"Brands can't rely on inventory advertising anymore": Arré 's Ajay Chacko

He said this while reiterating the importance of brand integrations, something he has leveraged for his new show 'The Real High'.

Arré, digital multi-media platform led by Ajay Chacko and B Saikumar, has launched a new vertical called 'Outdoor', on which it will stream travel and infotainment content.

The first show that will be streamed under this vertical is titled 'The Real High'; it is positioned as an outdoor adventure reality show. It is slated to begin on June 10. Season One will have eight episodes.

The show, hosted by Rannvijay Singh (of Roadies fame), will feature six (selected from over 60,000 applicants) city-bred youngsters who are left to survive in the outdoor terrains of Arunachal Pradesh.

Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Ministry is presenting sponsor.

"We are in conversation with many other governments as well... the show will go to a new destination next," Ajay Chacko, co-founder and chief executive officer, Arré , tells afaqs!.

Chacko adds, "The association with the government shows that digital is becoming mainstream. Brands are now evolving to understand the importance of integrations. We are in a world where ad-avoidance is very high; today's youth know how to skip/block ads... those options weren't there on TV. Brands cannot rely on inventory advertising to make an impact anymore; integrations are imperative."

Chacko believes India will continue to be an advertising-driven digital market. "10 per cent of the market may be SVOD (subscription-driven video on Demand), the rest is all AVOD (advertising-driven video on demand). I have worked in (the) TV (industry)... it took over 20 years to get a positive figure when it comes to subscription revenue," he asserts.

He also likens feels BARC India's impending digital roll-out to wind beneath the wings of platforms like Arré . "More ad dollars will flow towards quality digital content for sure. BARC will measure the content consumed across all digital platforms, which will let brands know exactly where the money is going."

Mobile leads consumption of Arré 's content on YouTube, and the statistics show a rise in big screen mirroring, something Chacko feels will grow. "Currently, it is 60 per cent mobile, 30 per cent desktop and 10 per cent big screen. It has grown 0 to 10 in last year and I see that growing further because of two things - every other TV sold today is a smart TV and at the same time digital content quality is getting better and better," explains.

'The Real High' cost Arré upwards of a crore to make. Every week a new episode will be released - algorithms help the team take these decisions. Chacko tells us, "We look into the algorithms of our partners. I feel binge works better for established formats, so the next season of The Real High could be binge..."

About the genre the show falls under, Chacko says, "The journey of the six people in the show will be relatable for the youth watching. Travel is a big genre. Youth today do not invest in real estate... instead, they travel. We believe there is a big opportunity there."