MEDBE Exam

Instructions for the exam.

Please read them carefully.

● Exam Duration: 120 minutes.

● The link will become inactive by 5.15 pm
● Answer any FIVE Descriptive Questions from the below.
● Each answer carries equal marks.
● Total marks 50.
● This is an open book examination. Feel free to use your laptop to quote data/figures if
that helps you strengthen your argument.
● Answer each question in 250 words.
● The exam carries 50% weightage.
● Please copy all your answers in the Word File/ Notepad, to avoid any end moment
contingencies.

Q1 Due to the Covid19 pandemic the Government of India has banned your event
company from celebrating the Navratri event. Think of an innovative way to engage
multiple people during Navratri. Enumerate the revenue streams and strategy for this
idea.

EVENTS AND ENGAGEMENT:

As more and more people are spending time online, social media will help us engage more
with audiences and gain traction.
1) Host competitions on Instagram via posts, tagging, etc. Then provided prizes on the basis
of: most liked, most viewed etc. hence, engaging those who haven’t participated too.
2) Live shows – We can use various platforms already available online through browsers to
excite people. Live shows from the homes of 10 people sitting in their respective rooms doing
Garba for example.
3) Engage people via the music usually played. Host a DJ night on platforms like Dice,
6Connex, etc.
4) Bring people together via a games night by playing games like: Bingo, Fastest ginger first,
etc. Then giving out prizes for the same.
5) Host an open mic where everybody can perform.

Revenue:
1) Sponsorship: The most common form is by getting sponsorships through cash or kind.
This will help us deliver the prizes and providing coupons as a thanks for those who
participated at open mic.
2) Sell tickets online for the DJ night or the stand up comic as is done on platforms like Dice.

Q2 Over the last five years you have noticed a consistent dip in the revenue and
subscription of your Marathi newspaper. Make a succession plan for your venture. List
down an action plan to ensure that your “News Content” business comes back to life.
Q3 Radio Mirchi had a first-mover advantage in the country. It is still the leading Radio
network in the country. Looking at the rising competition in the market how would you
design the content strategy of the network? What would be the revenue streams that
you would try to attract besides the advertising revenue?

Q4 Describe in detail how the future of the Media and Entertainment industry would
look like in the year 2050. Describe the research, revenue streams, content, and
platforms of the future M&E industry.

In 2050 the M&E Industry will become more versatile. For one, with the help of digital
penetration, the industry will become more egalitarian, accessible and active. On the basis of
recent trends, it seems quite obvious that thse who can provide high quality content will
survive, while the others will perish in the cut-throat competition. This will be possible
because 5G along with smartphone user penetration will create more and more avenues to
shine. In an environment that is continuously changing, the ultimate winners will be either
new entrants that “move and scale the fastest or traditional major incumbents that are willing
to adapt and change.”

Revenue streams:
1. Subscription Video on Demand platforms (SVOD) will be widely accepted while
Virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (vMVPD) will face competition
2. Old-school pay-TV providers will try and optimise content to improve video
profitability
3. Inscreased investment in customization, speed and best digital experience.

Content:
OTT will emerge victorious as the most popular way to watch movies. In 2017, $20.1 billion
was earned in the OTT Business in US, with and expected rise by 15.2 per cent YOY. Digital
events like concerts, stand-up-comedy, theatre will be the new norm.

Platforms:
OTT platforms will be the future. This is primarily due to the digital take over. Instagram
Live, Youtube and Zoom will have a big role to play. In 2018, the number of TV viewers fell
significantly to less than 300 million while OTT viewers grew to 198 million. E-sports,
fantasy gaming will be other popular forms of entertainment.

Q5 MX Player has proved to be the number one OTT player in the country. What are
the reasons why the platform has been so successful? What would you recommend as
the future strategy for the platform?

