Skoda Auto India launches Deccan Beats - a music talent platform for South India

Skoda Auto India, in association with PHD Media, Laqshya Event Capital and BToS’ artist management launches a talent platform for aspiring musicians in the South market, as a part of their Sonic marketing strategy.

Skoda Auto India has launched a symphonic stage for aspiring musicians, with a focus on nurturing indigenous musical talent from the heartlands of South India. The initiative is conceptualized, crafted, and brought to life as a superlative branded campaign by PHD Media and OMG content in collaboration with Laqshya Event Capital and BToS’ artist management.  

Set to the beats of raga-centric melodies, the talent platform amplifies the beauty of Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu music.

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The series is slated in three distinct phases — Talent Hunt, On-Road, Garage Series - featuring 16 rising talented artists from 5 different states. The talent hunt will also feature stellar names from the South Indian music industry such as Andrea Jeremiah (Tamil), Geetha Madhuri (Telegu), Sithara Krishnakumar (Malayalam), and Raghu Dixit (Kannada) mentoring the talent.

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Monaz Todywalla, CEO of PHD Media India, speaking on this opportunity to enhance the auto giant's presence in the South Indian market, said, “Building upon Škoda’s positioning of a brand that explores the nuances of music to strike a chord with its consumers, Deccan Beats is yet another ambitious musical voyage that explores Carnatic music through a unique blend of talent-hunt, on-road entertainment, and musical synergy. With the sentiment to travel and discover more currently riding on a high, the experiential campaign highlights Southern India’s musical roots with the intent to spark wayfaring.”

Elaborating on the idea behind Deccan Beats, Tarun Jha, Head of Marketing – Škoda Auto India said, “Deccan Beats is the culmination of a long-time desire of Škoda India to create something unique for the market in South India. The brand believes in offering customers an enriching and unique experience. It is the right platform to appreciate the talent in South India. With PHD Media’s digital prowess we are delighted to bring Deccan Beats to people, which truly offers a chance to budding indigenous music talent skilled in the art of Carnatic music.”

Shailja Saraswati, Chief Content Officer of Omnicom Media Group India (OMG), said, “As an experiential campaign, backed by unique branded content, it will not only showcase aspiring musicians from the contextually rich Southern states but also empower talent with the mentorship of established musicians. The format will champion the brand's stance in the region with the customer connect that this creative initiative will seed and shape.”

Building upon music-led initiatives that the automobile brand has curated in the past year like Sonic Roots and Tips Rewind and recognizing the possibilities of bringing people together in a region rich with dialects, languages, and symphonies, Deccan Beats will spotlight the shapers and makers of today's Carnatic music circuit and the incredible stories behind it.