Allen Solly, Twitter, & Tweeples!

Calling it the country’s first ‘tweeple-powered’ collection launch, Allen Solly created a ‘live’ hoarding at a Bangalore mall which unveiled itself with more and more tweets. Hosted by an emcee and displaying the tweets real-time on a big screen, the hoarding claimed to have been connected to a computer-powered ‘solenoid’ (coil) which would push a shirt off it with more tweets. Through the event, the shirts began falling off, being rewarded to lucky tweeters. Behind all the shirts emerged a promotional visual of the new collection.

Allen Solly, one of India’s long-serving apparel brands has targeted professionals through the 90s and 2000s through sharp visuals of free-spirited casuals. Not to take away anything from this campaign, the brand already enjoys a neat recall among its target audience – the upwardly mobile urban pro, also a reason why the tweeple (Twitter users) here didn’t mind associating themselves with it. The idea isn’t new, really. The west has seen great outdoor campaigns for web-savvy customers using QR codes, Wi-Fi and social networks; but in India, the agency’s best bet was perhaps Bangalore, with its young IT crowd, and it seems to have worked.

The ‘Tweet to win’ route is boring, but turning that into a live event was the scoring point here. A high footfall zone(Garuda Mall) ensured high Twitter traction (not everyone’s on Twitter yes, but people wouldn’t mind signing up to win a crisp shirt!) Also, this event was an offline integration of the campaign’s online initiatives. The others were a website that gave 52 Friday dos and a Facebook page that had a card game going. Not bad syncing at all.

Overall, this was one of a kind for India, and surely a good bet for Allen Solly.

Content for You in 2013 & Beyond

Why has the importance of content grown all over these years? With the onset of social media marketing like never before, content has grown in value from a single person working before the curtains to over two hundred of them. I feel it’s critical to set the tone for content marketing, or any marketing for that matter. Marketing professionals from so many small and large businesses get so fixated on channels such as blogs, Facebook or Pinterest that they honestly have no clue of the underlying content strategy. What results is a mess of social marketing strategies that has no co-ordination. So lets set out on a hot trail of content marketing strategies required to strengthen the branding.

First, a content mission statement is a must. It can do wonders for the visitors. the statement should ideally be in the About Us part and it should include the following:-
a. The core audience target
b. the USP of the service
c. the result of the service
Fine Examples can be found here- MISSION STATEMENTS

For a change lets see this video.

This is a fine example of moving from creative excellence to content excellence. Coca-Cola has been a marketing leader for a long time, and here the brand again proves that it is more than qualified to play with the big boys.

Secondly, become the best informational provider for your target audience. Sure, you are creating content in dozens of channels for multiple marketing objectives. But is the mindset focused on being the leading provider of information for your customers? If not, why isn’t that your priority? You can google the strategies of P&G and Dove, and find a lot about how they are providing relevant information on different issues to women, their main target.

Thirdly, the utility to your customers is a key to success. Take a hard look at your content and see if what you are producing is actually useful for your customers. Is it making their lives better or jobs easier in some way?

Next, build relations with your customer. Talk to them, believe as humanly as possible, answer their queries, try to anticipate their expectations even before they ask you. The content opportunities that spring up from customer service and sales alone can support your content marketing strategy. Nike, and Dove are fine examples in this case.

The final and another important factor is co-creation of content. Make loyal customers and allow them to get involved in the company strategies and marketing as much as possible. The Internet has given customers ever-increasing powers to research, compare, and review brands, enabling both good and bad customer experiences to be broadcast to the world. Coca-Cola, Tata Group and MTV are good examples. These are the brands that understand the power of co-creating their brand together with consumers and tapping into the creativity of their biggest fans. For most companies, this also means encouraging--and actively participating in--reviews of their products/services and conversations around them, either on their own, or on third party websites. Reviews are one of the best types of UGC (user-generated content) to encourage, as reviews are closest to the buying process, and directly affect conversion rates and sales numbers.

So go out there and create some touching stories. Engaging stories set out to deliberately draw a conflict — a comparison of morality, or of fundamental change, or of good and evil. Start to feel like the customer. Of starting at a place where we don’t know how it’s going to turn out. This really helps the business to engage more customers. Otherwise, just keep on doing the boring promotions part and wasting your rupees.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 "Office Upgrade"

Samsung was on a roll last year when it came to its ads in USA, and from the looks of its newest spot for the Galaxy Note II, it looks like that trend will continue into the new year.

