Matrimonial websites go offline, local to create perfect alliances
From cyber space to offline initiatives and localisation, matrimonial websites are witnessing a strategic shift in focus to tap the growing clout of the huge mass of customers in smaller Indian towns. exchange4media speaks to two key players in the space, Bharatmatrimony.com and Shaadi.com, to get their perspective on this.

It is said that marriages are made in heaven, but in today’s wired world, they are increasingly being made via the cyber space. However, marriages still need to be solemnised on earth, especially in India, where the entire extended family is involved in the process. It is this ground reality that matrimonial websites in India have realised and have lately taken to shifting their focus towards various offline initiatives and also begun targeting the smaller towns.
As a result, they are devising newer methods to reach the new category of non-Internet using market. Whether this shift in focus has happened due to a fall in paid subscribers of matrimonial websites following the recession or the sudden growing potential of the huge mass of customers in smaller Indian towns is yet to be judged statistically.
Some of the factors that could, however, be taken into consideration include the fact that there has been a growing number of Internet users across the country; the small town markets dominated by local marriage bureaus are yet to be tapped by the matrimonial portals; and there has been a significant fall in the NRI customer base of these sites. So, what followed has been a range of new initiatives by most of the marriage portals in the lines of matrimony magazines, matrimony meets, marriage centres, reality TV shows, Internet TV and so on.
Some time back, Bharatmatrimony.com, a matrimonial portal from the Consim Group, launched Actve Matrimony on TataSky. Actve Matrimony features 1,000 new matrimonial listings every week and classified according to multiple languages and communities. With this service, the Group claims to have increased its user base in addition to its existing base of members. Bharatmatrimony has also launched an Internet channel that features videos for audiences across the globe.
Murugavel Janakiraman, Founder & CEO, Consim Info Pvt Ltd, said, “We would like our services to reach consumers who are also not so net savvy. The products remain the same, but services offered will depend on the consumers’ comfort level. So, it’s a matter of extending the services to use our product better. We want to offer a variety of services to people to make it more user-friendly and easily accessible to all.”
Through its offline centres, Bharatmatrimony caters to the non-Internet users. Its magazine, ‘BharatMatrimonyTimes’, features success stories, interviews with celebrities and various aspects of marriages, including trends, relationships, and the wedding industry itself.
Said Murugavel, “We do grassroot marketing to reach consumers in the smaller towns and help them experience our services.”
Recently, Shaadi.com and Star Plus forged a partnership for a show, combining reality and entertainment. The show traces the journey of participants’ right from their initial meeting, selection, discussion and drama, culminating in an Indian wedding, showcasing a slice of Indian family life. The show is open to all eligible Indian residents.
According to Vibhas Mehta, Business Head, Shaadi.com, “Matrimonials through reality TV is one great concept that Indian television lacked. With our expertise in the domain, being one of India’s most trusted matrimonial sites, a dedicated team at Shaadi.com will screen each registration before entries are passed on to Star Plus.”
Coming to the question of whether the matrimonial sites would be able to harness the local regional markets, we have seen a lot many sites coming out in the regional languages. Commenting on this growing localisation and regional language sites in India, Murugavel said, “We see it as an important investment for the future. As the Internet penetration into semi-urban and rural markets goes up, localisation will gain momentum.”
Also read:
Now, Tata Sky, too, launches matrimonial service in association with BharatMatrimony
Star Plus, Shaadi.com join hands to celebrate ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’
Shaadi.com forms alliance with Vodafone for ‘matrimony on the move’
DishTV joins hands with Shaadi.com to launch matrimonial service ‘Shaadi Active’
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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