Guest Column: OMG! It's a social world
There’s huge scope for enterprises to start exploring social marketing seriously in an era where budgets are shrinking even while targets expand, says SapientNitro India’s Avinash Joshi
The modern marketer faces a slew of challenges in his/her job profile. With the proliferation of disruptive technologies, rise of the connected consumer and rapid globalisation, the marketer’s task has become a daunting one. How does one reach out to a consumer with a much reduced attention span? How does one target the consumer who is always on the move and lives in a connected world, and make one’s brand stand out in this cluttered world? Most importantly, how does one keep delighting and engaging consumers?
There are no perfect answers, but harnessing the potential of the new digital world can address most. Over the years, we have seen an (r)evolution that has spiked internet growth and usage exponentially. It all started in the 90s, when we were gripped to the web and fascinated by the possibilities. But what has happened in the second decade of the web is truly amazing, with the addition of the complex layer of human interaction. Today, social networking is often among the first uses of Internet in India, besides the usual reasons like email, music and gaming – a trend fast forwarded by the increasing affordability of smartphones/ mobile phones.
The experience of being online is now like being a part of a gigantic group at an event – like standing in a crowd where one can hear everybody’s thoughts – and one has to piece together a picture from all of those tiny fragments. It is magical, yet so much a reality. But for brands this ‘social’ commotion is not so much a challenge as it is an opportunity.
As per the latest IAMAI and IMRB report on social media in India, the number of social media users in urban India reached 62 million by December 2012 and is estimated to touch 66 million by June 2013. That is 66 million people on digital platforms waiting for brands to reach out to them. Music to the ears of the telecom, consumer electronics, FMCG and retail sectors.
Social media marketing has compelling advantages – from lower costs, greater RoI to improved flexibility. From a marketer’s point of view, social media marketing spends are only a fraction of traditional marketing spends. As per a Gartner survey, US companies spent 10.4 per cent of company revenues on marketing activities in 2012. Of that budget, 24 per cent, or 2.5 per cent of total revenues, was spent on digital media initiatives, with the rest spent on traditional media. In India, digital constitutes 7-8 per cent of advertising and marketing spend, across most brands. Further, the RoI is strong, and more importantly, easily measurable in real time. With digital marketing, brands can encourage their target audience to take action (visit their website, respond, etc.) as opposed merely being passive recipients of information. Adding personality to brands becomes easier, offering greater opportunity for meaningful engagement. This, in turn, can lead to business benefits, brand promotion and longevity of profits.
Citibank is a case in point. The bank partnered with SapientNitro in early 2011 to be part of a growing group of connected Facebook users to build a community that enabled interaction with its users. Over time, the community has grown to over 480,000, all of whom benefit from one of the best banks in India. Recently, the ‘best internet bank’ launched India’s first ever 24-hour e-commerce mega sale, OMG! Sale. Seventeen e-commerce sites were brought together for this iconic sale on a single platform, offering heavy discounts and the biggest deals online. Exclusively designed for Citibank customers, the programme aimed at providing value added benefits and choice to Citibank customers.
Besides microblogging platforms and viral videos, the overall digital marketing campaign leveraged Facebook to create customer excitement that translated into a boost in digital sales. The Citibank India Facebook page reaches out to 5.5 million users, and during the OMG! Sale had more than 75,000 of them engaging actively throughout with a virality of 7.63 per cent. Within 24 hours, Citibank card spends grew eight times over average daily spends at the 17 partner website. The average ticket size increased by 30 per cent for partner websites on Citibank card. Partner merchants reported 50 per cent reduction on ‘cash on delivery’ mode of payment. In fact, the Citibank India Facebook page posts achieved the highest reach ever in 2012 – at 2,095,104.
Clearly, there is huge scope for enterprises to start exploring social marketing seriously. But the web is not new to the SMB and SOHO segments, and offers immense scope to drive marketing and distribution to scale in an era where budgets are shrinking even while targets expand.
Indian teens spend 86 per cent of their time daily on Facebook, followed by 54 per cent on Twitter, as per a recent McAfee survey. Forward looking brands must start planning for the customer of tomorrow. There are already virtual only retail stores like Flipkart, Myntra, Jabong. Is it time for a virtual only bank? No more real estate presence? If Second Life had taken off – would we have been banking there? Is it time for a new version of second life in first person perhaps? I wonder.
Avinash Joshi is Social Media Lead at SapientNitro India.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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ShareSwapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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