                             
Now that Christmas & New Year is over, it looks like Samsung is adjusting its Galaxy Note II marketing efforts from regular consumers to business men and women. Pretty intelligent positioning has led to this fine spot. The commercial shows two coworkers playing with their new phones, pointing out all the possibilities that the new "do two things at once feature" provides. Samsung features the Galaxy Note II in a comical office scene in which two employees discuss the usefulness of the device’s unique features, like Multi Window mode. One employee focuses on productivity while the other prefers to procrastinate. The spot then plays out in favor of the hard-working employee before closing with a new tag line – “The Next Big Thing for Business is Here.”

We see that Samsung is really pushing hard into the western market and is keen to win over more market shares. The heavy funding in advertisements and some great spots are surely helping it in the way. Lets see how far this goes in trying to disrupt the iconic Apple.

Samsung- The Gigantic Leap in 2012

There is no doubt in saying that Samsung has leap-frogged in terms of sales of mobile & tablet handsets in the year 2012. So what has been the backbone behind this surge?

The above graph shows the answer- Marketing.
Samsung spent a ridiculous amount on marketing this year, but you can’t deny that they’ve gotten some truly high-quality ads in return. Not to mention the buzz and viral videos and the print ads that mocked Apple's iPhone.
Case in point: The Korean manufacturer has come up with a way to make near field communication (NFC) a major differentiator between its phones and Apple’s iPhone. I admit that I was skeptic of Samsung’s ability to pull off such a fete but that’s mostly because no one had really come up with a smart way to market NFC until Samsung. Typically, NFC has been billed as a technology that will let you replace your credit card with your smartphone through the use of mobile payment platforms.
Samsung did something completely different with NFC by showing off the technology’s potential as a social tool. So for instance, instead of demonstrating how your phone can help you buy a candy bar (who cares?), Samsung has shown people how their phone can help them quickly zap pictures, playlists and videos over to their friends simply by tapping their two phones together. In other words, the smartphone isn’t something designed to help you perform solitary activities, but something to help you better enjoy your time spent with others.

The manufacturer has rolled out an ad with a bit of a suggestive theme. This time, it's Mrs. Claus getting herself on naughty list.

                                    

Samsung understands that individuals in the urban market are amongst the first adopters to use smart phones and gadgets. Apple for quite some time has had a choke hold on this demograph due to their popularity amongst creatives and pop culture mass appeal.  In an attempt to debase Apple, Samsung has tried to make strides with their ads featuring LeBron James, The Apple Waiting Line Parody and now in their latest Best Face Family Photo commercial.
The “Best Face Family Photo”commercial features the Samsung Galaxy Note II and shows a black family using the device to take a typical family portrait.  However, the ad gives perspective on how to use their latest Galaxy “Best Shot” feature to capture the candid family moment.However, the print and outdoor ads of Samsung created quite a stir, and here are some for your viewing.

There was simply no way that Samsung could resist pouncing on Apple’s latest Maps disaster that left several Australians stranded in the middle of a national park with no access to food or water.

Do these ads have helped Samsung gain in sales? A BIG yes.
In just 37 days of launch Samsung Galaxy Note II topped 3 million units in sales. Also, the Apple Parody Ad(Click here- LINK ) has topped the Most Viral Tech Ads of 2012 List(See this link.) The best thing is, the purchasing intention has grown over 11%, which is far ahead than Apple(See graph below.)

                

Thus, Samsung's fast-mover efforts aided by huge funding in Marketing departments have made sure that the year 2012 was quite special for Samsung. More to watch out, during 2013.

Nike: Parallel Journeys

I don’t know whether any of you have seen Nike’s Parallel Journeys campaign? It’s probably one of the best campaigns I’ve seen from Nike. Ok, so I may be slightly biased and may have a bit of a soft spot for cricket and India.

The campaign captures young cricket athletes relentless quest for perfection, it doesn’t matter where they are, what they play, whether pro or amateur, you are given an insight into their journey, their training, hard work, dedication and desire to achieve success in the sport. The film’s culminates perfectly with Nike’s “Just do it” slogan.

