In conversation with Aditya Bhat, Jio Creative Labs

Aditya V. Bhat is the Head of Jio Creative Labs, which is the advertising and communication wing of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited. Apart from Reliance Jio, the unit now functions as a strategic business unit working with non-compete partners
outside the Jio ecosystem.

Agency reporter – Consumer sentiment, buying patterns, and communication requisites have been drastically altered due to COVID. How can technology-enabled content help create contextualized stories to cope with such challenges?

Due to COVID, a vast variety of communication mediums have not been operational, be it print or OOH. The most accessible medium that is available to us is digital, which either way has been growing independently, and thus, saw an incredible surge. Even from a content perspective this consolidated its position, whether via social media channels or OTT platforms. One such advantage of the digital medium is that the analytics are much more transparent- you know exactly who is consuming, what they’re consuming and for how long. In that sense, the feedback that digital content gives you is much better-rounded than traditional advertising on television or radio. However, the challenge is not just to abruptly use technology in the digital realm, rather to infuse it with the content and making it relevant to the consumer. We see that through the rise of personalization and immersive technologies as we usher into a totally new paradigm. Now, it’s the job of creators to build worlds that invite audience participation, which allows them to create the story for themselves. Hence, the recipe for success is the use of technology and its proper dissemination, backed by effective storytelling. And at the end of the day, you’re outfitting yourself with the potential to create unforgettable experiences.

AR – Today the buzz that is digital marketing has shadowed other marketing communication channels but there is an increasing disconnect between consumers and brands. How can brands use compelling storytelling driven by technology, as a vehicle to bridge this gap?

Technology should not be forced into any piece of communication. The story always comes first. The ideal scenario is to use technology if it enhances the story. This ideology truly resonates with us at Jio Creative Labs. For example, in 2018, we identified an old age home whose senior citizens would visit Lalbaugcha Raja every year during Ganesh Chaturthi. However, due to compelling health issues it wasn’t possible for them to do so that year. So we decided to bring Ganpati to them! In the midst of the festivities, we shot Lalbaugcha Raja in 360 and mapped the entire journey from the old age home to where the Ganesha idol is kept. A lot of interesting surprises were presented to them on their journey and when they reached the pandal, they were able to do a virtual darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja. It worked beautifully and was taken with a lot of warmth and appreciation. In marketing, it all starts with a need and if technology is able to address the need gap, that works out perfectly. And this was a prime example of technology embedded into storytelling. The most important thing to consider is the humane aspect because technology alone cannot bridge this gap. So even while using technology, the human appeal cannot disappear- it has to be at the forefront of storytelling driving the story.

AR – From gaming to the arts, augmented reality, virtual reality & mixed reality technologies are making waves, providing innovative outlets for telling stories in the digital age. How can this enable brands to satisfy customers’ hunger for control and active participation and help them become enablers of the story?

Technology adds a three-fold aspect to a story’s newness, fun and most importantly, an engaging element which is missing in conventional storytelling. Today, technology gives you an edge particularly since it is not yet adapted at a mass level. You are much more involved while playing a game in 360 or VR as opposed to in 2D. When you’re wearing a Google glass or when there’s an MR interface, there is an irreplaceable wow impact. However, it’s important to sustain the wow impact invariably getting the consumers to use it more often, instead of letting technology be a flash in the pan. If used to make a real change and impact in the consumer’s life and not just as a gimmick, technology can help customers become enablers of the story. The challenge and the focus today, however, should be to understand how to make technology the cake itself and not just a cherry on top of it.

AR – Consumers will not be able to visit their favorite retail store, mall, or restaurant anytime soon. How can technology such as AR, VR, and MR enable consumers to have the same experience as in the past?

