NEW DELHI: If you are one of those parents who are averse to the idea of letting your 13-year-old daughter download TikTok and watch explicit, crass and inappropriate videos, here comes US-based short video-making app Firework that has ensured high-content quality on its platform -- not only giving value to its users but also to the brands who come along.
According to Sunil Nair, India CEO at Firework, their competition was never with TikTok as the whole philosophy of the two brands is different.
"We don't want 300 million users. I'm happy with 50-60 million users who are part of the high-quality content creation. I am here to ensure a platform where I can not only give value to my users but also to the brands with clean storytelling which kids can watch too," Nair told IANS in an interaction.
Based in Redwood City, California, Firework entered India last month. The platform is part of a suite of apps created by Loop Now Technologies, a start-up that focuses on next-generation consumer mobile applications.
Firework allows users to create 30-second videos and with "Reveal" feature, it allows creators to take both horizontal and vertical video in one shot from their mobile device.
"Unlike TikTok, our focus is on urban users and create premium, 30-second storytelling products which people can watch with families and gain useful insights on how to make their life better. Content moderation is our topmost priority and this happens real-time with a right combination of the machine-human interface at our US facility," Nair informed, adding that no explicit or vulgar content will be allowed to traverse their platform.
In India, Firework will focus on working with some of the biggest names in entertainment and other industries. The company has announced its first original short format series titled "Reel, Reveal, Rajeev", based on actor Rajeev Khandelwal's life events, in India.
"The country offers great storytelling opportunity across its length and breadth. The people need customised content and this is what we will focus to deliver on in the coming months. We are working with a couple of big brands and some action will start coming up soon," Nair told IANS.
Firework aims to reach between 3-5 million daily active users in India in the next one year.
"It is a good base for us to start in India and grow steadily. The 30-second window is a sweet spot for the users to tell a perfect short story," said Nair who has held leadership positions in Reliance Jio, Star TV and a successful stint as the COO at Alt Balaji for over four years.
"You can sell Mercedes Benz in a 30-second ad. Thirty seconds is enough for you to tell a crisp story. This is the future of video storytelling," he added.
Indian consumers spend nearly 170 minutes per day on apps and the country in the past has seen over one billion app downloads.
According to Cory Grenier, Chief Revenue Officer, Firework, the platform has over three million registered users across iOS and Android and the Indian market will see them substantially increase that number. The Firework India team currently has four people based out of Mumbai.
"We are building a team and will have maybe about 30 to 40 people over the next couple of months, largely around the content and sales operations," said Nair.