The ad has been beautifully shot in various locations around India; Delhi, Ladakh, Pondicherry, Indore, Jodhpur, Varanasi, Mumbai to name a few places. I feel as though it truly captures the essence of India, the diversity of the cultural different parts of India, the varying age groups, religions, the variation in players economic backgrounds, however everyone is bought together by the sport.

All of this of course doesn't come cheap and the commercial is rumoured to be one of the most expensive made in India. While none of those associated with it are willing to comment, ad business moles suggest a price tag of Rs 4 crore. It appears to be money well spent going by the feedback at least within the industry.

There are no actors in the film, - just authentic players of the game from various corners of the country. To capture them, the crew travelled to homes, buses, trains, boats, gyms, chawls, gullies, colonies, schools, clubs and playgrounds that are the grooming grounds for cricket crazy Indian youth, across geographies.

So, after all the hype and discussion, did the ad work? I think, yes. It makes people go emotional for cricket again. It also sends the message clearly that one should follow his/her passion no matter what the hurdles be. This ad is a hit as far as I am concerned.

Coke and Meals!

"The family that eats together stays together."

Continuing on from the wonderful family-bonding-over-meal-TVC called "Saath khao, khushiyaan badhao" Coca-Cola has started various campaigns to position itself as a drink with meal, such as roping in master chef Sanjeev Kapoor and doing a cooking program in three undisclosed cities in India. A website is being spread over social-networking sites which asks people to send any special recipe of their own. The lucky winner would be seen with Sanjeev Kapoor. It also plans to bring some Mothers to college campuses and have them cook for the students there, as part of the campaign.

                  

                  

The campaign:-
TVC Link- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XP6sPhwmDag
Website Link- Coke and Meals

The preceding post:- Coca Cola's New Commercial - Oct '12

Why Story-telling is not only for kids anymore.

Remember those childhood days when your teacher or your grammy used to tell you a lot of stories? How we wish those golden days never ended! Who's gonna tell us stories now?

But hey! don't forget that the stories never ended actually! Surprised? When you see a lady clad in white saaree say that X detergent helped remove the stains and make this dress glittering white, isn't that a story you are listening to? But yeah, you are pissed off at the content. While other stories tend to indulge your vivid imaginations.

Take the example of Tata Docomo's "Hate Incomplete Stories?" campaign. Isn't it innovative? Or the Volkswagen's Silent Ad. There are many good stories out there.
So why has story telling become so important for businesses after all? What is the meaning of a 'good story' then?

In my view, a good story has the following foundations :-
1. Its Authentic.
2. Its Creative.
3. It makes an Emotional & Personal connection with the target audience.
4. It inspires action/generates a lot of positive word-of-mouth communication.
5. It possibly Engages the audience in a journey with the brand.

Meanwhile lets put up another example to interest you. Remember the "Jaago Re" campaign by Tata Tea?
So why is telling good stories so important after all?

Because, Good Stories COMPEL people to CHANGE, change the Way thet FEEL, change the Way they THINK, change the Way they ACT, and change the Way they BEHAVE. Good stories put their audience at ease and engage them with the "Human Side" of the brand.

So for those who still think that direct ads and/or discounts only can bring in profits for your company, please stop clinging to cliches and start making up a story around your product/brand that's indulging enough.
- Clarify your message.
- Let the audience know the need of change.
- Let them know how and when there could be change.
- Confirm why their action is important.
- Explain how you want your audience to take action.

And, remember an important thing- "Anything that's copied and NOT FOUND is NOT a THEFT!"

So find your inner storyteller. No matter what the industry, product or service; there are stories in every company to help get the message out and acted upon any simple and cost-effective way.

Weird is the new COOL!

To promote the new “weird is cool” attitude proffered by the ParaNorman film (a tale of a young boy who can see ghosts and is shunned by his friends and classmates), Nike has released a special edition of film-inspired Nike Air Foamposite One sneakers.

The Foamposite One shoes, released in a small batch of 800, were up for grabs via a Twitter campaign challenging fans to tweet the @ParaNorman account with pictures of themselves being weird as a kid with the hashtag #weirdwins. Fans who tweeted the weirdest photos won a pair of the limited edition sneaks. The Nike ParaNorman campaign not only represents a great cross-brand promotional strategy (for the film, the shows, and their master companies) but also plays into a bigger cultural movement toward embracing oddities. It’s also important to note the irony of the campaign: a coveted symbol of hyped fashion trends (Nike shoes) are a reward for celebrating those very uncool, awkward, and socially embarrassing moments of childhood.

