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In the late 1990s, as the internet began reshaping industries across the globe, a small but ambitious idea took root at Info Edge India. Sanjeev Bikhchandani, the company’s founder, was looking to expand beyond job classifieds and tap into a new category. Matrimony, deeply embedded in Indian culture, seemed like the perfect fit.
In October 1998, Bikhchandani turned to Anil Lall, the head of Info Edge’s technology department, with a simple brief. Within a week, Lall had built the first version of the website. And just like that, Jeevansathi.com, a matchmaking platform was born. It offered free services to its early users, quietly sowing the seeds of what would later become one of India’s recognised matrimonial portals.
The journey of Jeevansathi.com, however, wasn’t a straightforward one. In 2000, when Info Edge secured venture capital from ICICI Ventures, the focus shifted to Naukri.com, and the decision was made to shut down Jeevansathi.com. Around the same time, the company transitioned to new auditors as part of the investment conditions. During a meeting to thank their outgoing auditors, Amit and Rohit Tandon, an unexpected opportunity arose. The brothers revealed that they were planning to leave their chartered accountancy practice to start a dotcom venture.
Seeing potential in this chance revelation, Bikhchandani proposed that the Tandons take over Jeevansathi.com, with him retaining a 35% stake. The Tandons agreed, acquiring 45% of the platform, while the remaining 20% was allocated as ESOPs. Under their management, Jeevansathi.com found moderate success, gaining traffic and generating revenues over the next few years.
By 2004, Info Edge’s fortunes had improved significantly, and the company had surplus cash on its books. Bikhchandani saw an opportunity to bring Jeevansathi.com back into the fold. The Tandons agreed to sell, and Info Edge reclaimed ownership of the platform.
This move marked a new era for Info Edge. With Jeevansathi.com back under its wing, the company shifted its identity from being a job portal to becoming a player in internet classifieds, with matrimonial services as a cornerstone of its growth story.
Building brand awareness
In its early years, Jeevansathi.com focused on creating trust and building awareness through traditional marketing mediums. Print ads played a significant role in establishing the brand’s presence, offering a tangible and familiar way to connect with its audience in a pre-digital world.
Recognising the importance of credibility in the matrimonial market, the brand later expanded its strategy to include radio and television, platforms that could help it reach a wider audience with impactful storytelling.
The year 2006 marked a turning point for Jeevansathi.com as it aired its first television commercial (TVC).
The TVC depicted a worst-case scenario of a mismatched marriage: a domineering wife treating her husband like a subservient pet, complete with orders to fetch and sit, only to humorously deny him rewards. The punchline, ‘Don’t marry the worst mistake of your life,’ drove home Jeevansathi.com’s intent to help users find the right partner.
By addressing the concern of choosing the wrong partner with humour, the brand aimed to differentiate itself from its competitors. At a time when matrimonial ads largely presented an idealised, ‘sugar-coated’ view of marriage, Jeevansathi.com wanted to stand out by being authentic, addressing the pitfalls of poorly matched relationships, and positioning itself as a platform that could help users make better, more informed choices.
Relatable narratives and shifting perspectives
In 2008, the brand continued to experiment with storytelling in its television campaigns, this time with a quirky yet heartwarming narrative involving a father’s relentless quest to find the perfect groom for his daughter. The ad humorously depicted the father imagining prospective suitors in every man he encountered, whether at a restaurant, near a corn vendor, or even jogging in the park. Each time he was seen placing a sehra (traditional Indian headgear for grooms) over their heads.
This campaign aimed to position Jeevansathi.com as the platform that could relieve parents and families from the exhausting and sometimes fruitless search for a partner. By targeting parents, it emphasised that the brand’s matching system was efficient and reliable, simplifying the often overwhelming and emotional task of matchmaking.
The campaign ended with the tagline, ‘He won’t stop till he finds you the best. Jeevansathi.com. We match better,’ suggesting that the brand could simplify this relentless search with its matching system.
This ad has become a classic and is still the go-to reference in matchmaking conversations. Whenever someone is on a mission to find the 'perfect' match, chances are, this quirky and memorable campaign pops into their mind. It perfectly captures the emotional rollercoaster and hilariously relentless quest for that ideal partner, making it an ad that's both iconic and unforgettable.
Repeatedly using humor in ads was a deliberate strategy to make the brand more approachable and relatable while reinforcing the message that Jeevansathi.com wasn’t just another traditional matrimonial platform.
The brand also harnessed the power of radio to build deeper connections with its audience. In 2010, the brand launched the ‘In Sawalon Se Mujhe Bachao’ contest on radio, inviting potential brides, grooms, and newlyweds to share awkward or bizarre questions they had faced during the matchmaking process. The most entertaining entries won attractive prizes, drawing significant engagement.
The campaign highlighted a relatable pain point: the uncomfortable grilling often faced by individuals during traditional matchmaking. Using this insight, the brand intended to position itself as a modern alternative, empowering users to take control of their marriage prospects through its platform.
With this, the brand made a shift in messaging, from families searching for matches to individuals taking charge of their futures. This was a response to the changing dynamics of the digital age, where people were seeking more autonomy and control in all aspects of their lives, including marriage.
As digital media gained prominence, Jeevansathi.com adapted to changing user behaviours by focusing on online platforms. The launch of its Android app in 2014 was a move to cater to tech-savvy individuals and expand its reach beyond traditional audiences, aiming to remain relevant in an increasingly connected world. It also offered users the convenience of finding their ideal match anytime, anywhere.
