Kulfi Collective is a cultural force that is set to make the world (wide web) a brighter place, one awesome story at a time.
In a brief conversation about NFTs and Metaverse, Mr. Advait Gupt, CEO and Founder of Kulfi Collective shares insightful insights on how Web3.0 will help build better storytelling. In a decade or so creative agencies and brands will use Web3.0 gadgets as it will be the only way to form a deep engagement with the target audience.
1) Can you take us through the journey of how Kulfi Collective came into the scenario and how it has evolved?
After almost five years in investment banking, I quit my job in the middle of 2012. This led me to join hands with my younger brother, Akshat to explore opportunities in the emerging digital content space. One short film contest win and an iMac later, we founded Supari Studios, our branded content studio in September of 2012 – focused on helping brands create differentiated and scalable online video content for their audiences.
In 2017, we set up our second vertical, Post Office, recognising a need to use technology to change the way online video content is produced. Post Office is an award-winning new media lab focussed on producing immersive content & virtual experiences for brands and platforms at scale. In 2018, we launched our third vertical, Keeda Media, a creator-led, original content studio focussed on building brands and IPs that shape culture and ignite discourse among young people across India and the world. Under Keeda, we’ve launched our first content brand Vitamin Stree (VS), which is on a mission to reshape the narrative around gender & identity in India.
Today, with all our powers combined, Kulfi Collective is a cultural force that is set to make the world (wide web) a brighter place, one awesome story at a time.
2) What are the verticals of Kulfi Collective? Could you share some campaigns which have created a buzz in the social media space?
We operate through three verticals – Supari Studios (branded content), Post Office Studios (animated/immersive content), and Keeda Media (original content).
Some of our campaigns include –
- Namma Netflix – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy3TqHU7DsU
- Disney+ Hotstar IPL 2021 Launch Anthem – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx6dcS5RuTI
- Cred Launch Campaign – https://vimeo.com/363272968
For more projects you can visit our website – https://www.kulficollective.com/
3) How can brands shape their narratives through the metaverse to attract modern customers?
If the last decade was about transforming into the digital world, the next decade will be about transforming into the immersive world. There is little doubt that the metaverse will offer a significant opportunity of growth for global brands, however it would be important for brands to not make moves driven by FOMO and clearly ask themselves if, when and how, could a metaverse-first or web3-first strategy be relevant and value accretive to the brand.
By focusing on evolving consumer behaviours and experimenting with emerging media formats, brands will be able to look beyond the hype cycle and bring value to their communities and audiences. Given the buzz of the last year, it may be tempting for brands to jump onto the web3 & metaverse bandwagon, however, it’s going to be pivotal for brands to carefully consider what value they bring to these virtual worlds and immerse themselves authentically and organically.
4) How do you see branded content taking its place in the Web3 world?
Web3, in essence, is arguably built on the principles of a community-oriented, community-focused, and in many ways, community-run internet. To that end, the one strategy that brands would need to embrace in order to make a smooth transition to web3 is to build deeply engaged communities. Branded content is the glue that is and will continue to bring these communities together. Today, we are seeing some of the leading brands in the world, like Red Bull and Nike, use their content strategy to create and engage communities in gaming, music, running, and more.
5) How has storytelling evolved over the years and what sort of narrative works with the current audience?
Humans have been telling stories ever since we learnt how to communicate with each other. In a sense, storytelling has remained essentially the same, it’s the medium of how those stories are told is what has really changed – we’ve told stories through scriptures, novels, plays, films, YouTube videos and so much more. As technology evolves, we will see the mediums and formats of storytelling evolve as well. Over the last decade, the internet has disrupted the way content (and thereby stories) are distributed and consumed. We have moved from a prime time, television viewing experience, to an anytime, anywhere, mobile and digital viewing experience. We are not transitioning from mobile & digital to the next dimension of immersive experiences where the consumption experience (audio, video, haptics etc) will be as important as the content itself.
6) Creative agencies are creating innovative and engaging formats these days. How far will these engagements go, and how will the brands benefit from them in the long run?
As technology continues to evolve, content experiences & storytelling will evolve as well. Changing consumption patterns will eventually draw brands to newer mediums and those that adapt to these changes and embrace new media formats will end up creating most value for their audiences.
7) Any industry trend you have been noticing which will revolutionise the whole business economy in a couple of years?
We are super excited about the potential and opportunities for web3. In the next few years – our goal is to reimagine storytelling by producing content in emerging media formats and building communities especially in the spheres of gender & identity, music & culture, gaming & sports as well as crypto & entrepreneurship.