Take a look at some photos of the campaign.

                    

What do you think of Nike’s spin on weird as the new cool?

History of Advertising vs History of Marketing

The world of today has seen more than a trillion ads probably. The clutter has become so much that it is becoming difficult for organizations to take up the challenge in this mess. But think of the days when there were pretty rare ads. Most of the people would answer the "Jalebi" ad of Dhara if we ask you about the first ad that you heard of. But in 1939, Lever’s advertising department launched Dalda – the first major example of a brand and a marketing campaign specifically developed for India.

Did you know that the Egyptians were arguably the first to invent the form of Advertising? Do you know how did they do it? Lets have a look at the Illustrated History of Advertising in this world. Compare the timelines to the History of Marketing side by side. Click on the respective images to view the infographic. (A note of thanks to guys who made these. I got them by browsing.)

                                      

The Age of Customer Engagement is Now!

Before I start off, I want to know how many people still believe that we are in the Information Age, business-wise? I believe that the Information Age has just been overshadowed by the Age of Customer Engagement, more strongly in the Indian market.

Customer engagement in India is fundamentally different from customer engagement in mature markets. Unlike the mature markets that are plagued with stagnant growth rates and a saturated pool of customers, the Indian economy has had healthy growth and a seemingly endless supply of new customers. The expanding middle class and the emerging affluent with higher levels of disposable income have fueled an unprecedented growth curve for Indian businesses.

Yet in our experience, that’s not enough. To truly engage customers for whom push marketing is becoming irrelevant, companies must do more outside the confines of traditional marketing. At the end of the day, customers no longer separate marketing from the product—it is the product. In the era of engagement, marketing is the brand. Digital media was there in the fringes, but the infusion of social media has changed the face of marketing. Every day the cutting edge of marketing is being redefined.

But the question remains the same- What can we do differently to maintain our revenue streams and profit margins in the soon-to-be-new normal?

The answer is not quite simple. The typical Indian consumer is a discount shopper. Bargain hunting is a favorite national sport, second perhaps only to cricket. So it is not surprising that the predominant strategy of customer acquisition and retention has been based on pricing. In mature markets, differentiation based on pricing and product alone is no longer a sustainable strategy. What is to be done then? Well, as much as you would yell at me, it's always going back to basics that helps. Just mold it according to the present, that's all. So here's the CusEngagement theory:-
1. Don't strive to only satisfy your customers. Provide an WOW! experience.
2. Entice customers to stay in touch.
3. Give more responsibilities to the customers whenever possible.
4. Try to generate rich customer insights and use the data as best as possible.
5. Use such content that inspires activity like commenting, or better, sharing.
                   
 One Indian company that has demonstrated that the Indian buyer is willing to pay more for customer experience is Tanishq. Established in 1995 as a high-end branded jewellery retailer, Tanishq has become the most valued jewellery brand in India. Through a differentiated customer experience – well designed exclusive retail showrooms, complementary nation-wide service, and a generous loyalty program – Tanishq has persuaded a lot of Indians to leave their traditional jewellers and go with Tanishq despite higher prices.

Especially in social media, marketers are turning a leaf or two with innovative campaigns. Every medium has its advantages for marketers, but social media has the power to transform a campaign into a religion. Mint reports that social media is being used not just for plain one way advertising but also for customer engagement, marketing events, generating sales, launching product buzz, introducing innovative concepts and even creating new markets for their existing brands.

                     
Hippo, a unique baked wheat snack food brand launched in the Indian snack market in 2010 and successfully deployed an innovative social media brand awareness-cum-customer engagement-cum-advertising campaign with shot many birds with one stone. HT reported that in February 2010, Hippo launched a Twitter campaign asking consumers and retailers to tweet Hippo’s availability on retail shelves on Hippo’s Twitter page, because they were facing difficulties in tracking distribution across India. The company promised to take action on the tweets which stated unavailability in specific stores. Parle Agro claimed that they received such stock related tweets from 25 cities and that the number of people tracking Hippo stocks on Twitter equaled 45 per cent of Parle Agro’s foods sales team. Their sales had jumped by 76 percent after this campaign, reported HT.
 