In 2016, the brand launched a series of ad films that marked a shift in its narrative around love and matchmaking. One particular TVC featured a man who, despite meeting several women, had yet to find his perfect match. Speaking directly to the life partner he hadn’t found yet, he gently and earnestly urges her to stop watching television and take charge of her destiny by logging on to Jeevansathi.com.
These ads conveyed the message that the person who is perfect for you is also out there looking for you on Jeevansathi.com, prompting viewers to take action and log in to find their match.
The following year, the brand continued its storytelling with another series of films launched on YouTube. These ads followed a similar theme of connection, showing two individuals who are perfect for each other, but living in different cities, unaware that the other exists. The ads revolved around the theme that how will the other person find you if you don’t log in.
In 2019, the brand launched another TVC campaign, 'Ladka Achha Hai.' This TVC marked the launch phase of the ‘Jo aapko pasand ho aur family ko bhi’ (The one you like and your family likes too) narrative. The campaign featured films highlighting relatable situations in Indian weddings, such as the first meeting, the Sangeet ceremony, and other family-oriented moments.
As times changed, the narrative also shifted. From speaking to parents and men of the family, the platform started targeting couples who were looking for a life partner. The shift was a strategic move to connect with both individuals and families by tapping into the emotional and cultural aspects of matchmaking.
Leveraging pop culture and social media to drive engagement
In 2023, Jeevansathi.com tapped into the emotional pull of popular TV couples to inspire audiences to find their life partners. TV couples have a unique ability to connect with audiences on a personal level, especially in the context of love and relationships. By featuring lead pairs from regional shows like ‘Rang Maza Vegla’ and ‘Sukh Mhanje Nakki Kay Asta’ (Marathi), as well as ‘Yeh Hai Chahatein’ and ‘Pandya Store’ (Hindi), the campaign highlighted themes of love, acceptance, and friendship.
These vignettes, streamed on Disney+ Hotstar, leveraged the shows' massive regional followings in Hindi and Marathi-speaking markets. By integrating relatable narratives with the characters' on-screen chemistry, and by associating the brand with these characters, Jeevansathi.com intended to tap into the deep-rooted desire of audiences to find their own version of such a perfect match.
Disney+ Hotstar’s geo and language-targeted promotions, paired with social media amplification by the actors, expanded the campaign’s reach.
To celebrate Jeevansathi.com’s 25 years in the matchmaking industry, the brand partnered with Viacom18 and JioCinema by introducing a three-episodic anthology series called ‘Saath By Chance’. Leveraging JioCinema as the primary platform for release serves as a strategy to reach a broader audience.
The brand collaborated with The Viral Fever (TVF) to create the web series ‘Almost Together!’. The series follows the journey of two friends navigating love in their 30s, with Jeevansathi.com integrated into the storyline.
The brand’s collaborations with popular content creators and stand up comedians further amplify its reach. These creators produce authentic, fun content helping the brand attract new audiences.
By leveraging pop culture, regional television, and social media collaborations, Jeevansathi.com blended entertainment with brand messaging to engage audiences.
Going big on experiential with a dash of humour
Jeevansathi.com kicked off the wedding season of 2024 with an innovative and humorous experiential route to connect with audiences while breaking the monotony of traditional matchmaking advertisements.
During Diljit Dosanjh’s India leg of his Dil-Luminati tour, Jeevansathi.com launched an on-ground activation that was as amusing as it was engaging. Volunteers dressed in white T-shirts with the slogan ‘Singles Ko Paani Pilao Yojana’ handed out water bottles to single attendees outside the concert venue. The bottles came with a cheeky label that read, ‘Jeevansathi pe aa gaye hote toh aaj ye bottle nahi uska haath pakda hota’ (If you’d joined Jeevansathi, you’d be holding hands instead of a bottle).
The campaign blended humor with relatability, making it a talking point both at the event and on social media.
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The brand launched a quirky marketing campaign on the Violet Line of the Delhi Metro, using catchy and humorous jingles to engage daily commuters. With the wedding season approaching, the jingles added a playful touch to the everyday commute. One of these jingles encouraged them to save their naach-gaana for their baarat instead of the metro. Another poked fun at single men struggling to find a seat on the metro, suggesting they secure a ‘seat’ at the mandap through Jeevansathi.com. These witty jingles tapped into relatable experiences of metro travelers, creating buzz on social media and reinforcing the brand's message with humor and creativity.
To celebrate the wedding season, Jeevansathi.com rolled out a humorous outdoor campaign targeting millennials, particularly 90’s kids, who often find themselves under pressure to ‘settle down.’ The billboards carried witty, marriage-themed questions to nudge the audience with a playful take on societal expectations.
These experiential campaigns demonstrated Jeevansathi.com’s knack for blending humor with social commentary, offering a fresh perspective on marriage while staying relatable and entertaining.
Jeevansathi.com’s marketing is all about making matchmaking fun, and relatable. By blending humour with authenticity, the brand has tapped into the quirks of Indian culture, making the seriousness of finding potential matches, a lot less daunting. From quirky TVCs to playful on-ground activations, Jeevansathi.com knows how to keep the matchmaking conversation light while driving home the importance of the right match.