Branded Content in India is not a new territory, but it has enjoyed tremendous growth in the last four to five years. What have changed are the playing field and the rules; broadcasting restrictions around brand integration are open in the Indian market. Our challenge was not to exploit these relaxed limits, but instead to integrate the brand in an appropriate, purposeful way.

Times Television Group is the largest media conglomerate in India. The overall concept was reviewed by top editorial leaders, including the Editor-in-Chief, and each episode was rigorously reviewed by a consistent editorial team. Every DuPont 2 minute film that aired in the TV show’s commercial break was examined by Times Television’s legal and compliance divisions to ensure programming quality.

Inspiration

Centuries ago, Indian mathematician Aryabhata introduced 'Shunya' ('Zero'), revolutionizing everything from celestial navigation to basic balance sheets. Fast forward to today: India stands at a crossroads. Most see it as a future superpower, but challenges are abound—as home to 1 in 6 globally, India has daunting unmet needs related to infrastructure, energy, food supply, etc.

Development

To increase awareness of DuPont in India, we set about reestablishing the modern relevance of this ancient concept. DuPont and Times Television collaborated to build The Power of Shunya, a movement to tackle tough questions India must answer: how can science achieve maximum progress with zero negative effects on people and the environment: how can we provide electricity to millions with zero environmental impact? How can we feed the population and guarantee zero hunger? How will we build new infrastructure with zero hazards? The idea hit a sweet spot: not only did it arrive at a vital time in India’s history, but it also aligned with DuPont’s positioning and scientific capabilities that could help solve these challenges.

Execution

The Power of Shunya consisted of two shows.

1. Quest for Zero, the flagship show on Times Now, profiled companies and people whose ideas are helping India achieve maximum progress with zero negative impact. DuPont was integrated where relevant throughout the series.

2. Challenge for Zero, a broadcast competition on ET Now, invited India's youth to promote their innovations that could help India on its quest for Zero.

Two-minute and 30-second DuPont success stories took over both series’ traditional commercial breaks. Together, the shows spotlighted people, products and business models helping India maintain its current growth trajectory—all the while building DuPont’s business. A program microsite, Facebook page, and local activation gave the power of Shunya to everyone, providing engagement opportunities for viewers and DuPont.

1. In India, by India, for India: Our program was grounded in Shunya—'zero'—a concept invented in India 1,400 years ago. We tapped national pride by highlighting Indians’ ingenuity while challenging them to reconsider Shunya in light of obstacles today.

2. The right channel means everything: Times Television is an Indian entity with 100 million viewers, beating international networks with foreign footprints (CNNIBN, CNBCTV18).

3. Shunya was everywhere: With famous actors Anupam Kher and Gaurav Kapur as hosts, we launched nonstop activation: thousands of promotional telecasts, print, OOH & press including time on Times Now’s Newshour with editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami.

For The Target Audience:

The Power of Shunya was watched by 12 million viewers on Times Now & ET Now. Quest for Zero became one of the top three most viewed shows on English-speaking News channels in India, leading to production on season two.

The program sparked an authentic movement, garnering digital participation on our microsite and Facebook and hundreds of media mentions that generated 6 million impressions. Passionate feedback about the show and India’s future appeared on social media.

For The Brand:

DuPont increased awareness and its impact in the Indian market for the first time ever: brand recall among program viewers reached a record 90%, and the brand’s association with “innovation” among viewers reached 80%.

Business inquiries increased by 60% per month, leading to hundreds of new leads with a revenue potential of over 5M USD (confidential).

*All figures from MarketTools and IPSOS studies

For India:

The program’s profound impact stretches far beyond its effect on DuPont’s business. The Power of Shunya moved a nation that had forgotten the potential of the very concept it discovered. It proved that zero is the largest number we can aspire to achieve.