                 
In 2012, ITC’s leading personal care brand, Fiama Di Wills launched Fiama Di Wills Men – Aqua Pulse range of shower gel and bathing bar. They envisaged their innovative social media advertising campaign to target urban Indian males with active lifestyles, reported TOI. The campaign was called the ‘Mega Aqua Pulse Australian Adventure’. It was essentially a contest to give Indian water sports enthusiasts an opportunity to win a free trip to Australia. The contest received more than 4000 entries and approximately 40,000 friends were invited to participate. The brand made sure that there was continuous customer engagement by offering tools such as Wall Posts, Reviews, Mentions, Discussion Posts, Videos and much more on their Facebook page. According to TOI, The Fiama Di Wills Men community on Facebook registered 1.7 lakh fans, with 3.7 million post views and over 19,000 feedback posts, all within just 30 days of its launch.

Much like their global counterparts, the Indian middle class is well informed, social, and influential. However, traditionally, the Indian customer has been conditioned to be less demanding of the experience delivered. Therein lies the opportunity to surprise and delight prospects and customers.

Offering differentiation through experience will have greater impact on Indian customers compared to their western counterparts, who are accustomed to high levels of service delivery. Certain segments of the customer base might even be willing to pay more for a specialist treatment. The key to sustaining profitability during this period of economic uncertainty will be to identify the right target customers and define the right experiences. I think time has come for such an idea to sprout up more in the Indian markets.

Guerrilla Marketing and it's rise in India

First of all, I am sure most of the management people must have heard about this term. For the others let me describe it. Guerrilla Marketing is an advertising strategy that focuses on low-cost unconventional marketing tactics that yield maximum results. The term was inspired by guerrilla warfare which is a form of irregular warfare and relates to the small tactic strategies like ambushes, sabotage, raids and elements of surprise used by armed civilians. Much like guerrilla warfare, guerrilla marketing uses the same sort of tactics in the marketing industry. This alternative advertising style relies heavily on unconventional marketing strategy, high energy and imagination. It generally makes relatively higher amount of impression than traditional methods of marketing.

One of the main advantages of guerrilla marketing is that it’s unexpected. It catches us off guard and causes an emotional response: laughter, shock or sadness are great sellers. It’s easy to see why marketers would rather you didn’t know just how they’re using guerrilla marketing to their advantage. If you know their secrets, you may just stop responding.

The prevalent types of Guerrilla Marketing are;

1. Viral marketing is a highly visible form of guerrilla marketing these days. A successful viral campaign uses existing communication networks (you tell two friends, they each tell two friends, and so on), doesn’t require much in terms of resources, and has the potential to be unstoppable.
2. Ambient marketing allows a business to create brand recognition without necessarily pushing their products. It's about placing ads on unusual items or in unusual places you wouldn’t normally see an ad. The key to a successful ambient media campaign is to choose the best media format available and combined with effective message. These kinds of ads often make someone think about a certain place or thing differently.
3. Presence marketing is along the same lines as ambient marketing. It’s about making the business name recognizable and familiar and always there. You know that saying, “out of sight, out of mind?”
4. Wild postings may seem old-fashioned, but they are still wildly popular with indie bands and products that want to portray that indie image. Have you ever walked down a city street and seen a wall plastered with multiple copies of a poster for a movie, concert, or alcoholic beverage? Those would be wild postings, and part of their effectiveness lies in the way that they can make us believe we’re witnessing something momentous.
5. Tissue-pack advertising was made popular in Japan, but today it’s spreading to infiltrate the rest of the world. Knowing that advertising fliers were almost never accepted, much less read, Japanese businesses began to hand out pocket packs of tissues with ads on them. This simple but ingenious marketing method works because, well, who would turn down free stuff? Because the giveaway is a useful item, it stays close to the target consumer until it’s been used up.
6. Astroturfing is widely considered to be the slimiest of all guerrilla marketing practices. It involves creating an artificial buzz about a product or company, and it’s mighty risky in the information age. Postings are created in online forums, singing the praises of a certain product or service – but they aren’t made by the public. They’re made by shills, or people associated with the company who are paid to express a positive opinion.
7. Alternative marketing is low cost ways to target specific neighborhoods, age groups, ethnic communities, and/or low literacy families with special cancer messages. Such strategies include the use of low cost flyers, posters, payroll stuffers, and program announcements scattered throughout a community to deliver a message. Ideally, these alternative strategies can also be used to complement traditional media efforts.
8. Experiential marketing is increasingly embraced by all types of companies and brands today. It aims to give you an experience rather than send you a one-way message. Experiential marketing lets you interact with the product and associate your immediate emotional responses with that brand.
9. Live-in Marketing is a term used to describe a variant of marketing and advertising in which the target consumer is allowed to sample or use a brands product in a relaxed atmosphere over a longer period of time. Much like product placement in film and television LIM was developed as a means to reach select target demographics in a non-invasive and much less garish manner than traditional advertising.

