Zee Marathi celebrates 25 years by embracing pop culture and data-driven strategy

New Delhi: As Zee Marathi celebrates its 25th anniversary, the channel reflects on a legacy that has evolved with pop culture while embracing data-driven media strategies.

Over the years, Zee Marathi has continually adapted to changing audience preferences, expanding into films and innovative content formats. At a roundtable conference last week, Siju Prabhakaran, Chief Cluster Officer for South & West at ZEE Entertainment Enterprises, and V. R. Hema, Chief Channel Officer of Zee Marathi, shed light on the channel’s journey and its evolving strategy.

Zee Marathi has consistently stayed relevant by leveraging pop culture to engage with its audience. Elaborating on the journey of the brand, Hema said, “Starting in 1999, the channel has embraced rebranding and introduced innovative programming, such as the first go-to-home format reality show in Maharashtra, which has aired over 8,000 episodes in 20 years. 

Non-fiction formats like ‘Saregamappa’ became popular, while Zee Marathi also built intellectual properties like the Marathi Awards and launched initiatives focused on women's empowerment. Additionally, Zee produced Maharashtra's first mythological TV show, Jai Malhar.”

Going beyond the ambit of TV, Prabhakaran spoke about what the channel offers beyond TV. From the horse’s lips himself, he said, “Zee Marathi’s success paved the way for the launch of other channels like Zee Talkies, Zee Yuva, and Zee Chitra Mandir. The strength of Zee Marathi also boosted Zee’s movie production business, producing blockbuster Marathi films. This relationship between TV and movie businesses has significantly shaped the Maharashtrian culture. Additionally, Zee’s ventures into magazines further cemented its cultural impact. The brand line ‘Mi Marathi, Zee Marathi’ sums up this deep connection.”

Commenting on the specific trends that the brand has been through, Hema said, “Maharashtrian women, traditionally known for their simplicity and low profile, are now shifting towards a more abundant and self-focused lifestyle. While community remains important, personal identity and meaning are gaining traction. Underdog stories are becoming popular, showing a desire for opportunities and the journey from struggle to success.”

While consumer preferences change, Zee Marathi has decided not to be on the backseat. Providing insight on changing consumer insights and how Zee Marathi has adapted to it, Prabhakaran said, “On the technical side of production, there have been significant enhancements, especially post-COVID, with improvements in multi-cam setups, outdoor locations, DI, sound, and editing. Unlike the past, where long-running serials were common, today's audience prefers stories with a clear start, middle, and end. 

Building character love is crucial for channel loyalty, so communication efforts amplify characters, making them resonate with current issues and pop culture. Targeted marketing campaigns, both digital and ground activations, aim to focus on and address specific markets. The goal is to create better integration opportunities and synergies between the brand, characters, and content.”

Moving ahead in the session, Hema mentioned how data is becoming “very, very important,” and the brand is looking at attribute-linked data modelling to guide selection on media, making it a useful tool for most brands.

Speaking of festive plans for Zee Marathi, Hema said, “We have the Zee Marathi Awards, our biggest television awards, planned for the festive season. Recently, we concluded a major event during Bahi Handi, followed by another significant event for Ganpati. Now, we are gearing up for Navratri with the Zee Marathi Awards. Typically, during festivals, our fiction shows take on a new momentum, and we are anticipating some of our fiction series to take a significant turn. Additionally, we are planning to launch a new non-fiction show post-Diwali.”

Slipping a sidenote in the conversation, Prabhakaran mentioned the release of films such as ‘Dharamveer 2’ was released on September 27, 2024. Additionally, ‘Ek Number’ is set to release on the 10th of October.

Wrapping up the conference, Hema said, “Many people have launched their careers through this channel, attributing their success and landmark moments to it. The channel has expanded into films and theatre, navigating the entire entertainment landscape, so it has been an incredible 25-year-long run.”