Guest Column: Social: the new face of Paid Media?: Rashmi Putcha, LIQVD Asia
Zuckerberg laughed to the bank while brands spent money acquiring fans on FB

Mark Zuckerberg announced yet another change a few days ago – Facebook will soon show more content from friends and less from brands. This latest move has opened up another can of worms. While many are rejoicing that FB has finally gone back to connecting people, others are speculating that this is a clever move on Zuckerberg’s part to move focus away from the media accusations that surrounds him on filter bubbles, the Russian propaganda and other fake news.
What is Zuckerberg really up to? Is it really so surprising that he announced what he did?
Brands spent millions of dollars building communities on what essentially is someone else’s property. Zuckerberg laughed to the bank while brands spent money acquiring fans on FB. A brand’s FB page is NOT owned media. It is just an inexpensive and easy way to get wide reach and inexpensive engagement.
Coming back to Zuckerberg’s latest move- it was expected. Fan-base deemed wasted on brand pages will force them to reach out to audiences via paid ads and promotions on FB. They will also start looking at other platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp for serious spends to widen their reach. Facebook has already announced launch of ad units that would let businesses create a link between FB and WhatsApp: advertisers will be able to include a CTA on their ads to call or message via WhatsApp. There were plenty of sightings of these being tested last year on FB. Similar call to action buttons are also being tested on Instagram. See screenshots on an Instagram ad that took me straight to the WhatsApp platform to chat with the advertiser.
WhatsApp has officially launched its new WhatsApp Business app in select markets like India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, UK & the US generating a lot of excitement amongst advertisers. Currently available only on Android it will soon rolled out on IOS as well. Brands will once again build WhatsApp version of Facebook Pages, use the platform to
communicate better with their customers & establish an official presence on WhatsApp. Eventually the enterprise solution will be launched and larger brands will move there. The ecosystem that Zuckerberg has built feeds in to advertisers need for reach and convenience.
What advertisers forget is the power that they have vested in the hands of one man. Zuckerberg is essentially controlling what brands do on social media. In the absence of a real social media competitor, Zuckerberg has got brands by their collars. Advertisers need to steer clear of the trap of this so-called fan-base/follower base and social media platforms. They need to remember that real social is all about building communities that enable meaningful communication amongst people of shared interest. Brands need to move to owned property (much like their own website) and build their own communities.
Discussion boards and forums were the true and original social media. They were formed due to shared interests. Back then, brands built forums so enthusiasts would gather and interact. With the advent of Facebook, businesses became more about media & less about social. Reach became more important than engagement. The world moved to leased digital real estate. In the beginning, leased social communities worked well. Brands could build, reach and engage expensive audiences using FB. But Zuckerberg changed the rules, the algorithms. From a party on-the-house it was now a paid event. FB let you enter the party free but would charge you every time you wanted to reach out to a new friend or even an old one. Social media is not owned media.
It is time to build meaningful social assets for brands on real estate that is fully owned and controlled by them. Brands need to build communities not just so audiences consume the content created by them. They need to give audiences a reason to stay – to have conversations with others of the same interest. These would be real engagements and not just limited to likes, comments and shares.
The KPIs expected from social need to be relooked at. The platforms need to be relooked at. Brands and agencies have to be willing to plan long term or the only winner in this entire game will be players like Facebook and Google. As for what Zuckerberg and FB is up to – you just need to remember that FB is not a benevolent distributor of branded content but a company that is looking at profiteering.
The author is Co-Founder LIQVD Asia.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com.
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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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Swapan 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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