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From memes to campus visits, Shark Tank India plans an elaborate marketing campaign for Season 3 launch

As Shark Tank India Season 3 gears up for its launch, Aman Srivastava, Head of Marketing at Sony LIV, provides a sneak peek into the marketing strategies set to unfold with the upcoming season.

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Pranali Tawte
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Shark Tank India

Shark Tank India, since its inception in 2021, has not only been a pillar of financial support for Indian entrepreneurs and start-ups but has also provided a vast sea of opportunities in terms of visibility and recognition. The show, with an IMDb rating of 8.7/10, has successfully brought conversations around entrepreneurship and startups into the mainstream, amassing 1 million followers on Instagram within the first two years. Season 1 witnessed over INR 36.1 crores in total investments, while Season 2 saw a substantial increase, reaching INR 83.28 crores, showcasing the impact and potential the show holds for the Indian business landscape. 

As it launches Season 3 on January 22, 2024, Sony LIV has employed a blend of traditional and new-age approaches for its marketing strategy. This includes campus visits, meme marketing, revealing unseen footage to fuel conversation on the internet, and getting new sharks on board. Aman Srivastava, Head of Marketing at Sony LIV, further told us how the series is banking on past success to get the ball rolling for the new season launch. 

Shark Tank Swims into Pop-culture Waves

As the season gains momentum, it spawns an array of memes and reactions across social media platforms, notably on Twitter and Instagram. Even in the past, the show has garnered a considerable positive response from its audience, and with the surge in viewership, a wave of amusing memes and funny reactions floods social media channels. Both Twitter and Instagram buzz with humorous content related to the show.

Moments like Namita Thapar’s "Yeh meri expertise ke bahar hai. So, I’m out" and Aman Gupta’s “Toh hum bhi bana lenge,” have become part of the social media discourse. The audience actively participates by sharing memes, GIFs, and stickers on platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

Srivastava highlighted that the team keeps a tab on these user-generated memes that are created as they showcase the well-being of the content.

Sometimes, some memes articulate things that the show in its manner doesn't do, and we try to keep humor as a mainstay of our communication. Memes help us augment that very well. If something starts doing well, then the memes will follow because that part of the world is looking for these quirks.

A number of creators and influencers such as Kusha Kapila, Malika Dua, Ashish Chanchlani, and more were seen creating buzz around Shark Tank. From impersonating the sharks to how people’s daily diction has changed post watching the show, influencers have covered it all. Stand-up comedians like Biswa Kalyan Rath and Rohan Joshi also joined the bandwagon.

Srivastava said, “Influencer voices are basically people who connect with pop culture, and these are the kind of people with whom we try to collaborate very well.”

He elaborated on the concept of influential voices, often referred to as influencers, asserting his preference for the term 'voices.' According to him, these voices play a pivotal role in sparking conversations for Shark Tank, as they possess the ability to articulate and express ideas that a brand or platform might struggle to convey directly.

Pop culture today is about being direct. Tell us what exactly you have in mind and what is there in it for me? These are things which these popular voices are able to integrate very seamlessly in pop culture.

A New School of Sharks

As Shark Tank India gears up for its highly anticipated Season 3, a fresh wave of excitement and innovation is on the horizon. The show introduces a panel of judges or ‘sharks’, comprising familiar faces from previous seasons and notable new additions like Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of OYO Rooms; Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO of Zomato; Radhika Gupta, CEO of Edelweiss, and Azhar Iqubal, Co-Founder and CEO of Inshorts. 

 Srivastava shared insights into this strategic move, emphasizing the importance of diverse choices among the sharks.

Srivastava said, “More people becoming sharks is something we were looking at. The idea is to broaden the appeal. When more sharks come in, they bring with them a certain kind of followers.”

He explained with examples that Ritesh Agarwal and Deepinder Goyal are figures whom the youth look up to, as they have built things people are experiencing themselves. On the other hand, he highlighted Radhika Gupta, a seasoned professional who brings a different audience profile. 

The strategy is to be more inclusive, and these sharks are helping us do that.

Shark Tank has helped CEOs build their own personal brand and now everyone wants to get a taste of this fame.  

Srivastava emphasized that the authenticity of the sharks is crucial. “The idea is to not change the way you are as a shark, that's the best thing. Be the way you are, and that is exactly what you get to see on the show as well,” he added.

Shark Tank’s Witty Parade 

Getting the ball rolling for the latest season, Shark Tank India unveiled a new campaign titled ‘Corporate Bidaai,’ written by Devaiah Bopanna, Tanmay Bhat, Puneet Chadha and Deep Joshi, directed by Rahul Bharti and conceptualized by Moon Shot. The campaign aimed to resonate with a wide spectrum of entrepreneurs. 

