Introduction

Over the last decade, India’s media consumption patterns have seen a notable shift. Rising smartphone usage, lower data costs, and the proliferation of social media have reshaped viewing habits. Today’s audiences—especially younger demographics—are more likely to watch YouTube and Instagram Reels, rather than a linear TV channel. Online platforms and social media networks have become the default choice for many seeking entertainment, while short-format videos, influencer content and web series cater to changing viewer preferences.

In response to this shift, brands have begun redirecting significant portions of their advertising budgets towards digital platforms via content and influencer partnerships. This trend has provided digital platforms and influencer-driven content with an opportunity to thrive.

Pocket Aces was one of the early companies to enter the digital and influencer marketing space in 2013, with an emphasis on short, relatable content and a knack for portraying everyday life of young Indians. It later diversified into longer web series and influencer collaborations, monetising via strategic brand partnerships. Over time, Pocket Aces has established itself as a successful content and influencer marketing company, with a strong presence across India.
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With a humble beginning and a very small team, the company today has a dynamic team of over 120 members. It is headquartered in Mumbai and has a presence in Delhi and Bangalore. Pocket Aces boasts a combined subscriber base of over 160 million and a total reach of approximately 2.6 billion. In 2024 alone, the company generated more than 11 billion views across its network of channels and creators and partnered with over 900+ advertisers. In September 2023, Saregama, RPSG Group’s music and entertainment company, acquired a majority stake in the company to strengthen its presence in the digital content space.

This Whitepaper chronicles the inspiring journey of Pocket Aces—how the organisation evolved from a small team producing short-form videos to an ecosystem play spanning fiction and non-fiction content, becoming the first digital company to have an original on Netflix India, and managing the largest roster of digital creators and influencers. It also explores the shift from traditional celebrity endorsements to

influencer-driven marketing, where authenticity often triumphs over fame. And in the telling of this wonderful journey, we learn universal lessons of grit, strategy, flexibility, market-awareness and success.

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Founding and Early Days of Pocket Aces

Unlike many media companies, Pocket Aces does not trace its roots to a legacy production house or people who dreamed of becoming writers or directors since they were kids. Instead, it was founded in 2013 by Aditi Shrivastava, Anirudh Pandita, and Ashwin Suresh— young individuals from non-media backgrounds - engineering, finance, and investment banking - who came together with a shared passion for storytelling and an awareness of the untapped potential of Indian youth and their demand for relevant entertainment options. An outsider’s perspective enabled the founding team to challenge the entrenched norms of the Indian entertainment industry.

At the time, a large portion of the youth in India owned smartphones, which were becoming increasingly affordable and accessible. Mobile data was also getting cheaper. As a result, young people were consuming social media actively but not finding content that resonated with them. They were bored—and hungry for more.
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While traditional film studios often relied on star power or big-budget marketing to guarantee viewership, Pocket Aces took an alternative approach—tapping into the underutilised potential of social media:

• Focus on short, relatable videos that people might share within social networks.
• Experiment with web series based on concepts that succeeded in short videos to capitalise on the binge-watching culture.
• Partner with talents—writers, editors, actors, and soon-to-be influencers—giving them a platform to hone their craft.
• Actively listen to audience feedback, both quantitative (views, watch time) and qualitative (comments, shares).

While Pocket Aces was not the first digital content creator, it was certainly amongst the first innovators.

One of the key reasons for its success was its data-driven content strategy. At a time when the first few Indian creators were focused on producing videos for YouTube, Pocket Aces’ data analysis suggested that Facebook Video was emerging as the next big thing, and given its inherent nature of content shared by friends appearing on timelines, shareable content could get high organic lift. The company was among the first to create vertical videos optimised for Facebook. Early releases included short comedy videos, which were released on Facebook.The team identified a clear gap in the market for entertainment content that resonated with middle-class Indian audiences. They defined their target persona and established a distinct brand tone. They launched their Facebook and YouTube pages with a commitment to releasing one video every 10 days—a schedule they consistently adhered to without fail.

