Risky and expensive but no substitute to large content IPs for maximum impact in the long run for the brands, say experts

Big-ticket content IPs allow brands to have a conversation with their audience on topics that they want to talk about, something which isn’t possible in ad campaigns, said Achint Setia, VP and Business Head, Social Commerce, Myntra.

He also said the ROI on large content IPs should be measured not in terms of sales but the quality and scale of conversations that it helps build.

Setia was speaking on day two of BuzzInContent Conversations, which began on December 14, in a session held on the topic- ‘Maximising ROI through big-ticket content marketing IPs’. The event is taking place in the run-up to the BuzzInContent Awards 2021, presented by MTV and powered by News Nation, which will be held online on Friday, December 17, 2021.

“Large IPs allow us to have a conversation with consumers on topics that matter to the youth of today, whether it is on gender biases, body shaming, issues like anxiety or depression. You can’t do that in an ad campaign typically through the year. So, this makes it contextualised, and the ROI is depending on what you’re seeking as an objective. For us when we do a large IP the objective is not sales, the objective is quality and scale of conversation we create with the youth, who are our customers,” Setia said.

When they hit the sweet spot, big-ticket content IPs become the talk of the town and deliver the maximum impact in the long run for the brands. There has been a rise of advocacy and influence in today’s world, and today audience wants something more than plain-old advertisements which used to introduce a product.

Speaking on similar lines, Shankar Iyer, Associate Director, Category Marketing, Perfetti Van Melle, said that forming a connection with the audience has become a major goal for brands in the post-pandemic world and the large content IPs can help them achieve that.

“Connection is a huge thing after Covid and also due to the rise of digital, which has led to the rise in content marketing,” Iyer said.

He also stated that the boom of digital has brought about a significant change and has opened the eyes of brands who are now open to investing more in this medium. Iyer also pointed out that the focus now is on creating content that is more suited for individual viewing, rather than group viewership.

Meanwhile, Shiveshwar Raj Singh, National Creative Head, Innocean Worldwide, India, spoke about the problems which large content IPs face.

Singh said that since it is difficult to find out the ROI for large content IPs in quantifiable terms, there are high chances that some brands might not be interested in investing huge sums of money over an extended period of time in them.

Moreover, he said that a change in CFO on the brand side could also lead to the scrapping of these IPs. He also advised brands to be subtle in the integration of products in big-ticket content IPs and to focus on the larger picture, rather than trying to measure the ROI on them.

The unique benefit that big-ticket content IPs offer is that it gives brands, marketers and content creators the chance to explore new avenues. To the consumers it means they get to see a variety of content that is designed to push the brand/product in the most subtle fashion. It also allows consumers to get a deeper understanding of the brand and its approach and strike a chord with them.

Vivek Mohan Sharma, Head of Branded Content, Viacom18, said that broadcasters today do not differentiate between branded content IPs and their original content and are willing to promote both if the piece is engaging.

“As long as the content gathers eyeballs, a broadcaster or publisher will not treat it any differently. I’m very happy that brands are warming up to the idea that branded content is not just about product placement, and I am sure as that happens more and more publishers will be fully warm about them as their own IPs,” Sharma said.

Further, Vishwanath Shetty, VP, Sales and Brand Solutions, Pocket Aces, said that they have started educating brands on how to measure the ROI on large content IPs to solve their dilemma.

“Firstly, you (brands) define the parameters and get a third-party measurement tool. We also do pre and post-evaluation, once the content is released. This shows them the difference that has been made. We show them the case studies, and we make it very clear what is going to happen once they invest the money,” Shetty said.

To find out more about the benefits of launching big-ticket content IPs, the challenges and the right way to go about it, watch the full conversation here: