From video blogs to interactive voice chats, stars are using the very latest in technology to stay in touch with fans.
First, it was just social networks. Then came microblogging through Twitter. Now, with interactive mobile and web applications, the younger lot of film celebrities and sports stars are making sure they are just a click away from their fans.
The latest one to join the voice platform is Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra. The former Miss India is, along with UTV Interactive, set to launch her voice blogs and voice chats. “I tweet about my off-camera moments and now my fans can also get direct voice chats or blogs about them,” Chopra said in an interview to Business Standard. “If there is any technology to connect with the fans, I will be happy to use it.” In fact, UTV Interactive is also exploring the option of using 3G-based services like video chats and video blog services with Chopra.
Pop culture’s obsession with celebrities is evolving along with technology. Take for instance Airtel subscriber Shaurya Angad, who was introduced to voice blogging over a text message. Voice blogging is similar to Twitter’s microblogging service, but with a voice that is heard on phones.
“I usually ignore unsolicited SMSes, but the opportunity to listen to actor Lara Dutta was too tempting,” says this 28-year-old student, who has signed up for the voice-blogging service with telecom provider Bharti Airtel for a monthly subscription fee of Rs 10 and an additional 75 paise for every minute of her voice blogs.
A new voice for views...
Fans from Andhra Pradesh religiously follow Ileana D’Cruz, a young actor, on her very own YouTube channel www.youtube.com/ileanaofficial. According to D’Cruz: “These days, everyone is trying to go digital. But I felt the need to explore this medium in a different way.”
The online channel currently has videos from D’Cruz’s personal life — enjoying a simple walk on the beach, washing her mother’s black Honda City. Even her childhood pictures are included.
“Using film and sports celebrities can work really well as it facilitates mass awareness,” says Manish Agarwal, CEO, UTV Interactive, which is also responsible for organising content and giving celebrities cues on topics that may interest users. Some of the other personalities that have begun to use technology platforms to interact with fans include Amitabh Bachchan, Celina Jaitley, Rima Sen, John Abraham, Mahesh Bhupati, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Sania Mirza, among others.
Media companies are now ensuring that such digital initiatives of film and sports icons, which are anyway tailored to suit Indian fans’ tastes, reaches out to the NRI audience as well as small-town India, in addition to the usual urban Indian consumers with PC and mobile screens.
According to Shireesh Joshi, chief marketing officer (mobile services), Bharti Airtel, growth is being fuelled by towns and cities across India. Geographically speaking, the largest adoption for voice-based mobile services stems from North-East states, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand circles. “Also, behaviour varies across the country. For example, Rajasthan is among the leading circles in blogging, while Kerala is into both blogging as well as following stars,” says Joshi.
Voice blogs are an ideal platform for Pooja Gandhi, a Kannada film actor. “I find the service easy to use and usually blog about my day, movies and myself,” she says.
...that’s more authentic
Data from UTV Interactive, the digital arm of UTV, shows that actors like Lara Dutta have over 300,000 followers for her voice blogs, compared to 200,000 Twitter followers. Also, an Airtel spokesperson reveals that actor Amitabh Bachchan has about 600,000 followers on his Airtel blog, compared to the 380,000 users who follow the veteran actor on Twitter.
Airtel subscriber Angad, who is also a regular follower of Bollywood actor Neetu Chandra’s blogs, says: “Through voice blogs, you learn about the celebrity’s life and her relationships with people in her own voice,” he adds. The most evident advantage of voice blogging is that it’s an intimate way to communicate with fans.
“On web blogs, you don’t know who has written the post. In voice blogging, you have the authenticity of voice,” points out Brad Porteus of Bubble Motion, a company that operates in Singapore and US, which introduced voice blogging to the Indian market in February this year. Bubble Motion has collaborated with mobile operators like Airtel and Reliance Communications in India.
Now, voice and even video chats!
Hungama Digital Media has helped actor Bipasha Basu to start a voice chat service where users dial into an interactive voice response (IVR) system and have a conversation directly with the star. According to Siddartha Roy, COO, Hungama Digital, a voice chat service is a slightly tweaked model of voice blogging as users can interact in real time with their favourite celebrity. “On dialling, the user participates in a live conversation where Bipasha talks to all her fans,” he says. Currently, the service is only available to Airtel consumers, but talks are on to involve other operators also.
With mobile applications (apps) set to proliferate further on the back of 3G networks, Hungama has started work for a video app for noted chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
“We are also looking at creating a fitness application for Bipasha Basu that will have some of her special workout videos and plans,” reveals Roy.
Not just for phones
The app economy doesn’t restrict itself only to mobile phones. This week, Hungama is expected to launch entertainment apps for consumers who have bought an Intel Atom processor-based netbook preloaded with the Intel AppUp Store via Intel’s OEM tie-ups. These include the BollywoodHungama app, the Bipasha Basu app and a special edition Golmaal 3 app.
Industry analysts are sure that voice-based services like voice blogging will catch on in the country. “One of the reasons why it may work in India is due to the large number of mobile phone users compared to Internet users,” says UTV Interactive’s Agarwal, in a clear reference to the rural and Tier-III audiences.
Compared to an Internet penetration of just around 80 million, India’s mobile phone subscriber base has already crossed 660 million and is expected to touch 993 million by 2014. This makes it a favourable environment for voice-based mobile services. But, as most agree, the future looks bright for other forms of communications, too, from the fans’ perspective.