The team also maintained ongoing, open, two-way communication with their audience. Whenever changes were implemented, they prioritised over-communicating to maintain transparency. While they had strong conviction in their product, they actively sought audience feedback and iterated on their content with each release. They openly acknowledged these changes in the comments, crediting their audience by stating that adjustments were made because “the audience” had asked for them.

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Results

These small, incremental improvements resulted in content that frequently went viral, fostered a deeper connection with the audience, and ultimately helped shape the brand’s identity.

Its success was driven by relatable slice-of-life sketches, shared primarily on YouTube and Facebook. Pocket Aces chose to focus on everyday urban stories, building on concepts that had already resonated through these sketches. For example, ‘Little Things’ (later acquired by Netflix) revolved around a young live-in couple in Mumbai navigating everyday issues in their relationship, friendships, and love life. Similarly, ‘What the Folks’ featured a young married couple and their interactions with in-laws—it flipped the traditional saas-bahu narrative by centering Season 1 around the husband who moves in with his wife’s parents.

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Universal Learnings

• Innovation often comes from questioning established practices and finding better ways to solve problems. Those who look beyond the status quo can unlock new opportunities and drive meaningful change.
• Market research and data analysis to identify unmet needs or underserved segments allows organisations to tailor their offerings and differentiate themselves from competitors.
• Staying ahead of technological advancements and industry trends enables organisations to remain competitive and find success in a rapidly evolving landscape.

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Building the Framework through a Focused and Lean Structure

Much of Pocket Aces’ success can be attributed to its flat workplace culture, which fosters collaboration and open communication in a truly meritocratic environment. Several key cultural aspects give the company an irreplicable edge over its peers and even larger incumbents in the media industry: a balanced gender ratio across all levels with a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination, equal pay for equal roles regardless of function, 360-degree feedback during appraisals, and fully cashless production sets.  Coming from finance and investment backgrounds, the founders had a robust understanding of how to make the venture financially viable. The focus was always on monetising the content.

Additionally, as a start-up, there was a focus on being cost-efficient. Therefore, instead of hiring established actors with substantial remuneration, some individuals originally hired as junior writers or assistant producers gradually moved into on-camera roles. Others discovered a talent for comedic acting or scriptwriting after having been employed for entirely different tasks. By fostering this environment, Pocket Aces remained agile, experimenting with new formats and taking calculated creative risks.

As Pocket Aces matured, it devised an organisational structure to manage its growing volume of content and talent. Encouraged by positive responses, the team ventured into producing longer web series, eventually developing a more structured model that balanced advertising revenue with original content development. Over time, this openness extended to influencer partnerships.This early period also saw the growth of the company ethos centred on experimentation and respect for creators. Actors, writers, and producers worked in an environment that valued open communication and quick iteration, unburdened by the rigid hierarchies of mainstream film studios. Pocket Aces attracted talent from backgrounds as varied as engineering, medicine, and physics, many of whom discovered an aptitude for writing or performing.

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Universal Learnings

• Organisations that provide opportunities for skill development and role flexibility can unlock untapped potential within their teams.
• Cross-disciplinary learning and role exploration enhances organisational resilience.
• Optimising resources and avoiding unnecessary expenses allows organisations to invest in growth areas and remain agile.
• Combining domain expertise with financial understanding ensures that ventures remain viable and scalable, even in competitive markets.
• Businesses should integrate revenue-generating strategies into their core operations to ensure financial sustainability.

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Scaling Up Through an Ecosystem of Channels and Distribution

Over the years, based on demand from audiences, Pocket Aces has found whitespaces in the content ecosystem, and built a series of channels catered to Indian youth.

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FilterCopy

FilterCopy has become known for short-form, humorous takes on everyday scenarios—college life, relationships, and friendship quirks—that viewers can watch in under five minutes and share on social media. The content is driven by emotion and a sense of identity and community. Short comedic videos on FilterCopy remain one of Pocket Aces’ most recognisable features. These bite-sized skits, usually under five minutes, capture daily scenarios that audiences find amusing or relatable. Typical subjects include “odd things siblings do,” “types of colleagues at work,” or “relatable moments in an Indian household.” This everyday focus widens the audience base and naturally invites sharing among friends and family.