The film humorously showcased a young employee bidding farewell amid sarcastic comments after facing challenges at work. With clever comebacks, the departing employee gracefully exited, leaving bosses surprised. The co-founder pledged positive treatment in their new venture, symbolized by a car labeled 'just founded.' The film concluded by revealing the release date and time for Shark Tank Season 3.

The campaign, characterized by humor, seeks to strike a chord with the youth contemplating the opportunity to build something of their own. 

Humor is the brand emotion with which we want to present Shark Tank to people. Business is serious work, but presenting Shark Tank should not stress people. Keeping humor alive is a mainstay of our communication.

 Srivastava highlighted that the motive of the campaign was to encourage first-time entrepreneurs and those with workable businesses but unsure how to scale up and to excite people with ideas and encourage their participation, catering to various stages of businesses.

He said, “The idea was to ignite that spark and also attract individuals employed in their jobs to come and see how it unfolds on our platform. Audience accumulation was the primary objective, and achieving it in a more relatable manner is what we aim to build through this campaign.”

Regarding the mediums employed, Srivastava expressed interest in expanding its reach on professional platforms like LinkedIn. He emphasized that the choice of media is not about quantity but about maximizing the idea's visibility where it resonates most.

At one point of time, people would have thought that YouTube is perhaps the only platform where a video can find its right audience. It is not which media I have to invest how much in, it's where the idea is actually getting its most eyeballs. That is where we spend money.

Nurturing the next wave

In addition to the other entries for Season 3, Shark Tank India is set to feature a ‘Campus Special.’ This initiative provides a gateway for budding student entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative ideas, providing a platform for young minds to pitch their concepts and secure potential investments. 

Shedding light on this new dimension, Srivastava said, “Campus specials are one of the new initiatives that we have included this season. The idea is to bring in budding ideas and entrepreneurs from colleges onto the platform.”

He highlighted that the ecoPreneurs Special is a new addition for the upcoming season which will be based on sustainability.

From Audition to Pitches

Shark Tank India's marketing strategy is unfolding in distinct phases, each contributing to the show's success.

An integral aspect given to the format of Shark Tank, which mandates the invitation of entrepreneurs and pitchers, Srivastava believes the audition process is fundamental in sustaining the show's resonance in the minds of the audience. He highlighted that after being featured on Shark Tank, the pitchers' journeys garner attention from the audience, leading to conversations and them sharing their experiences.

He said, “Our idea is to see how we can help these entrepreneurs showcase because their success is our success. Our platform brings business and investors together, and their journeys keep the brand in conversation.”

After entrepreneurs showcase their ideas on Shark Tank, their journeys become a vital aspect of marketing.

In the second season, Shark Tank India initiated the Pitch Prep series, featuring videos with renowned entrepreneurs who were also founders. These videos aimed to articulate valuable insights on entrepreneurship, pitching, and the essential steps for individuals contemplating the initiation of a new business.

Srivastava said, “Pitch Prep Series worked for us last season and we will be doing it again for this season as well.”

The platform ensures consistent engagement with the audience throughout the season, providing live updates, anecdotes from the Sharks, and highlighting each successful deal. To bridge the gap for audiences less familiar with business terminology, Shark Tank takes the initiative to simplify the jargon shared on the show, fostering a more inclusive connection beyond the business background.

Following the conclusion of the season, Sony Liv strategically unveils unseen pitches from past episodes.

He explained that the idea behind introducing some of these pitches post-editing and completing the season narrative was to present content that didn't make it into the original broadcast. Certain pitches, although commendable, couldn't be accommodated within the show's timeframe, considering its TV broadcast. 

Srivastava believes that these pitches provide an excellent opportunity to engage the audience and draw them back to the platform. 

Media Plan

As Season 3 approaches, the elaborate media plan involves leveraging various platforms as it caters to diverse audience.

Srivastava claimed that there was a significant increase in female users sampling and subscribing to the show, surpassing the numbers from the first season. 

He said, "Digital platforms and digital environments are supposed to be male skewed. But we will equally target the female users because we know that they like this content. So, we will be targetting them as well."

He believes that the rise in female viewership can be linked to the female pitchers and entrepreneurs who made their mark and gained popularity during the second season.

Srivastava shared a few pointers about the media plan for the upcoming season.

  • From a media perspective, Shark Tank India will leverage various platforms, both traditional and digital, without creating new ones.

  • The platform will aim to capitalise on short-form content’s popularity as it has pervaded into everybody’s lives.

  • LinkedIn will remain a key advertising platform, complemented by a balance between traditional and digital media for optimal impact. 

  • While video platforms are impactful, the platform recognizes the significance of creative expressions in print and outdoor channels. 

  • Storytelling plays a crucial role on static platforms. 

  • Shark Tank India will focus on connected TV, given its high viewership for the show, and strive to maintain a presence across diverse media landscapes.

The larger objective behind this media plan for Shark Tank Season 3 is to be present everywhere including new-age media and traditional media.

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