Vh1 Supersonic's diverse audience opens opportunities for brands: Gaurav Mashruwala

Vh1 Supersonic, the multi-genre music and lifestyle festival, is making a return with a slew of new activations and consumer engagement activities that will engage festival-goers in innovative ways. That's not all, this time around, they have also amped up the overall festival styling to enhance the visual experience.

Spread across three days and five stages, the festival with its brand manifesto, ‘Be There Be Free’ will be held at Mahalakshmi Lawns, Pune, on February 16, 17 and 18, 2024.

In an exclusive conversation with BestMediaInfo, Gaurav Mashruwala, Business Head, Viacom18 Live (Integrated Network Solutions), highlighted what’s new in Vh1 Supersonic edition 2024, unique opportunities for brands, artist lineup, brand partners, marketing of property, and more.

What’s new in Vh1 Supersonic edition 2024?

Mashruwala emphasised that Vh1 Supersonic, as a brand, focuses heavily on hosting a multi-genre music festival while prioritising consumer experiences in the lifestyle space. This includes our food curation offerings and the lifestyle experiences that our consumers consistently enjoy.

“This year, we are expanding our efforts in the realms of fashion and art, collaborating with exciting brands to showcase the latest fashion collections,” Mashruwala said.

“We have ongoing creative partnerships which translate to art showcases on ground, serving as a key highlight of one of our experience zones. Additionally, we have intriguing activations and consumer engagement activities planned with sponsors, particularly Maybelline. We are doing some interesting activations and consumer engagement modules in collaboration with the brand. Furthermore, we are amping up the overall festival styling to enhance the visual experience,” he added.

Furthermore, he mentioned that in the post-pandemic era, there has been a notable shift in consumer preferences. Nowadays, people prefer going out and Vh1 Supersonic has become a popular spot for them. It's not just about enjoying music, it's a fantastic place to spend time with friends, family, and colleagues. It feels like a three-day picnic experience for everyone.

“We are a multi-genre music and lifestyle festival and we pay as much attention to the curation of the line-up as we do to the curation of the experiences that we bring to the consumer. Our festival offers a three-day experience, where visitors can discover new music and enjoy performances by their favourite artists. We prioritise crafting memorable overall experiences that receive as much attention as the music itself,” Mashruwala said.

Unique opportunities for brands

“As Vh1 Supersonic, we are a part of the Viacom18 group. So, we work with many brands and whenever we get a brand as a sponsor or a partner on board, the first thing we do is understand their requirements from a direct-to-consumer engagement point of view. All around, the engagement we build is based on that brand’s unique requirements,” Mashruwala said.

On the ground, the focus is entirely on creating immersive and innovative activations and activities that align 100% with how the brand wishes to connect with its consumers.

“Every brand aims for a broader audience, especially during festivals where around 70,000 people attend over three days. To extend this reach, we leverage the extensive audience of Vh1 and Supersonic across various platforms,” Mashruwala said.

“Collaborating with brands, we develop tailored solutions that result in content produced before, during and after the festival. This content significantly amplifies reach and provides value to our partners, as it is showcased across all our digital and social media handles,” he added.

Mashruwala also highlighted that the festival's diverse audience enables brands to connect with a multifaceted consumer base. He said that they have partners from across categories like food and beverage, automobile, e-commerce, fashion and beauty. These partnerships cover a wide range of categories that appeal to a diverse demographic.

Overcoming challenges faced in planning and executing Vh1 Supersonic

“Over the past two years, we have faced some challenges that are gradually being overcome. Initially, after the first edition following COVID, there was a surge in events as people sought out experiences. This sudden demand put significant pressure on costs across the board, from artists to production,” Mashruwala said.

However, the current trend indicates a stabilisation of costs. Despite an increase in the number of events compared to the previous years, the industry is better prepared, he said.

Mashruwala highlighted that the production teams now carry more inventory, and there's a collective readiness for the scale, which was unexpected in the immediate post-pandemic year.

Artist lineup and brand partners for Vh1 Supersonic 2024

The artist line-up includes top names from across the globe, such as Major Lazer Soundsystem, Adam Beyer, King, Yotto, Denis Horvat, Hamdi, Patrice Bäumel, The Midnight, Arjun Vagale, Browncoat, Kohra, Taba Chake and The Yellow Diary. Legends like 10,000 Lions, Bass Maya, Chromaderma, D2, Dr. Sel, Earl Gateshead, Ital Soup, Major C, NZ Selector, Rasta Yuga, Rudy Roots and Sanyas-I will also be ramping up the much-loved Reggae Corner.

Budweiser Beats is on board as the title sponsor with Nexa as co-powered by, along with Maybelline as the beauty partner and Jose Cuervo Magarita Mix as the Celebration partner.

Marketing of the property

Mashruwala emphasised that when it comes to the marketing of Vh1 Supersonic, they prioritise new-age marketing tools and platforms including social media, digital resources, influencer marketing, community outreach and fandom engagement.

Traditional marketing outreach like television, radio and OOH are leveraged in spurts and closer to the event dates to drive awareness and footfall, he added.

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