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Dice Media

Dice Media has created premium web series for YouTube and OTT platforms. Its superhit shows include Little Things (Netflix), Ghar Waapsi (Hotstar), What The Folks (YouTube), Adulting (Amazon MXPlayer), Operation MBBS (YouTube), (Amazon MXPlayer), and Half Love Half Arranged (Amazon MXPlayer).

Dice Media’s web series take a different route. Shows like Little Things and What the Folks have multiple episodes of around twenty minutes each. Many viewers watch these back-to-back, highlighting that attention spans remain intact for compelling narratives. Brands partnering with longer series can weave their products throughout multiple episodes, offering repeated visibility without feeling forced. For

instance, a character might use a particular brand in natural contexts like breakfast scenes or phone conversations.
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Gobble

FilterCopy Gobble has become a channel for all things lifestyle—food, travel, and home! These non-fiction shows, delivered through innovative and engaging formats, are released on popular social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
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FilterCopy Vital

FilterCopy Vital is youth-focused health and wellness channel, covering topics like haircare, skincare, mental well-being, nutrition, and fitness in the bite-sized format of reels, which is exactly how young audiences liked to ingest and share this informational content.
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Each channel has its own small team of writers, directors, and editors. The structure allows each brand to maintain a distinct voice and thematic focus, catering to different audience preferences.

Since short-form content sees a high release volume, all writers in this segment are in- house. These teams work rapidly to produce sketches, recipes, vlogs, or informative bites that capture quick viewer attention. Short-form videos are typically shot in-house using a studio setup. Within the organisation, a small production unit handles filming and post-production.
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FilterCopy Candid

Each channel has its own small team of writers, directors, and editors. The structure allows each brand to maintain a distinct voice and thematic focus, catering to different audience preferences.

Since short-form content sees a high release volume, all writers in this segment are in- house. These teams work rapidly to produce sketches, recipes, vlogs, or informative bites that capture quick viewer attention. Short-form videos are typically shot in-house using a studio setup. Within the organisation, a small production unit handles filming and post-production.

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Universal Learnings

• Businesses can diversify their offerings to engage different customer segments effectively, ensuring broader appeal and relevance.
• Companies can create sub-brands or product lines to cater to different niches.
• Companies should ensure that their sub-brands or product lines have clear positioning and messaging to avoid confusion and maximise impact.
• Brands should focus on creating genuine, audience-centric content or experiences that reflect real-life values and aspirations.
• Organisations should adopt a phased approach to expansion, allowing them to refine their strategies and operations at each stage.

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Blending Editorial and Sponsored Content

The focus for Pocket Aces has always been on monetising the content. Each brand has therefore created a niche that is attractive for different segments of brands and marketers. Pocket Aces’ strategy has hinged on a careful balance between editorial (unsponsored) and branded content. By regularly releasing editorial videos, the company has kept its channels fresh and engaging while maintaining viewer trust. They have also collaborated with advertisers to co-create content strategies that seamlessly integrate brand messages into comedic sketches, web series, or influencer posts. The products or messaging are embedded into scripts or settings, ensuring that ads feel like a cohesive part of the storytelling rather than a forced

inclusion. Sponsored content has been introduced periodically, with brand messages integrated naturally into the storylines. This approach has prevented ad fatigue among viewers and ensured stronger engagement for brand campaigns, which stand out amidst unsponsored material.

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Universal Learnings

• Marketing efforts should weave brand messages into customer experiences subtly, prioritising storytelling over selling to create emotional connect.
• Paid campaigns should align with audience interests and add contextual value, avoiding intrusive tactics.
• Brands should use data insights to tailor messaging, ensuring alignment with customer needs.
• Some content should be free of advertorial considerations to allow creative freedom.

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The “Creator Economy” and the Opportunities with It

The last decade has seen the rise of the “creator economy,” where influencers gain substantial popularity through digital platforms rather than mainstream media. Many attracted viewers by focusing on practical, everyday content—cooking, style tips, comedy monologues, or family vlogs—showcasing real-life experiences that resonated with their followers.

Actors, chefs, or comedy writers who began their careers behind the scenes at Pocket Aces often evolved into on-camera personalities as their personal brands emerged, turning into “influencers.” Many of these new influencers later launched independent channels.

