The Morning Brief Hooked in 90 Seconds: The Micro Drama Boom
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Oct 9, 2025 Wen Wen Han, Founder and CEO of the Short Drama Alliance, and Rajesh Naidu, entertainment reporter at The Economic Times, dive into the booming world of microdramas. Wen explores the inception of China's duanju, revealing its $7 billion market and innovative ad models. Rajesh discusses India's rapidly growing scene, identifying key players like Cuckoo TV. They also tackle localization strategies, audience demographics, and the potential for a market consolidation, suggesting that microdrama could redefine global storytelling.
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Format Built Around Ad-Acquisition
- Microdramas use bite-sized episodes (60–90s) as ad-driven hooks to acquire users via platforms like Douyin and TikTok.
- Producers design each short episode to act as a clickable ad that redirects users to a landing page or app to continue watching.
Shock-First, Character-Second Storytelling
- Microdramas focus on plot-driven shock value rather than deep character arcs to grab attention immediately.
- Creators use visual hooks (e.g., a slap) to stop scrolling and force clicks within the first seconds.
Web Novels Seed Microdrama Libraries
- Many microdramas in China originate from long-running web novels that platforms already monetise chapter-by-chapter.
- Platforms adapt those popular IPs into hundreds of short dramas daily and dub them for overseas tests.