Now, in places like the USA and the Europe, Guerrilla Marketing has been widely used in pretty interesting ways. In India, it's still in it's infancy but pacing well. But traditional OOH is losing sheen quickly and only this form can save it from fading out. Some examples of Guerrilla Marketing in India are:-

               
An ambient exercise to promote Eatalica burgers. A ‘Caution Wet Floor’ board was placed near an Eatalica burger signboard. The copy on the board reads ‘Oogling at the burger may involuntarily cause drooling which may in turn lead to a wet floor. Issued for your safety by the management of Eatalica restaurant’. Eatalica is an American-Italian Food Joint in Chennai, India.

                           
Life-size stickers of people were stuck on automatic sliding doors at a mall in Mumbai, India. When someone approaches the doors move apart and it feels like the people on the door are moving away. The person enters to find the message ‘People Move Away When You Have Body Odour’.

The latest entrant is our very own ‘Future Group’- Big Bazaar, Pantaloons, Future Bazaar, eZone are all part of this group and they are taking on the biggies like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, and Tata’s Westside.
In order to do the same, Future Group have come up with 3 catchy/cocky and cheeky ad campaign which surely does catch your eyes (whether one changes their loyalty or not, only time will tell) and surely one cant resist appreciating the same.

Keep West-aSide. Make a smart choice !
Shoppers! Stop. Make a smart choice !
Change Your Lifestyle. Make a smart choice !


                                               

                             

Don't know whether Big Bazaar will send positive vibes through these because the target market is fairly different. Some more examples follow.

                                          

                                          

                             

Most of these campaigns have taken place at cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, & Bengaluru. Lets hope this marketing practice is provided more support and captures cities like Chandigarh, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai, etc. Though some consider it unethical, but it's healthy for competition and India's businesses need it! Do share some if you have come across such examples.

Stay Raw!

Note: References taken from The Business Standard.
The box office cash register in the recent times has rung with the success of movies like Dabangg, Rowdy Rathore, Ishqzaade and the most recent Gangs of Wasseypur. All the movies have brought to limelight the raw and remote hinterland of shining India, with the protagonist being crude, coarse, rugged and uncivil with a heart of gold and strength of character.
Is the transition of our leading men from being suave and aristocratic in ninety’s to raw and rowdy today, an indication that new generation of the country has come of age from the demure and elegant conduct passed on as British legacy?

Cashing in on this, MTV India, the most iconic youth brand, from November 2010, has entered a re-branding phase with a new philosophy- STAY RAW. Under its new face, the channel has taken a complete bold way to serve the next generation of the country. Their brand ethos still relates to Youth, Relevance, and Trendy. Bold has been swept in since Stay Raw.
Today young people are more confident than they ever were. They write their own rules, they play their own games. They wear their attitude on their sleeve and are proud of their heritage. In short, they are real, they are brash, they are unmixed.
This philosophy is being launched through a truly innovative route. A never seen before channel look with clutter breaking graphics, once you see it, you are guaranteed to love it.

After a slew of reality shows that dominated its prime time slot, MTV India is also returning to its roots- Music. What has prompted MTV to change its much hyped strategy? According to TAM ratings for the Hindi-speaking markets in week 42, 2011, 9XM was the number one music channel with a 15.3 per cent share, followed by Mastiii (14.3%), Channel V (11.6%), B4U Music ( 10.4%) and MTV (9%). This showed that there was increasing boredom among it's viewers. From the previous 70:30 format, MTV will now have a 50:50 format.
MTV India now has four new music blocks -MTV Big Bang Mornings, MTV Music Xprs, MTV Mash Ups and MTV International - to serve Bollywood and international hits and has launched the Indian editions of Coke Studio, MTV Unplugged and Grind. It will also continue to telecast new seasons of popular shows such as Rock On, Splitsvillaa, Roadies and Stunt Mania.

