Coca-Cola's Tish Condeno on why OTT provides ideal environment for branded content

One cannot ignore the Indian food habit of often consuming food with a bottle of soft drink. Banking on the same consumer insight, last year, Coca-Cola India had come up with an ad campaign wherein it showcased a group of friends bonding and enjoying their food together with bottles of Coca-Cola.

Recently, Thumps Up, from the house of Coca-Cola Company, launched a branded content offering in India which rekindled a similar nostalgia, but in a modern way.

Coca-Cola’s Thums Up partnered with Disney+ Hotstar to launch the web series ‘Thums Up Toofani Biryani Hunt’, showcasing the combination of Thums Up and Biryani in six different episodes at six different popular Biryani spots in the country.

The web series trailer:

The web series is conceptualised and created by Disney+ Hotstar CreativeWorks. Ranveer Brar the loved Indian celebrity chef teamed up with the anchor of Telugu film Ravi, to bring out the Toofani Biryani series to thrill foodies across India through their unique duo.

Tish Condeno

According to Tish Condeno, Senior Category Director, Sparkling Flavors, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, the inspiration behind the conceptualisation of  “Thums Up Toofani Biryani Hunt” campaign stemmed from the deep connection and fondness that people in India have for both Biryani and Thums Up. The goal of this campaign was to honour the pairing of Biryani and Thums Up by building upon the existing brand campaign featuring popular figures like Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Deverakonda,” he said.

Commenting on the rationale behind choosing Disney+Hotstar over all other OTTs and digital content platforms, she emphasised that Disney+ Hotstar was the ideal platform for the particular branded content series due to its wide reach, array of diverse content, and devoted audience.

“By collaborating with them, we effectively targeted and engaged with our consumer base, delivering a compelling and impactful experience while reinforcing our branded content's visibility,” she said.

Created by Disney+ Hotstar CreativeWorks, the six-episode-long branded content series has been shot in the heartland of Biryanis, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, and throws light on six iconic Biryani restaurants therein.

She then went on to point out that the main objective behind the creation of the same series was to reinforce the strong association between Thums Up and Biryani, while providing a captivating and unique experience for the audience and that collaborating with Ranveer Brar, a celebrity chef, and Ravi, a Telugu anchor added culinary expertise and on-screen charm, the campaign's appeal was enhanced.

“In the Indian context, this collaboration signifies a celebration of the country's rich culinary diversity and highlights the shared passion for Biryani. With respect to cuisine-beverage partnerships, our global meals experience platform ‘Coke is Cooking’ is one such example which is designed to celebrate and encourage the passion for food paired with Coke,” she said.

In her view, whilst creating impactful branded content, it's extremely crucial to define its purpose and objectives, however, collaborating with influential personalities can enhance the impact of branded content and make it even more impactful and engaging.

“As industry trends evolve, customised solutions are gaining popularity and tailoring content to specific audiences and preferences creates a personal and relevant experience. Therefore, by integrating popular culture and regional themes, brands effectively captivate their target audience,” she suggested.

Earlier on, branded content was predominantly rolled out on digital video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and that in some way still continues to be the case for certain content offerings. But today, OTT platforms seem to take centre stage in terms of branded content offerings.

That being said, Condeno emphasised that OTT platforms revolutionise brand engagement, and offer immersive experiences and customisation options to connect with highly engaged audiences.

“With its strength in longer-form content and impactful storytelling, OTT meets the demand for original, high-quality content, attracting diverse viewers and therefore provides an ideal environment for brands to effectively connect with target consumers and build meaningful relationships,” she said.