This vast reach, Mahadev added, makes these characters a powerful tool for brand storytelling.

Zee will be monetising its property across TV and digital (Zee5, YouTube, social media).

Zee plans to leverage its diverse TV characters, such as homepreneurs, bankers, single mothers, and undercover cops, to craft bespoke storylines that align with brand needs. To begin with, Zee will be utilising its eight characters and then expanding the offering to other characters. 

Mahadev shared an example to illustrate Zee's approach: "Take a show like ‘Lakshmi Nivasa’, which centres around the dream of building a home. If a home improvement or cement brand wanted to engage with that narrative, they could collaborate with the characters of the show to guide consumers through the process. By aligning with the characters' trust and authenticity, these brands could effectively communicate their message, turning the dream of building a home into a reality for their audience."

For the record, Zee recently collaborated with its creative partner Curativity to actively create and deploy culturally relevant curated content moments into the daily soaps across the network's general entertainment channels. 

Brands use influencers to sell products or build their brands because they bring authenticity and credibility to communication, as they are real people endorsing or using the products.

When BuzzInContent.com asked Zee about their offering, which uses fictional TV characters as influencers instead of real ones, Ashish Sehgal, Chief Growth Officer at Zee, explained that brands have struggled with engagement due to fake followers. He added, “The trust factor with TV characters is the highest. Studies show the emotional connection viewers have with TV characters is much stronger than any other medium today.”

Regarding coining the term "dilfluencer," Sehgal said, “We call them ‘dilfluencers’ because these characters influence your hearts daily. We’ll propagate brand messaging through these characters, not as experts discussing product benefits, as we are in a regulated space where consumers must make informed choices.”

Recognising that branded content yields the best results when executed consistently over the long term, Zee is focusing on forming lasting partnerships with brands for its 'dilfluencer' initiative. Ashish Sehgal explained, “Rather than engaging in one-off deals, we aim to build long-term relationships where the collaboration becomes more strategic than just a tactical move, ensuring ongoing, meaningful engagement with brands."

Zee's 'dilfluencer' initiative primarily focuses on brand-building activities rather than performance-driven goals. While the main objective is to create brand love and engagement, Ashish Sehgal clarified that sales and leads would be natural byproducts, but not the primary focus. The emphasis is on long-term strategic brand development through consistent, meaningful interactions with Zee's beloved TV characters.

To promote its new initiative, Zee launched a campaign featuring actor Jackie Shroff. In the ad, Jackie is seen considering endorsing a snack brand on social media. However, when his manager discovers the brand's roots in Rajkot, he advises them to collaborate with Zee's iconic TV characters, who reach millions of Indian viewers every day instead of celebrities who are like ‘Eid ka Chaand’.

While it's common for broadcasters to rope in celebrities for B2C campaigns, Zee has opted for a big-budget move by featuring Jackie Shroff in its B2B campaign targeting brands. Sharing the thought behind onboarding a celebrity for the campaign, Mahadev explained that while celebrity Jackie Shroff brings authenticity, the daily connection Zee characters have with their audience is unmatched. "You still won’t find that kind of bond with Jaggu dada," he said. 

Sehgal added, “We wanted to brand it in a way that no one else could take our spot, positioning Zee as the pioneer in creating the influencer economy on television. We started using TV characters as influencers back in 2011-12, and once again, we own this space where characters have become influencers.”

The campaign, co-created with Tikitaka and directed by Jigar Fernandes, will be promoted across Zee's website, social media, and LinkedIn. Additionally, the company plans to launch a self-serve platform for its ‘Dilfluencer’ offering, making it easier for brands to collaborate with Zee characters.