Today, even with online buying, the experiential factor remains crucial. A lot of our clients have understood that and we have been working with them on some interesting ways to bring this to our consumers, one such way being virtual tours. The client would want to showcase how their product is manufactured and is in tandem with all the safety norms and the idea is to demonstrate this through a VR tour of the manufacturing unit. Or a management college that does a virtual tour of their campus and classrooms since the students are unable to be present physically. This is something we are actively doing for our clients. Suddenly, we also see the rise of 360 and virtual brand communication on common mediums, like Facebook and YouTube that have a 360 video player. Hence, dissemination of technology becomes much simpler. I won’t be surprised if a lot of communication in the near future shifts from 2D to 360, especially since it gives the consumers a power and say in how they are consuming their content.

AR – How are brands that are spending their current time in building end-to-end, personalized content strategies, gain a competitive advantage over the ones that are simply adapting their live events’ strategies to virtual ones?

Technology is something one must invest when there is a need. Brands should actively look at finding the need gap with technology and blend it with storytelling to enhance communication. If the problem could have been solved without the usage of technology, it is wrong to force-feed technology. But if technology can enhance the customer experience and add value, and thus can get better engagement and top of mind recall, it’s a win-win situation for everybody. Brands should not only look at technology to replace the virtual events but at various stages of the product life cycle. Brands should look at how technology will aid and add more value that will be derived to the consumer, and give a wow impact to the communication. And if strategically done, the desired response will be highlighted by the usage of the right technology, coupled with the right storytelling.

AR – How can interactive content help brands to accelerate the dissemination of the right brand message to its consumers – ultimately increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing activities?

The levels of interactivity always work. Coming from a content background, I have seen levels of interactivity that are happening even in content today. The content that earlier was, let’s say, an Indian Idol, one could vote for your favorite contestant, which evolved to a missed call today. But I believe that that the future is where consumers can live and interact with it, and there is much more that you can do – you can decide which way the show needs to move. A consumer could even be a part of the show or situation. So there are multiple permutations and combinations of interactivity when it comes to content. Similarly, when it comes to digital, brands are now looking at technology in an interesting manner. Internationally, even shows like Black Mirror have proven that interactivity and other aspects can enhance content. Today, there are loads of examples of brands that are digitally trying to up the game of interactivity. And today with Jio TV+, that was announced during the AGM by our Directors, what I feel is going to be interesting is the feature of technology, which Jio Fibre will also give out to the consumers, which will ensure that there is more involvement of the consumers when it comes to content. This matrix can also be looked at from the perspective of a brand. Internationally, we can already see examples of how a beverage brand, during the Superbowl, had a drinkable ad where they used a mobile phone to create an impact when the advertisement was on television. Such examples are proof that brands will now invest in technology, so that top of mind recall and engagement levels multiply with the consumers.

AR – How pertinent is interactive content today when it comes to touching base and building a rapport with the consumer?

As I mentioned a bit earlier, interactive content will be a key differentiator, because today with television content and viewership having fatigued, the next big disruptor and differentiator in the era of content, especially on television and OTT, will be interactive. I am bullish of the fact that interactivity will not only be a disruptor, but also a key decider of one’s choice to watch the show or not. You could coin a 3D approach here, to define the interactive element. But I sincerely believe that interactivity in content holds huge potential in the future.

AR – Where stories to date have had a set direction determined by its creator, how can immersive and interactive technology guide consumers to actively participate in the story and also give them the authority to partake in the creation of a particular story thus democratizing content?

In the past, we’ve seen OTT platforms using AI technology to predict what could be the future storyline. It is an interesting concept to give the consumer the power to decide the fate of what they would like to watch, and let them be on the driving seat of storytelling.

Not just an episode, but now a consumer can probably even decide on which way the storyline of the second season of a particular hit show could go, and they can now dictate in terms of what kind of stories do they want to watch and how do they want to watch them as well. The higher the involvement of the consumer, the more excited a viewer would be, and this would lead to a longing in them for the franchise to be elaborated further, going forward.

So I believe that getting the consumer’s involvement today, as a part of storytelling, is very crucial and is something brands and content creators are going to explore because this will ensure stickiness, longevity, and will be a huge differentiator.