Mike Melli: A Leading New Media Network That Creates High Value, Multi Platform Content
Mike Melli
Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer
In an exclusive interview with CEO INSIGHTS, Mike talks more about his professional journey and how he has been able to guide Missmalini Entertainment towards success in the industry.
What inspired you to co-found this niche venture in the entertainment industry? Also, what different roles have you been under taking at MissMalini Entertainment?
Malini, Nows had, and I, the three founders, all saw the same gap in the digital entertainment space when we formed the company in 2011. Malini Agarwal was a first mover & trendsetter on social media and as such she was India's first digital influencer. much before that term 'influencer' was being used. At the time, the whole category of digital was ‘niche'.It represented less than 5% of overall spending, but leading indicators from other markets made it clear that it would eventually become an integral part of the marketing mix. We knew that a unique, and genuine, personal voice was missing from the market, and we believed that was the key to building a globally recognised digital media brand from India.
As co-founders, we have held every role possible. I think any passionate business owner knows that there is no job too big or too small, and that
remains the same with us, even 10 years later. Revenue strategy and execution is my highlevel responsibility and, in that capacity, I have launched and led several concerns including a) Miss Malini Studios, TV/OTT division, b) Agent M Creative (with partner Shaun Kolah), inhouse creative agency, c)Ignite, MissMalini's B2B influencer marketing practice and d) Ignite Edge, our talent management and development agency launched this year.
As the CRO of MissMalini Entertainment what strategies have you adopted in order to enhance the functionalities of the organization post pandemic?How the strategies implemented by you transformed your work culture and client relationships?
In our business, there was one major vertical that increased rapidly, and we were able to shift company resources to accommodate the demand. Our influencer marketing practice had its biggest year by a factor of 2X during the pandemic and we had to be extremely flexible & agile through that growth, especially while not being able to meet any of our influencers or partners face to face like normal. We had to build'virtual-only' processes from scratch to keep up with SLAs and deadlines, and to troubleshoot campaigns in real time. We also had to scale up hiring, including some senior roles, and train them to manage new teams, all without ever meeting in person, which was a first for all of us. All our brand campaigns through the pandemic have been a success, so I think the client bonds and trust have only grown by showing that we can manage change and adapt to new circumstances on the fly.
What is the future impact of technologies on media and entertainment, especially during this Post COVID recovery? What are the major trends you are currently witnessing across this domain?
Analytics for influencer marketing is one technology area that we see a huge demand for innovation. The adoption of influencer marketing has happened so rapidly that there are no industry wide standards, and the marketplace is very fragmented. The KPIs for campaigns over the last few years were primarily focused on awareness and reach,
We were the only digital first media brand who made that leap at the time, and it led to several tangential business opportunities early in our journey
As the CRO of MissMalini Entertainment what strategies have you adopted in order to enhance the functionalities of the organization post pandemic?How the strategies implemented by you transformed your work culture and client relationships?
In our business, there was one major vertical that increased rapidly, and we were able to shift company resources to accommodate the demand. Our influencer marketing practice had its biggest year by a factor of 2X during the pandemic and we had to be extremely flexible & agile through that growth, especially while not being able to meet any of our influencers or partners face to face like normal. We had to build'virtual-only' processes from scratch to keep up with SLAs and deadlines, and to troubleshoot campaigns in real time. We also had to scale up hiring, including some senior roles, and train them to manage new teams, all without ever meeting in person, which was a first for all of us. All our brand campaigns through the pandemic have been a success, so I think the client bonds and trust have only grown by showing that we can manage change and adapt to new circumstances on the fly.
What is the future impact of technologies on media and entertainment, especially during this Post COVID recovery? What are the major trends you are currently witnessing across this domain?
Analytics for influencer marketing is one technology area that we see a huge demand for innovation. The adoption of influencer marketing has happened so rapidly that there are no industry wide standards, and the marketplace is very fragmented. The KPIs for campaigns over the last few years were primarily focused on awareness and reach,
while the nextwave of influencer marketing will be more sales and conversion centric. Brands increasingly want to see a stronger ROI, which requires better tools to track the digital consumer journey and prove the direct impact a celebrity/ influencer has on sales. I don't think by this time next year you will see as many influencer campaigns solely measuring views or impressions as their success metrics. It's going to be hyper focused on engagement because that's what drives consumer interaction and conversions.
In your professional journey so far, which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction both as an individual and as an entrepreneur?
Our first big milestone that gave us a big sense of accomplishment was launching our TV/OTT Studio business. We were the only digital first media brand who made that leap at the time and it led to several tangential business opportunities early in our journey. This year we just finished one show on Voot and we have two new shows in development on different platforms. Launching our inhouse creative agency was similarly a big win for us as a company because it gave us capabilities usually found only at the big ad agencies. The launch of our influencer marketing & talent management divisions Ignite & Ignite Edge completed our big long term goal of being a full-service marketing partner. As an individual, what gives me the greatest sense of pride is seeing the growth and accomplishments of so many team members who we have trained and developed. After 10 years of talented people coming through our doors, MissMalini veterans hold keyroles at most of the big companies in the industry. They'll always be a part of our family, and their success and career growth are a big validation for us as founders.
Mike Melli, Co-Founder & CRO:Mike is from the United States and has been based full time in India since 2009. After a short stint in technology sales/ marketing he has spent the last 15 years in celebrity and content marketing. Prior to co-founding MissMalini, Mike was consulting American entertainment firms looking to enter the Indian market and led go-to-market strategies for several global artists. He studied entrepreneurship at Babson College and first got started in the entertainment industry managing local bands in Boston.
Mike Melli,Co-Founder & CRO, MissMalini Entertainment
A passionate individual who aspires to have a positive impact on the digital entertainment space
In your professional journey so far, which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction both as an individual and as an entrepreneur?
Our first big milestone that gave us a big sense of accomplishment was launching our TV/OTT Studio business. We were the only digital first media brand who made that leap at the time and it led to several tangential business opportunities early in our journey. This year we just finished one show on Voot and we have two new shows in development on different platforms. Launching our inhouse creative agency was similarly a big win for us as a company because it gave us capabilities usually found only at the big ad agencies. The launch of our influencer marketing & talent management divisions Ignite & Ignite Edge completed our big long term goal of being a full-service marketing partner. As an individual, what gives me the greatest sense of pride is seeing the growth and accomplishments of so many team members who we have trained and developed. After 10 years of talented people coming through our doors, MissMalini veterans hold keyroles at most of the big companies in the industry. They'll always be a part of our family, and their success and career growth are a big validation for us as founders.
Mike Melli, Co-Founder & CRO:Mike is from the United States and has been based full time in India since 2009. After a short stint in technology sales/ marketing he has spent the last 15 years in celebrity and content marketing. Prior to co-founding MissMalini, Mike was consulting American entertainment firms looking to enter the Indian market and led go-to-market strategies for several global artists. He studied entrepreneurship at Babson College and first got started in the entertainment industry managing local bands in Boston.
Mike Melli,Co-Founder & CRO, MissMalini Entertainment
A passionate individual who aspires to have a positive impact on the digital entertainment space