How did it manage to spring back? Apart from intelligent OOH, Social Marketing was one of the main reasons behind it. A Facebook page that boasts of over 3.5 million fans, with at least one video being uploaded every day, and a slew of Twitter and Youtube fans, MTV manages to hold the youths glued to it's page. Every day posts like MTV Splitsvilla HOTTIE of the day, Funny Video of the Day, etc. are streamed. No doubt, the MTV Roadies page is recommended by over 80% of it's fans every week.
Here are some print ads you'll love to see.

Hope you loved these graphic text ads by MTV. Which one did you love the most?

Leveraging from Facebook: What every brand should know.

Note- All statistics are borrowed from http://www.socialbakers.com/

Facebook is one of top social media platforms being used in India. Currently it has 54,755,360 users, which makes it #3. The online population penetration factor is more than 67%, which is pretty good for a social networking site.

The recent per month number of users is also gigantic.

 

One can also see that most people are from the age group 18 - 24(view image below).

Today when social media marketing is starting to be considered a compulsory part of 360 degree campaigns, every brand in India is most definitely on Facebook, but the real question lies in knowing, which of these brands are using the platform in the best possible manner. It’s clearly not about only making a page and just being present out there. The game is changing; nowadays brands are looking at avenues from offline integration to branding campaigns on Facebook.

Now first lets see who are the fastest growing brands in facebook.

So, what do these brands do in order to maintain the brand engagement week on week? Lets find out in a couple of examples.

1. Axe Angels Club.

This page is one of the best examples how one factor can be leveraged to sell the brand. First look on the page and you will get a feel of Axe Angels coming alive to please you. That’s how smartly the brand has positioned itself. Creating branding/awareness and thereby resulting into sales, has been clearly achieved. Bold and beautiful is the way to go and they have understood the crux of the situation perfectly.

Facebook page- Axe Angels Club

2. Tata Docomo

They talk everything on their page. From current topics, bollywood, sports, etc. to promotional offers, contests and campaigns. The first thing you notice on their page is a very warm welcome message that will entice you to “Like” the page. Of course huge monies have been spent for sourcing these “Likes” but as they say, in the end it’s worth it! In my previous post I did say about how well has Docomo used the return of cricketer Yuvraj Singh for it's brand promotion.

Facebook page- Tata Docomo

There are a few things such brands are doing right, and I guess others can follow suit too.

• Invite visitors to “Like” your Page: If you're not, you're missing the chance for future conversations with customers

• Create well-written, “human” status updates: The more conversational, the more likely what you say won't be ignored.

• Create custom offers that visitors find valuable: Think value in terms of the customer, not solely what you think is valuable.

• Share inside information and unique assets: Often you have access to information, photos, videos, or items that customers would love to access. Share!

• Feature user-generated content: Invite your customers to join your campaign.

• Create “sharable” apps that are social by design: Apps created for a social site should be social at the core. Make it easy to include their friends.

• Make sure content maps to brand campaign: Facebook isn't the place to go rogue with your brand. Tie it into your overall marketing for best results.

• Create an emotional connection: People come to Facebook for social, emotional reasons. Tap into that if you can.

• Acknowledge your biggest fans: Highlighting your biggest fans is a low-cost way to super-charge their advocacy.

• Engage across your online properties: Tie into your website, your mobile site, your apps. Be consistent for more powerful impact.

• Link to online and offline events: Events are a way to keep your brand top-of-mind, and keeps a reminder in your customer's Facebook newsfeed.

• Enhance the offline experience online: Offer hints, tips, FAQ's, to make their offline experience better.

There are also two important factors.

1. Most people in India are online on facebook during 8 - 9 pm.
2. Facebook's "highlight" and "pin to top" pointers help gain more visibility for a particular post.

So, whether you have a few fans on your page, or a huge number of them, you can probably do more to keep your cash registers ringing. And if you still don't have a facebook brand page, well, lets just hope for a new dawn.