SheCreates - An Ultimate Event for Women

In creating, she finds herself

Roxane Gay, among the most astute social commentators of the 21st century, had lucid thoughts on womanhood. She said, "I think one of the most important things we can do is acknowledge that even though we have womanhood in common, we have to start to think about how we're different, and how those differences affect us."

Celebrating such dissimilarity is rare in India with cities at the forefront of social transformation.

Trend Loud decided it was time to act on this need for inclusion and create a wave of change. What better way than to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for women where they can be entirely independent and in control of their socio-economic status.

Working with YouTube, the organization brought together a large gathering of women creators from towns and villages in and around Coimbatore, a tier-two city in Tamil Nadu. The aim was simple and clear. Here, women would be trained to start YouTube channels and strengthen their social media profiles to eventually monetize their content based on their passion and areas of interest.

As part of their outreach program, hundreds of women sang, danced on a joyous July day, and rejoiced in their success. They were also taught to create engaging content, believe in their ideas, monetize their platform, and work on their versions of an empowered future. 'SheCreates' was soon off to a thumping start.

On its own feet

Before 'SheCreates' went on floors, the team at Trend Loud spent time defining the goal of the event. After having decided that it would be a separate brand that would continue to benefit legions of women for years to come, the brand began its first phase by designing the logo, sending the word out to potential creators, and getting entries. ‘SheCreates’ hence became an independent intellectual property of Trend Loud. The logo for the event reflecting femininity and power, along with the poster was created and subsequently released.

Strategic marketing through YouTube by making funny, engaging videos with catchy slogans was the first step in creating this elaborate event. Trend Loud created a campaign to spread the thought behind the event ‘Paathadu podhum, paaka vaikka thayaragunga’. The line which translates to ‘Enough of just seeing, now it’s time to be seen’ was delivered in ‘Kongu’ Tamil, a regional slang from the areas around Coimbatore for quick and easy appeal. This sparked curiosity and led to a massive pouring-in of registrations. The social media campaign was also marketed extensively through Instagram and Facebook to reach young, committed, and enthusiastic creators.

Members of the Trend Loud team were also on the ground, heading to several educational institutions and workplaces, hunting for talent. Placing kiosks in popular public spots helped raise awareness about the event that would be conducted on July 29th.

Through this phase, Trend Loud in parallel also reached out to students from educational institutions and employees at workplaces who might have an idea to build their careers in the multimedia space but were craving direction.

Within days, the organisation received over 1,500 entries and more rigorous preparation for the event began.

In its second phase, the team at Trend Loud focused on its offline campaign by stepping out to meet creators from the region who have already produced significant work. In their quest, they met 10 incredible women creating ripples in their fields.

They included :

Arunnisha, a food delivery partner doubling as an English tutor
Preethi Angayarkanni, a Guinness record holder for creating stories based on the Thirukkural
Poorani, a home-baker and YouTuber looking to expand her business online
Anupama Vriksham, a certified birth educator
Sasi Rekha a YouTuber who’s an exceptional culinary mastermind
Pooja Rajendran, a YouTuber focusing on fashion and lifestyle
As well as Dipti Desai, Rider Sharmila and Sujitha Senthilkumaran who are each looking to launch their careers online. It would be impossible to forget Meena Chabbria, the AVP of PVR South whose inspiring speech left several audience members eager to begin their career.

Their stories, their challenges, and their goals were shot and presented as short live videos on YouTube to give other creators confidence to explore their fields further. Their lives were meant to showcase that their lives could change with the right amount of hard work, inspiration, and guidance.

The organisation also set up a 24-hour phone line to answer people's queries. The phones rang until the last day as research proved that people from tier-two towns preferred personal engagement over redressal through social media.

Persistent marketing on social media through interesting videos was also part of the agenda during this phase and was executed to generate a steady buzz before the event.

D - day

After funneling all efforts towards ensuring an enriching event on July 29th, Trend Loud worked with YouTube on an event novel for the region. Only a few events have emphasised careers from the internet and fewer women who occupy this niche space. There were vox pop interviews and booths for creators to take 360-degree videos. This was only a trailer of the event that followed.

Ma Ka Pa Anand was chosen to host the day, keeping the atmosphere light and pleasing. His wit kept the audience in splits as he announced the several acts on stage.

Some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry including Sivaangi Krishnakumar performed. Several stand-up comedy bits also eased the audience, helping them open up.

Inspirational business women and creators from the regions around the popularly known 'Kongu Belt' consisting of Coimbatore, Erode, and Tirupur particularly, Assistant Vice President of Alliances at PVR Cinemas, South India & Sri Lanka, Meena Chabbria were honoured at the event. Ms. Chabbria spoke about her mission to empower women to become global leaders and her early days in a lower-middle-class household in a refugee colony in Coimbatore. This made several other participants aspire to succeed.

The event was conducted in Tamil, encouraging native speakers of the language from this region to create content in a tongue familiar to them. Several aspiring creators were allowed to ask questions and clear their doubts. Since the conversation revolved around building careers, the conversation remained focused on practical growth and realistic timelines with a healthy dose of optimism.

SheCreates ended with participants seeking more such sessions with infectious enthusiasm. The event hoped to encourage more women to find their voices and tell their stories via videos - an engagement among the most effective communication methods.

Trend Loud continues to provide consistent creators with all the technical support they require for more successful careers. It hopes that many such chapters erupt all over the country and a legion of women creators are empowered to be completely independent. All one needs is a phone.