Recognising an opportunity in talent management, Pocket Aces officially launched Clout in 2020 to support its actors who had become so popular that brands wanted to collaborate with them directly. This talent management arm allowed both Pocket Aces and the influencers to benefit from cross-promotion and expand their audience reach.It worked well for the brands too. Today, Clout is the largest network of digital influencers, managing over 240 creators exclusively across five main categories: Comedy & Entertainment, Fashion & Lifestyle, Food, Wellness, and Changemakers.

For brands, collaborating with influencers can yield results that may be harder to achieve through conventional advertising. For instance, while a Bollywood star might garner instant attention, audiences may question how genuinely they use or relate to a product. A celebrity endorsing a daily grocery brand might seem less credible compared to a homemaker-turned-influencer with a cookery show, who often has a dedicated, niche audience and can project a more authentic, relatable image.

However, there are occasional pitfalls in influencer marketing. A key concern is over-saturation—if an influencer promotes too many products in quick succession, they risk losing audience trust. Another issue is poor brand-influencer alignment. If a product’s image or target demographic doesn’t match the influencer’s style, the endorsement can come across as unconvincing.

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Clout

Clout plays a vital role in supporting Pocket Aces’ creators by offering key guidance in content strategy, social page growth, brand solutions, date management, and contract negotiations. This support enables influencers to focus on content creation and building meaningful connections with their followers, while benefitting from a structured framework that enhances their reach and visibility.By nurturing creators across diverse categories, Clout strengthens Pocket Aces’ portfolio, giving advertisers multiple avenues to target specific demographics and interests effectively. This, in turn, strengthens the larger Pocket Aces ecosystem—feeding into a self-reinforcing “flywheel effect” that drives the company’s

growth.The flywheel effect refers to a self-reinforcing cycle where small, consistent wins build momentum, leading to exponential growth over time. Short-form content attracts audience attention, making the actors popular. These actors then become influencers, drawing sponsor interest, which funds more content and expands reach. Proven concepts featuring popular influencers evolve into longer content formats such as web series. This synergy has allowed Pocket Aces to scale steadily from managing its own channels to supporting the growth of over 240 creator-led platforms.

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Universal Learnings

• As new opportunities arise—like the creator economy—respond with dedicated arms or innovations to remain relevant and competitive.
• Match brand messages to the right audience: Use influencers or representatives who naturally connect with specific demographic segments. A relatable spokesperson or product champion can drive stronger audience engagement.
• Just as Pocket Aces manages its influencers through Clout, nurturing long-term collaborations can lead to cumulative growth and loyalty.
• Having dedicated departments or roles to handle different aspects of brand messaging ensures consistency while respecting creative integrity.

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Some of the Case Studies

Collaborations work better for brands when repeated. One-off endorsements sometimes feel transactional, but a long-term arrangement allows viewers to see a product used in different contexts over a longer period. Trust is built gradually rather than demanded upfront. Brands seeking to reshape consumer perceptions may find these long-term tie-ups especially valuable.

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Kurkure (PepsiCo)

Traditionally seen as a casual snack, Kurkure wanted to position itself as more inclusive. Via Dice Media’s show 2by3, Pocket Aces created a storyline where roommates, initially strangers, came to view each other like family as they shared snack breaks, including Kurkure. This cohesive link between laughter, family-like connections, and the snack helped shift viewer perceptions, contributing to stronger online sales afterwards.

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Unacademy

Pocket Aces, partnered with Unacademy to launch Operation MBBS, on Dice Media. It is a web series centred on the lives of first-year medical students. Unacademy’s message of “Let’s Crack It” was woven into the storyline, showcasing how its tools—live classes, mock tests, and doubt-clearing sessions—empower aspirants to crack NEET and thrive in medical college. The series helped Unacademy to build awareness, drive trials, and boost subscriptions.

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Epigamia

A premium yoghurt brand, Epigamia used FilterCopy’s short videos to highlight how well its products fit into everyday routines—like a quick breakfast or an office snack. Their digital campaigns led to increased enquiries, including from parts of the country where Epigamia had not yet set up distribution. This information helped refine the company’s expansion plans.