MX Player happens to be the number one OTT player in the country because it ha sbeen
successful in playing all its cards at the right time. The platform provides users with a free
video streaming app with content that is timed more than 1.5 Million hours. This includes
original web series and exclusive shows, movies, web series, from leading content creators
and partner platforms such as Alt Balaji, and SonyLIV. It also contains 100+ games with
prizes to be won and music content. It’s content repository contains a lot of regional content
which appeals to a diverse country like India. A report by KPMG in 2019 stated that there
exists 90% of adoption rate of digital entertainment among Indian language users. Another
report stated that by 2025, 50% of the video consumed with be regional, 45% Hindi. As a
result, major OTT platforms have all dedicated 10-15% of their content to regionals. MX
players not only plays well to this advantage but also, have gone with the wave of gaming
and audio streaming boom in the country.
MX’s acquiring strategy has been extremely robust as they’ve been to cater to all the
entertainment needs of their consumer base. This while sets them apart from their
competitors, also helps them reach a client-base that is different from that can be reached
over television as it is cheaper than TV. MX is free platform and offers premium content
without a cost, they follow the AVOD (Advertising video on demand) model.
Future strategy recommendations for MX Player -
1. As the Online gaming market is booming, use sports marketing to expand their base.
2. Curate content for more premium audiences.

Q6 “Television is dying” Take a stand for or against this statement. Make logical
arguments around it. Also, suggest ten steps for the immediate operational decisions
that you would advise your CEO to take.

Yes, Tv is dying.
Specifically Cable TV. Subscription based Tv still has its chance.
With the continuous increase in consumption of OTT platforms there has been a subsequent
decline in the consumption of TV content. According to EY the CAGR of 2019-20 in the TV
industry has been only 4% whereas digital media drives a growth of 30.9%. The biggest set
back however was due to the NTO that reduced the number of pay TV subscribers in 2019
despite a significant growth of 12% between 2016-2019. This can be attributed to the growth
of social media. Now, youngsters between the age of 18 to 24 have stopped watching TV for
the same reason. Global internet usage has gone up by 4%. This is also aided by OTT
platforms costing less than a TV subscription.

Strategy:
1. Increased quantity and quality of regional shows.
2. This will reduce the flipping of channels and people will be more willing to watch
content more deligiently
3. Can be an advantage to marketers
4. Improve social media presence
5. Reduce cost of subscription.

Q7 T Series has been a leading music company in the world. What would be your advice
to T Series to come up with a Music App in a market like India? Discuss its potential
and aspects like models of revenue, marketing, consumer acquisition, and content
strategy.

Q8 Which of the following do you see growing rapidly in the coming time? Give at least
four reasons and substantiate your answer. a)PRINT b)LIVE EVENTS c)OOH
Q9 Do you agree or disagree with the statement, "In the Indian Context, PRINT will
remain relevant for the advertisers". Give at least 4 reasons to substantiate your point
of view.’

The following could be stated as possible advantages of the print over a digital medium in
these times: It is a slow medium so people are more focused on your message, luxury brand
consumers want more tangible modes of advertising like Glossy magazines that is aided by
print, It helps create brand awareness and stronger recall.
Hence for advertisers in the post COVID scenario, print industry will still continue to remain
relevant:
1. India’s English speaking newspaper market has become saturated. While the literacy
rates start to improve, especially in the rural India, readership is increasing too. This
has been spotted as a potential for the regional newspapers and hence advertisers.
2. Potential of the regional print industries: As digital grows, more advertisers will be
crowding up the digital space. This will leave more space in print ads in regional
publications. This means, more engagement time between the content of the ad and
the reader. It hence appears as a marketing advantage.
3. Indian print still has a huge circulation. Specially hindi newspaper. This means there
is more scope for engagement with the reader. 42.7% is hindi newspaper circulation.
4. Many people still read the newspaper. Customer also, tend to engage more with a
newspaper compared with a digital because it is a slow medium. Instead of skimming
through the ad, they spend time on it.