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MasterChef India – Sony TV
Project Overview

I led digital strategy and execution for MasterChef India’s first season on Sony TV in 2022—a significant media shift after years on Star Plus. Our mandate wasn’t just to promote a show, but to truly migrate a passionate fanbase across channels and keep the brand’s emotional core alive.

Strategic Challenge

The move from Star Plus to Sony was both a risk and an opportunity. Millions of loyal viewers had to be convinced to make the switch without losing excitement or nostalgia. Our approach: acknowledge the legacy, celebrate the new, and build trust through transparent, heartfelt storytelling.

Execution Phases & Deep-Dive Tactics –

Call for Entry & Auditions:

  • Ran targeted digital campaigns in each audition city, customizing every post to local language, icons, and flavour.
  • Partnered with micro-influencers in food and lifestyle to amplify the call—for example, local chefs posting “why you should audition”—driving geographically relevant buzz.
  • Split content calendars so Mumbai got energetic, Bollywood-tinged assets, while Hyderabad posts referenced local cuisine and culture—each region felt ‘seen’.

Weekly Show Dynamics:

  • Built cliffhangers—every week, our content calendar reflected the rhythm of the actual show: Monday teasers, Wednesday behind-the-scenes kitchen drama, Friday eliminations.
  • Used social polls to let fans “predict” who’d win challenges, creating touchpoints beyond broadcast.
  • Created interviews and reels with contestants about their journey and tension during pressure tests—crafted as informal, relatable moments fans could root for.

Real-Time Platform Integration:

  • Used Twitter as our ‘live stadium’: during each big episode, the team coordinated a minute-by-minute live tweet schedule, pushing reactions, results, GIFs, fan questions, and direct replies—#MasterChefIndia trended nationally for 12+ consecutive episodes.
  • Repurposed the best tweets into Instagram Stories within twenty minutes, preserving real-time excitement and maximizing cross-platform reach.
  • Monitored sentiment and selected viral tweets to highlight on the main Instagram feed for further engagement.

Feed Curation & Visual Storytelling:

  • Developed custom grid layouts for Instagram—contestant portraits, plated dishes, reaction face shots—to ensure a harmonious, binge-worthy feed throughout the season.
  • Scheduled deep-dive reels featuring “a day in the life” of top contestants and judges, filmed in short, snackable formats for mobile audiences.

Behind-the-Scenes & Interactive Content:

  • Worked with production crews to grab spontaneous footage—kitchen mishaps, judges’ off-camera banter—which became the most shared BTS content each week.
  • Ran “Ask the Contestants” Q&A sessions live on Instagram, letting fans choose questions and get real-time responses.
Results & Impact
  • Successfully shifted core viewers to Sony platforms—measured by audience poll responses and direct messaging.
  • Built lasting digital communities—high retention and daily interaction on both Twitter and Instagram.
What Makes This Project Unique

What mattered most wasn’t just building numbers, but creating a sense of continuity. By matching local nuances with channel migration, and running digital ‘events’ parallel to TV, I guided MasterChef India through a major transition—making fans feel at home and excited for something new.

Visuals