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The Viraj Ghelani Story

Viraj Ghelani began at Pocket Aces as a writer, sometimes helping behind the camera. His on-camera appearances in short comedic sketches gained traction. Encouraged to create his own pages under the company’s guidance, he grew his follower base significantly. He went on to sign brand deals, perform stand-up shows, and star in a regional film, showcasing how an internally nurtured talent could evolve into a successful influencer with multichannel reach.

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AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India)

AMFI aimed to educate people about mutual funds in an accessible manner. Pocket Aces integrated subtle references to mutual funds in the family-centric show What the Folks. Characters faced real-life financial dilemmas, occasionally debating whether to invest in fixed deposits or consider other instruments. This conversational approach clarified the product’s benefits while minimising hard-sell tactics.

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Universal Learnings

• When creating campaigns, businesses should leverage on relatable storytelling - whether it’s humour, family life, or a business setting, choosing storylines that match audience lifestyles builds stronger connections.
• Gathering data on user interactions, queries, and suggestions helps in fine-tuning products or services to reach untapped markets or demographics.
• Nurturing diverse skill sets within your team can lead to more innovative approaches and broaden company offerings.
• For businesses operating across multiple markets, building content that speaks authentically to different communities is key.
• Tracking audience engagement, conversions, and feedback provides a roadmap for refining both short-term campaigns and long-term plans.

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Measuring Success

In the digital marketing sphere, measurement goes beyond counting total views. Pocket Aces looks at watch time, comments, and viewer retention rates to gauge how well the story holds attention. Longer watch times often indicate more meaningful engagement, which tends to enhance sponsor satisfaction.

Brands also track conversion signals, such as spikes in sales or increased online queries following a campaign. Kurkure recorded an uptick in online platform sales once it was featured in web series episodes. Epigamia discovered unexpected consumer interest in areas it had not targeted, helping guide its distribution strategy. Additionally, some brands choose to conduct brand-lift studies, comparing two groups of viewers—those exposed to the content and those who were not—to see if awareness or willingness to try the product is noticeably higher in the former group.

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Though direct links to revenue can sometimes be tricky to isolate, consistent data collection reveals patterns that justify further investments in influencer marketing. Digital analytics, whether on YouTube, Instagram, or integrated platforms, enable real-time updates on how audiences engage with content. This quick feedback loop helps refine future campaigns, ensuring each new collaboration can benefit from the lessons of the last.

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Universal Learnings

• High view or reach figures may not reflect genuine engagement. Brands should delve into watch time, repeat visits, or comments to get clearer insights into actual interest.
• Depth of engagement—such as thorough product understanding or sustained attention—often outweighs numbers.
• Tracking sales or enquiries after a campaign can confirm tangible results.
• Ongoing tracking of key performance indicators reveals patterns and assists in gauging return on investment over time.

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Conclusion

Pocket Aces’ journey exemplifies how digital transformation, authenticity, and data-backed innovation can drive sustained growth in today’s media environment. Beginning as a lean start-up with a focus on relatable storytelling, the company expanded into multiple channels—FilterCopy, Dice Media, Gobble, Nutshell, and Clout—catering to a range of audience interests and nurturing diverse talent. This multi-brand ecosystem showcases the effectiveness of strategic segmentation and consistent quality control.

Moreover, blending editorial and sponsored content in an organic manner has been fundamental to building long-term trust with audiences and brand partners alike. By aligning marketing with real-life experiences, and by diligently tracking engagement metrics—from watch times to conversion signals—Pocket Aces has repeatedly demonstrated the impact of a data-driven approach. Equally important are the proactive steps taken to support influencer talent, reflecting an understanding that genuine advocacy carries more weight than transactional endorsements.

Ultimately, the company’s evolution offers lessons for any organisation aiming to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape - staying open to experimentation, adopting financially sustainable models, prioritising authenticity, and continuously refining offerings based on measurable feedback.

This balanced approach has enabled Pocket Aces to remain agile, scale-up effectively, and create lasting connections with audiences and partners across India and beyond.