 "Virat Kohli signs autograph for fans during a training session at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Photo: PTI")
If you are a fan of Virat Kohli, India's hottest cricketing star, you may soon be able to meet and greet him, chat with him online, receive exclusive pictures, videos or content from him or get discounts on select brands, like Wrogn and Chissel, which he endorses or part-owns.
This is provided you buy the Virat FanBox — a special edition MotoG Turbo phone that comes with an in-built app for Rs 16,999, which includes the membership fees to the Virat fan club for 365 days.
Of course, the FanBox also comes with a mini-bat signed by Virat, a hand-written (printed) letter from Virat, and a unique membership number which is linked to the IMEI no of the phone — all in a well decorated box. The phone will also serve as a key to a lot of entry points, like the post-match fan booth the club would organise.
The FanBox has been developed by Privyplex, a start-up founded by two alumni of Insead Business School — Ahmed Arab, the CEO, and Upmanyu Misra (chairman of its board), who also heads Elyseum, a Dubai-based private equity firm which has invested $1.5 million in the firm.
“As a cricketer, I feel blessed with all the love and support I get from my fans. The Virat FanBox is my personal endeavour to get closer to my fans than ever before; to connect and chat with them online and meet them in real life. I am excited and looking forward to engaging and interacting with the club members via the app,” Virat said in a statement.
"In India, celebrities enjoy a lot of following. FanBox is a high-degree engagement platform, which is unique. We are happy to partner with them," says Amit Boni, country head, Motorola. The potential is huge as Virat has 10.5 million followers on Twitter. While the start-up is shy of discussing targets, Boni will be disappointed if it doesn't do 1 million.
Typically, fans-celebrity interactions are one-way. Fans want to have access to celebrities, and celebrities want a better understanding of their fans. "We have created a platform which enables that between the celebrity and the fans," says Ahmed, CEO of Privyplex and a telecom engineer, who has worked with Microsoft, Nokia, Alcatel; co-founded a start-up in Singapore, which was sold to Rocket Internet.
Virat is the first celebrity the firm has signed up, but it’s also in talks with five others globally. These include a football player from South America, a basketball star from USA, a Formula 1 star from Europe, and entertainment and Bollywood stars from South Korea and India, respectively. What’s common is that they are among the most popular in their respective arenas. They all liked the idea and talks with them are currently at various stages; the FanBox will be customised for each.
New age celebrities realise the importance of fans, who are more demanding now — they want access, touch points. Social media firms like Facebook charge celebrities for full access to their followers. When Ronaldo, who has 107 million followers, posts a message, only 2-3 per cent of his followers may get to see the post for free; to reach out to all his followers, he may need to pay, says Misra.
"With this platform, a celebrity will be able to control the interaction, figure out how he can monetise his brand, or what brands should he endorse," says Misra.
What’s in it for fans? They get access to a digital platform which offers exclusive content, images, and videos. The app will also aggregate posts a celebrity makes on Facebook or Twitter. Membership to the club also brings in privileges like deals, opportunity to meet or chat with Virat.
"A certain number of meet and greet sessions (FanBooth, post game) are guaranteed, which has never been done before," says Ahmed. The members of this club will also get discounts on brands like Wrogn (20 per cent), that Virat endorses, or Chissel (15 per cent), which he partly-owns. The cricketer endorses brands across seven categories.
What Virat gets is direct access to his fan base, who are dedicated and reduces his dependence on other channels. Here, he also controls the content that comes out of it, and hence will get a royalty — a share of the revenues from FanBox, renewal of the annual subscription and a share of any e-commerce earnings on the platform when it stars.
Roping in Virat was easy, he bought into the concept within a few weeks, but it took 2-3 months for paper work and to customise the product. The other five celebrities the start-up is trying to rope in are trying to understand how their brand would be managed. It's a new tool for them to engage with their fans.
The onus of driving the platform rests a lot with the celebrity. "We give the engine. The more coal he puts in, the faster it can run," says Misra. Fans would renew their subscriptions if they see value in it.
The company follows strict criteria. For starters, the celebrity has to be truly active on social media. Two, the celebrity should not be just a great player or top performer in his vertical, but he should also have a great personality. For instance, a person could be a great actor, but he may not be right role model. "He has to be an affable, approachable person," says Ahmed.
