International: Egg on Their Facebook: Users Force Reversal of Ad Approach
Discards Opt-out Model Following Outcry and Anti-ad Petition
Consumers, in case you've been living under a rock, are in control.
For the latest evidence, consider the massive outcry that erupted over Facebook's much-vaunted Beacon program, hailed as a major ingredient in the advertising program the company launched last month. Facebook last week responded by reining in the system. Facebook users will now have to opt in to participate, instead of the previous, more passive opt-out prompts.
The Beacon system tells a user's friends about a user's actions on sites outside of Facebook. For example, if a user purchases a product on a Beacon-participating site such as Overstock.com, which Forrester Analyst Charlene Li did, it would broadcast that purchase (in Ms. Li's case, a coffee table), to Ms. Li's Facebook network.
"I was pretty surprised to see this because I received no notification while I was on Overstock.com that they had the Facebook Beacon installed on the site. If they had, I would have turned it off," she wrote on her blog, Groundswell.
High-level protest
The experience prompted Ms. Li, and 50,000 other Facebook users, to join a Facebook group opposing Beacon. The group, created by MoveOn.org, was titled "Petition: Facebook, stop invading my privacy!" And it wasn't just regular old consumers who found it to be a breach of privacy and the implicit agreement between themselves and Facebook: a quick scan of the group's members included users from ad agencies Ogilvy and DDB, Facebook investor Microsoft and a marketer at a major package-goods company, who invited Jim Nail, chief strategy and chief marketing officer at Cymfony, to join the group.
"Every media type has that tension between editorial, which is what users really want, the content, and the advertising. But it's more pronounced in social media because the value consumers are looking for are those personal relationships," Mr. Nail said. "In any other kind of content, there's at least some set of advertisers that are relevant."
To hear Facebook explain Beacon, it sounds innocent enough.
"All we're trying to do is make sure anytime there is a trusted word-of-mouth referral that your friend has made about this product, we share that information with you," Chamath Palihapitiya, Facebook's VP-product marketing and operations, said at the launch of Beacon.
Marketers enter conversation
But to look at Beacon's purpose as solely to amplify user recommendations is only part of the story. The other part is, of course, to incorporate commercial conversation into the social network to which Facebook can sell and attach advertising. If a user purchases a pair of Nike running shoes and Beacon alerts his or her friends, Nike could buy an ad to run alongside that alert that would include a link to a website -- a "social ad," if you will.
Facebook's Beacon travails are a lesson in the obvious: that advertising and user interests are often at odds. And in this case, it's not just Facebook's reputation that can be damaged by the perceived breach of trust but the involved marketers' as well.
Facebook executives suggest that users often need time to get used to and find the value in their new services, pointing to the launch of the Facebook news feed in fall 2006. Like with Beacon, users revolted, created protest groups and, soon, Facebook modified the service to give users more control.
People were initially skeptical about the news feed, Mr. Palihapitiya said, but once they started using it, they "were convinced about the power of it." Others suggested it was only a matter of time until a Facebook user accidentally broadcast the purchase of an embarrassing self-help book or porn video. (One commenter on Ms. Li's blog said Beacon had ruined his marriage proposal by broadcasting an Overstock.com purchase of an engagement ring to his entire network -- including his girlfriend.)
Asking for permission
In Ms. Li's scenario, a prompt should have appeared on the Overstock.com site alerting her to Beacon and offering an opt-out opportunity. Additionally, the next time she logged in to Facebook, a second notification should have allowed her to opt out of the Beacon alert. The only trouble is there was no alert on Overstock.com, and the Facebook alert can easily be overlooked -- if a user doesn't see it to opt out, the message will be sent automatically. Under the retooled Beacon system, overlooking the prompt on the Facebook home page will not lead to publication of a story; a user will have to "OK" the notification.
It's unclear how much the added privacy controls could reduce the number of Beacon messages across Facebook, and a request for further comment from the company went unanswered.
Still, while Facebook may have erred in veering too commercial too quickly, Mr. Nail pointed out that Facebook listened and reacted quickly. In the days before social media, it took media companies six months to a year to respond to the uproar over pop-up ads, he said. "Today they're getting immediate feedback, saying 'OK users, we hear you; we'll do the right thing.'"
Added Adam Green of MoveOn.org in a celebratory statement: "If Facebook changes their policy so that no private purchases made on other websites are displayed publicly on Facebook without a user's explicit permission, that would be a huge step in the right direction -- and would say a lot about the ability of everyday internet users to band together to make a difference."
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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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